Chapter 229: The Other Half

They sat in the back of the sleek black limousine, the city blurring past the tinted windows as they headed toward Manhattan. The atmosphere inside the car was heavy with grief and nervous anticipation. Leroy’s burial had ended barely two hours ago, and Avery’s eyes were still red and swollen from crying.

Leitana sat close to her sister, gently wiping Avery’s cheeks with a soft handkerchief. “Stop crying, Avery… your makeup is going to run again,” she whispered, dabbing carefully under her sister’s eyes. “You look so beautiful. We have to be strong now.”

Avery gave a weak, watery smile and leaned into Leitana’s touch. “I just… I can’t stop seeing his face in that coffin. It still feels like a nightmare.”

From the opposite seat, Ravial watched them both in silence but after a moment, he moved closer, sitting on Avery’s other side. He reached out and placed a large, steady hand on her shoulder.

“You do not have to do this today if you are not ready,” he said, voice low and calm. “We can postpone the press conference.”

Avery shook her head, wiping her own eyes. “No. It has to be today. The longer we wait, the more lies keep spreading. I need this to be over and I need to start my life without hiding.”

Ravial gave one slow nod of respect.

The press conference was being held at The Sterling Hotel, one of the most exclusive venues in Manhattan. Ravial had rented the entire grand ballroom on the top floor. Security was tight, his men were already stationed everywhere, and only carefully selected, trusted journalists had been invited.

When the limousine finally pulled up to the private entrance, flashes from cameras exploded even behind the barriers. Ravial stepped out first, tall and commanding. He offered his hand to Leitana, then helped Avery out as well.

Alyssa Hale, their mother stepped out last, still looking pale and fragile but holding her head high with quiet dignity.

The paparazzi went absolutely wild.

“What the. ?!”

“There are two of them!”

“Two Avery Hales?!”

Shouts and camera clicks erupted like gunfire. The journalists pressed forward against the barriers, lenses zooming in frantically. For a split second, the entire crowd seemed stunned into chaos as they saw two nearly identical women standing side by side.

Ravial stood like a dark king between the three women, one hand resting protectively on Leitana’s lower back, the other subtly supporting Alyssa. His presence alone silenced some of the frenzy.

Security quickly formed a tight wall around them as they walked into the hotel. The flashes never stopped, and the questions flew from every direction:

“Mrs. Hale! Are they twins?!”

“Mr. Ashbourne, who are you actually married to?!”

They ignored every single shout and made their way up to the grand ballroom on the top floor where the press conference had been set

Inside the ballroom, over a hundred journalists, cameras, and microphones waited. The moment they stepped onto the stage, the room erupted with flashes and overlapping questions.

“Mr. Ashbourne! Is it true you’re not married to Avery hale?”

“Miss Hale, are you pregnant?”

“What is your relationship status?”

Ravial raised one hand. The entire room fell silent instantly.

He stood at the podium, Leitana on his right, Avery on his left.

“Thank you for coming,” he began, voice calm and authoritative. “Today, I will address the many rumors and lies that have been circulating. First and most important… I am not married to Avery Hale.”

A collective gasp swept through the room.

Leitana stepped forward slightly, voice soft but clear. “My name is Leitana Ashbourne. Avery is my twin sister. Ravial has been married to me this entire time.”

More flashes. More frantic whispering.

Avery spoke next, voice steady despite the fresh tears in her eyes. “My sister and I were forced to switch places because of our father, Charles Hale. He wanted to use me, use us for his own gain. But that ends today. I am not married to Ravial Ashbourne. I never was.”

The room erupted again, but Alyssa Hale stepped forward slowly, her frail frame somehow commanding attention. She held onto the podium for support, her voice soft but clear, carrying the weight of a mother’s pain.

“I am Alyssa Hale,” she began, eyes glistening. “And yes… I had twins. Leitana and Avery. Many years ago, due to circumstances I deeply regret, Leitana was taken from me. Months ago, she was finally brought back into our lives… and that is when everything changed.”

She looked at Leitana with so much love and guilt it made the entire room fall silent for a moment.

“Leitana is my daughter. She is Ravial Ashbourne’s wife. My family has been through unimaginable pain because of my ex-husband’s actions, but today we stand together in truth. No more lies. No more hiding.”

Alyssa’s voice cracked slightly at the end. Leitana reached over and gently took her mother’s hand, squeezing it for support.

Ravial stepped forward again, his presence immediately silencing the chaos.

“As I said earlier, Leitana Ashbourne is my wife. That has always been the truth. Anyone who continues to spread falsehoods will face the full weight of legal consequences.”

He didn’t entertain questions.

Instead, he placed one arm around Leitana’s waist and offered his other hand to Alyssa. Avery moved to her mother’s side. The four of them stood together for one final moment as cameras flashed wildly.

The message was crystal clear:

Ravial Ashbourne was married to Leitana, the softer, gentler twin who had been hidden for years.

Not Avery.

The truth was finally public.

As they stepped off the stage, shielded by Ravial’s men, Leitana leaned into her husband’s side, emotionally drained. Avery walked on the other side of their mother, looking lighter somehow, even through her grief.

In the private hallway, Alyssa pulled both her daughters into her arms.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, crying softly. “For everything I let happen. But I’m proud of you both today.”

Leitana hugged her back tightly, tears in her own eyes. “We are together now, Mama. That is what matters.”

Ravial stood slightly apart, watching the three women with quiet, possessive satisfaction.

The world now knew exactly who his wife was.

And no one would ever confuse them again.

A few days later,

“Please don’t go, Avery…”

Leitana’s voice broke into a sob as she clung tightly to her twin sister on the wide stone steps of the villa. The afternoon sun shone brightly, but it felt cruelly warm against the heavy ache in her chest.

Avery stood with a small suitcase at her feet, dressed in a simple cream sweater and jeans, eyes already red and puffy. She hugged Leitana back just as fiercely, both of them shaking with tears.

“I have to, Lei…” Avery whispered, voice thick. “I can’t keep hiding here. I need to find out who I am without Dad, without… without leaning on everyone else.”

Leitana shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face. “But this is your home! We are supposed to be together. Please… please don’t leave me.”

Alyssa stood a few steps away, handkerchief pressed to her mouth, crying silently. The staff had gathered respectfully a short distance behind them, some of the maids wiping their own eyes. Everyone felt the weight of this goodbye.

Ravial stood tall and silent behind Leitana, one powerful arm eventually sliding around her waist when her knees started to buckle. He held her steady against his chest as she cried harder.

Avery pulled back slightly, cupping Leitana’s wet cheeks with both hands. Her own tears fell freely.

“You will always be my other half, Leitana. Always. But I’m broken right now. I lost Leroy… and I lost myself. I need time to heal properly. I need to stand on my own two feet for once in my life.” Her voice cracked. “I love you so much. This isn’t goodbye forever. I promise I’ll come back. I’ll visit all the time. But right now… I need this.”

Leitana sobbed, clutching Avery’s wrists. “Mi am scared. What if something happens to you? What if you need me and I’m not there?”

“I’ll always need you,” Avery whispered, pressing her forehead to Leitana’s. “But I also need to learn how to need myself again.”

She stepped back slowly, picking up her suitcase. Every step toward the waiting black car felt like a knife twisting in Leitana’s heart.

As Avery reached the bottom of the steps, she paused.

Her eyes drifted to the side, where Matteo stood quietly at a distance near the fountain, hands in his pockets, face tight with pain. He hadn’t come closer. He respected her decision.

Avery bit her lip hard, fresh tears spilling. She mouthed slowly, clearly, so only he could see:

“I’m sorry… Thank you for loving me.”

Matteo’s jaw clenched. He gave her one small, heartbroken nod, eyes glistening, but didn’t move.

Avery turned away before she could break completely. She climbed into the back of the car Ravial had prepared to take her to the private airport.

Leitana tried to run after her, but Ravial’s strong arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her gently but firmly against his chest.

“No… Avery!” Leitana cried, reaching out even as the car door closed. “Please don’t go! Avery!”

The car started moving slowly down the long driveway.

Avery looked back through the window, one hand pressed against the glass, tears streaming down her face as she watched her sister, her mother, and the only home she had left behind.

Leitana collapsed against Ravial, sobbing uncontrollably into his shirt.

“She’s gone… mi sister is gone…”

Ravial held her tighter, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other resting protectively over her belly. His voice was low, calm, and steady against her ear.

“She will come back, little lamb. She needs this. Let her go… for now.”

Alyssa walked over slowly and wrapped her arms around both of them, the three of them standing together on the stone steps as the car disappeared through the gates.

Leitana kept crying, whispering brokenly, “Mi love you, Avery… come back soon.”

The villa felt emptier already.

And for the first time since they had been reunited, the twins were no longer under the same roof.