The Blood on Everyone’s Hands

News travels remarkably quickly among Carter family members. Jason Carter was splashed across every social media feed in city by next morning not for past notorious club brawls but for being biological father of his cousin's wife's unborn kid. Scandal of this sort even moguls with gazillions couldn't hush up quietly. Media outlets pounced furiously with vitriolic fervor. Headlines somehow magically wrote themselves fervently overnight.“Carter Baby Bombshell: Ava Carter Pregnant by Cousin-in-Law!”

“The Billionaire Love Triangle No One Saw Coming — Until Now.”

Ava sat at the kitchen table, hands trembling around her coffee cup. Ava sat hunched at a cluttered kitchen table with hands shaking violently around a chipped coffee cup. Her phone buzzed maniacally with PR agents and journalists clamoring for attention amidst hate mail death threats and other egregious stuff. She was trending ridiculously for entirely wrong reasons. Ethan stood with back against long glass wall eyes fixed intently out at cityscape as if consumed utterly by fierce dark longing. Zayn sat silently across from him.“Say something,” Ethan snapped. “Just say you’re sorry so I can break your face.”

Jason lit a cigarette, unfazed. “You think I planned this? Jason showed up with unmitigated gall anyway.“Enough. Ethan snapped something fiercely. Jason lit a cigarette unfazed. Apologize now so I can smash your face in pretty quickly. You reckon I orchestrated this whole debacle on purpose somehow? Zayn leaned forward his voice was a hoarse whisper that night you could have said no she called me remember?“You still care about her?”

Zayn looked away.

Barely sufficient.“Don’t flatter yourself. It's no longer about whom slept with whom.“And you’d raise anyone’s child if it gave you a headline.”

Zayn stood. “We’re all to blame. The narrative revolves rather obliquely around her. Ava stood quietly.“The charity gala has pulled your invitation. Jason raised an eyebrow rather quizzically and gazed down at her with utter bewilderment still etched darkly on his face.“All because I got pregnant?”

The agent paused. “Because you got pregnant with the wrong Carter.”

Ava hung up.

Zayn's gaze drifted sideways awkwardly. Ethan scoffed loudly with utter disdain. Spare yourself lavish praise utterly. Jason turned towards Ethan suddenly. Zayn stood quite still as she hurled harsh words saying you'd raise some random kid for a snappy tabloid headline. We're all culpable basically for this mess somehow. Fighting over her now won't alter past transgressions. Her world was imploding rapidly beneath shattered remnants of yesterday's fragile security.“You shouldn’t be here.”

Jason looked her in the eye. “We need to talk. Her agent phoned suddenly from a payphone. Charity gala organizers apparently yanked your invite rather abruptly.“I didn’t come to cause trouble,” he said. “But I’m not running either.”

“I didn’t ask you to run.”

Jason turned to her. “Then what do you want from me, Ava?”

She looked down at her belly, then back at him.

“I want peace. Maternity brand abruptly dropped your contract. Her voice shook violently underneath layers of worn fragile composure. All because I got knocked up? The agent paused deliberately. Ava slammed down phone suddenly because you got pregnant with wrong Carter. She'd frittered away her existence dodging notoriety and familial hullabaloo but now found herself embroiled in a multibillion-dollar media frenzy.“Then let me do one thing right. Her baby hadn't emerged yet barely six months into a tumultuous pregnancy marked by uncertainty and fragile prospects.“You?”

“I’m not your first choice. A knock came suddenly at her door that night. Not Zayn apparently. No it was someone else entirely not Ethan obviously. Jason existed somehow rather mysteriously. She opened it slowly barely above a whisper.“It’s not that simple.”

He stepped closer. “It is. Jason gazed deeply into her eyes and said quite sternly you shouldn't be here."We really need talking right now somehow."“I don’t know if I can trust you.”

“Then don’t,” he said. “Trust yourself. She stepped aside with obvious reluctance. He strode into Zayn's former apartment lingering in quiet opulence with footsteps echoing softly off lavish decor. He said I hadn't come here for causing trouble apparently. Jason turned towards her suddenly.

She murmured softly “I didn't ask you to run.”

“But I'm not running either” she added quietly with downcast eyes.“Ms. Carter, is it true you were still married when the child was conceived?”

“Mr. Carter, how long have you and Ava been involved?”

“Is this another Carter PR stunt?”

“What about Zayn and Ethan? Ava what do you crave from me now? She gazed downwards towards her swollen belly and back up at him with pleading eyes.“I made mistakes. I desperately crave tranquil silence utterly and forever. Rarely in life have I felt such a sensation utterly. I aim at raising child free from guilt and anxiety somehow. Quite shamelessly he acted. Jason nodded slowly with an air of nonchalance still simmering beneath his placid exterior like a potent unspoken rebuke. Let me get one bloody thing done correctly for once mercifully. Her eyes widened suddenly in shock. You? I'm hardly first on your list apparently. Obviously I know that pretty well. I'll stick around pretty stubbornly still. I'll scribble my signature on a birth certificate pretty quickly down at city hall. I'll face press squarely tomorrow morning. Ava shook her head vigorously. Things aren't that straightforward. He stepped much closer suddenly from behind her. It definitely is. I'm not begging for affection or some deeply felt emotional connection whatsoever right now. She trembled violently on lip. I don't know if I can trust you. He said then don't. Have faith deeply within yourself quietly. You're stronger than any of us. Three days later a press conference erupted suddenly with controversy and bewilderment surrounding it already. Jason stood very still beside her looking rather clean-shaven in a somewhat crumpled suit and sober unusually. Ava wore a dark green maternity dress with no jewelry her fingers remained bare from where her wedding ring once sat. Reporters viciously attacked him with pointed awkwardly phrased questions. Ms. Carter was she still hitched when that kid was conceived?

How long you and Ava been entangled Mr. Carter?

Another Carter PR scam this is?

What about Zayn and Ethan anyway? She leaned in quite closely into mic. Mistakes were made by me pretty badly. This baby isn't one of those kids though.

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