ASHLEY OR AYLA?

Cole sat alone in his study, on his table at his front, the silver box which contained Ayla's last letter laid. It was the box Ashley had opened.

His mind was bustling with questions, One how could Ashley, have opened it. When he was given the box, he had been trying to open it at all costs but nothing except Ayla's fingerprint could do so.

The second question bothered him, when did Ayla write that letter, it was obviously written after the incident so how could she have written it if she died immediately.

He was highly confused but had a feeling the two had something similar. He knew they were related in a way.

At a point, he was starting to believe in reincarnation but even if that was the case, their age difference made it impossible. Ayla was eighteen when she died, meanwhile, Ashley just turned eighteen, which was three years difference.

He picked up his phone from the table and dialed Kim Bryon, his secretary, and personal assistant. He was the one who had delivered Ashley to the Villa on the first day.

"Hello," he said out loud.

"Kim, I have a mission for you to accomplish.

There was silence as Kim's statement wasn't heard over the phone."

"It's about Ashley, I feel like she is related to Ayla in a way," he said.

"I would like you to find out more information on her origin."

"She came from a village named Brothill which is on the outskirts of the city."

"I need this information as soon as possible," he said before hanging up.

Aria aka the mistress of eavesdropping was listening to his conversation from afar.

Her eyes widened in shock and fear, was Ashley her childhood best friend, Ayla? He didn't want Ayla to return, her return would only mark a permanent boundary for her in Cole's life. She didn't want to be ignored and unnoticed by Cole, something that occurred countless times in the past.

She wanted to get her hands on that information before Kim or Cole did.

***************************

Janet walked slowly and happily up the stairs with a box in her hand. In the box, there was an expensive watch, so expensive that she bought it with all of her money. It was expensive but not up to Tegan's taste but she hoped he would like it.

She walked towards his room with each step making her nervousness increase. She managed to get to the door. She turned the handle and opened it to see the most unexpected scene she ever saw.

Cole was in the bed with a woman laying on him and they were in a deep kiss, a deep and sloppy one.

Out of shock, the box fell out of her hands opening and revealing the watch which had crashed on the marble floor. The crashing sound caught the attention of the two people making them turn in her direction.

"Wait, it's not what you think" Tegan defended.

She was so dumbfounded that she couldn't let out a single word, all she did was walk out on the two.

The woman on the bed placed her palms on his chest, "Can we go on?" she said while drawing air circles on his chest...

Tegan was so irritated that he pushed her off him and stood up from the bed buttoning his loose shirt as he ran after her.

Janet was speed walking towards the door with tears threatening to leave her eyes but she brushed them off as she didn't want to look weak. She was just at the exit when she was held back by a strong hand.

She turned to see Tegan holding her back making her irritation increase. She had just spent three months' salary just for this ungrateful player.

She didn't want to say anything and she tried to peel his fingers off her wrist but to no avail.

"I promise, It wasn't my fault," he said.

"Not your fault?" she asked sarcastically. "Was I blind when I saw you two sticking your tongues into each other's throat?"

"No, she seduced me" he defended.

"And you fell for it" she snapped.

Tegan was starting to get agitated with her attitude.

"Why do you even care?" he snapped back at her. "Not like we are anything serious.

His words hurt her more than she had seen.

"Nothing?" she asked in disbelief and disdain.

Tegan looked her in the eyes knowing he had said the wrong thing. He wished he could take it back.

"So you mean, the date, the necklace, and the kiss were all nothing?" she said with a disgusted look.

He didn't reply all he did was stare making her feel like his answer was yes.

"Well… I guess I was the fool again, I fell for someone like you; how foolish of me" she said before yanking her wrist out of his hands and running off.

At the gate, she informed the gatekeeper to bring down all her luggage and her family by six in the evening. She was going to move back to her wretched life.

*************************

Aria was in a little house with ruins and ashes as it was burnt. They were other houses in the same condition with few people in them, but this one looked abandoned.

She had asked a local for the West family house and they directed her here. She claimed to be a messenger from Ashley West and ended up getting information about a diary that Ashley's mother had wanted to give her when she turned eighteen.

She searched in every nook and cranny as she was determined to find the book and fortunately laying in the burnt cupboard was a half-burnt wooden box.

She broke the tiny padlock with a huge rock and voila, It opened. In the Diary laid a well-kept book that was untouched by the flames, or dust. The was a sticker on it with the words "REBBECCA'S DIRY."

She knew she had the right copy.