a/n: can we get to 80 comments? ilysm

Time stopped and I felt my heart drop to my feet. The air was icy and Andrew's words were the only thing that pierced through, creating a thick tension between us.

It was as if I couldn't breath, but I could at the same time. I felt like I was alive, yet my emotions disappeared. I felt like I was present, but my mind was in a trance.

Flashes of memories went through me, of Harry and I. Everything from when I first met him at the ceremony, to a few minutes ago, when he had me pressed against the wall while kissing my neck.

From the time that I first laid my eyes on him. His green eyes lit up in happiness and the dimples cratered into his cheeks, while he asked me about my bracelet. To the time when I felt his strong arms embrace my weak body when my aunt passed away. A few hours ago, when Harry had me trapped in his beautiful eyes, which were a complete separate world in their own, while he held me in the small space of his car.

All of those times that we touched and I felt a kind of rush go through me. I didn't know why I got that strange feeling in my stomach, around Harry. I didn't know why I felt so comfortable around him. I didn't know why it felt so good... so right when I was with him.

But now, it all made sense.

I was paired with Harry. I was paired with Harry. It sounded so weird. I just couldn't settle the thought within myself. It didn't seem like it was real. I was supposed to spend my life, with Harry.

"What?" Harry asked, his voice being the first to break the icy tension.

Andrew laughed sourly, and I couldn't help but look at Harry. Harry was already looking at me. His eyes were wide, confused almost. Those pink lips were pressed together. But from afar, I could read his features perfectly, only to find out that he was curious, almost as much as me. I could see his mind racing a hundred miles an hour.

"That's right. I switched your bracelets." Andrew turned towards May and I, with his hands in his pockets. "Surprised?"

"Why would you do that?" May asked, her voice filled with betrayal and hurt.

May had grown up with her father. Although I didn't know much about their relationship, I know that if my mum was in Andrew's spot, I wouldn't be able to forgive her.

"Because I wanted you," he pointed at May. "To be with the richer man, who was supposed to be Harry."

He continued and I felt myself grind my teeth in anticipation, and cross my arms to shelter myself from the cold and his bland words.

"Harry was supposed to be the rich one, because his father was richer than Zayn's." Andrew continued, "Alas, Harry couldn't do it and he isn't as rich as Zayn."

"Harry is handling his business so well," Zayn butted in. "We're barely different, financially."

"Every thousand counts, Zayn. Even if it's just a few thousand." Andrew whispered with a blasé expression. "And you shouldn't be talking."

"Oh, fûck off." Zayn laughed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Zayn knew about the bracelets and why they were switched." Andrew revealed, making my lips part in surprise.

Just like that, Zayn's loose demeanour changed again and he stiffened up, as we all looked at him. He paled a bit and pressed his lips together in a firm line.

"Is that true?" I uttered in shock, finally saying something.

Zayn refused to move, signalling to me that he knew. I felt my throat tighten up and my chest felt heavy. He knew. Zayn knew about the bracelets, but he didn't bother to tell anyone? Not even Harry?

"Zayn-" Harry started, but was rudely cut off by Andrew.

"Zayn knew," Andrew smirked. "But he couldn't do anything about it."

"What do you mean?" May dared to ask, immediately biting down on her quivering lip.

"It wasn't my fault," Zayn whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Zayn, why wouldn't you tell us?" Harry questioned, betrayal lacing his voice.

"He said," Zayn took a deep breath and looked up at us. He pointed a finger at Andrew, who was amusedly watching. "He said that he would kìll my mum."

I gasped in shock, and so did May. Andrew would kìll Zayn's mum, if he told us? Andrew would stoop so low, just to torture us?

Andrew laughed, catching our attention. He was genuinely amused at the scene that was unfolding. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he pulled out a cigarette and flicked the lighter, lighting the cigarette. He exhaled slowly, making me cough accidentally.

"Oh, sorry, Rissa baby," he looked at me with fake sympathy, making me want to spit in his face.

"Andrew, is this true? You would kìll Zayn's mum, if he told us about these stupid bracelets?" Harry seethed, disgustedly. He ran a hand through his hair frustratedly.

"Ah, ah, ah," Andrew spoke. "They aren't stupid," he spoke before bringing the cigarette up to his lips.

"Zayn, you have so much security. Why didn't you tell them?" May asked, timidly.

"He was watching my every move," Zayn whispered, almost terrified. But I knew he wasn't scared of Andrew - rather he was worried about our reactions.

"May, darling, why are you saying that Zayn should've went against me?" Andrew spoke, stepping towards us. May dug her nails into my skin, nervously as he walked closer. "I'm your daddy, I only want the best for you."

"No, you're a horrible man," she whispered.

"Of course not, baby. Don't think like that." He continued, "Don't you want to be with the richest man?"

"This was so wrong," she tutted, in disbelief. "I don't care about money, father! It can't buy you happiness and all the love in the world!"

"May, shut up!" Andrew yelled angrily, "You may not care, but I certainly do and I want to have a portion of the wealth!"

May paused suddenly, something clicking in her head. "You paired me with Harry, so you could get his money?" She realized, he voice cracking at the end.

Andrew bit back a smirk, but was failing miserably. He brought the cigarette up to his lips and inhaled deeply.

"What kind of a father are you?" She mumbled, a few years streaming down her face.

He walked closer to us and he stopped directly in front of me, causing Harry to take an instinctive step forward. Andrew smirked, before blowing out the smoke, in my face. I couldn't help but breath in the smoke, resulting in a fit of coughs.

I blinked rapidly, trying to calm my breathing. Andrew smiled smugly, and walked away.

"You know, Barbara passing away wasn't a coincidence." He started, while I still recovered from my fit of coughs.

We stayed silent as he continued.

"She knew also," he admitted, his words hitting me like a punch in the guts. "She was the one that switched the bracelets."

I had known aunty Barbara for so long, yet she never uttered a single word about this. I felt deeply betrayed, but then I realized that Andrew probably had set another stupid deal with aunty, so that she wouldn't tell anyone.

"Zayn was smart and kept his mouth shut," he began, but then he looked up. "But Barbara wasn't, and she told someone."

"Who'd she tell?" May asked, quietly.

"She was the one that told Zayn," he said, making Zayn clench his jaw. "Zayn wasn't supposed to know, but I have my ways and I found out that she did. Before that stupid old woman told anyone else, I had to do something. So I kìlled her."

Then time froze once again, the air being sucked out from my lungs and shock consuming all of us.

A/N:

Hi guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Today is Sunday, and I uploaded a chapter. you can expect another update to be up soon because I promised all of you a double update ❤

comment and vote if you liked it!

~Maya. xox