The Traps of Black Swan

Aarvi grumbled like a complaining child as she tried to pull Grace up and move her out of the bed, "Get ready..."

Grace was chuckling as she got up and she was about to step down, she slipped and fell on her face. The excruciating pain from her forehead brought her back to reality and jerked around to check on the bed.

"What!" Nobody was in her sight and she looked around to see she was all alone in her room.

"No No... It wasn't a dream, Ava was right here, how can she disappear?" Asking herself, Grace ran out of the door to see if Ava exited the room but saw the chief doctor reading a magazine.

"Chief Samar, did you see Ava leaving just now?" She anxiously asked in fear.

'Ava?' The chief frowned and stated, "Ms. Wells, Ava is just your imagination."

Aarvi smirked hearing it standing at the door. Foreseeing, Grace might search every nook of the room, she picked her bag and exited through a french window.

Grace slapped her own forehead and re-questioned thinking how can chief know Ava Kelly. "I mean, did any girl enter my room?... What are you doing here?"

Aarvi who stood next to the room dictated the doctor, "Repeat what I say, there is no girl. You were crying so I checked on you."

Chief Samar back straightened suddenly hearing a soft voice behind him. He didn't dare to disobey her, "Ms. Wells, don't you know we prohibit visitors? Rest assured, you are safe here." Aarvi was impressed hearing him formally speak that cut off any more doubts.

Chief Samar continued, "Ms. Wells, the cure to stop your illusions is by opening up and telling us what happened with you. Only pills don't work, please cooperate with the treatment." Grace Wells and Vance Hays had objected to hypnotism.

Grace decided to ignore the doctor and left without responding to him. She checked every corner in the room and the connected bathroom but found nothing but she was really frightened to go back to sleep.

Aarvi who was silently watching her saw her wearing shoes to go for walking so she improvised her plan. The rehab center was vast and each room was like an abode with a minimum fifty meters distance amidst trees.

--- Role 3 ---

Grace saw a girl with a high ponytail intently writing in a book. Her speed lowered significantly watching her in suspicion. When the girl raised her head, she innocently smiled and waved her hand at Grace.

'Thump!' Grace tripped herself and fell on her butt. 'Ouch,' She turned around and ran away frantically to her room where Chief Samar's lips were twitching uncontrollably.

Why does Aarvi always work alone in her plan?

Because she could change, remold, add on as many tricks she wants without a bump. She couldn't have the same independence if another person is in the plan.

It isn't a mathematical problem to solve in the first or second way, she keeps on devising her plans as the results she gets so she never allows Shawn or Dax or anybody else to accompany her in her schemes. Unfortunately, Chief Samar became the audience who could toughen her plan with just one erroneous disclosure.

Grace grabbed the chief's hand and pointed towards Aarvi, "She... She... Can you see her?"

If the chief doctor wasn't present, Aarvi could have hidden when Grace turns to her giving her an illusion that she imagined Ava. Now if Aarvi hides aside and the doctor says 'NO' and Grace will see nobody, she wouldn't panic. Her plan to tangle her mind will delay.

Aarvi wanted Grace to believe her sight but the doctor to lie so that it could dread her off. Aarvi hated to depend on the decision of the third person and she had no choice but to hope Chief Samar knew what to say.

When Grace was watching the doctor, Aarvi shook her head at the doctor who thankfully understood what he should respond, "Ms. Wells, who are you talking about?" He acted to look around pretending to search.

Grace pointed at the room where Aarvi is sitting, "There there... She is smiling, she is wearing a black dress, she is beautiful. Why can't you see her?" Aarvi was amused hearing her loud voice, she realized Grace is still envious of her even though Ava Kelly is no more.

Chief Samar felt harder and harder as time passed due to lying and offending the Rivas family. He had exclusively got a call from Secretary Wen and Aaron had personally instructed him to make sure to take care of the lady so he knew the importance of Aarvi.

"Miss. Wells, are you imagining again?" His voice turned cold and hoarse, questioning her back.

Grace couldn't believe she started to see Ava Kelly everywhere. She entered the room and locked the door hurriedly. Running to the ensuite, she splashed cold water on her face to wake her up if she is still sleeping.

Grace was really confused about whether she is sleeping or awake. She was so disoriented that she wasn't sure what to do.

Does Aarvi's game is ending now? No, it is just a beginning.

Her memories are awakened in Grace's head. Aarvi was planning to bring out everything Grace remembers about her.

--- Role 4 and so on ---

Aarvi was sitting on the couch when Grace exited the bathroom. Now, she behaved like a girl who waited for her friend for a really long time and continued to act then disappear. She repeated three more times until Grace looked like a mess sitting on the floor.

--- The Aarvi Evans ---

Aarvi decided to end the game and show the real Aarvi Evans. Sitting on the armchair crossing her legs, she peered down at Grace who started laughing hysterically. "You are not real... you are not here. I know, I know you are dead."

Disheveled hair, worn off makeup, confusion between reality and dream, ashamed for coveting her friend's man, remorseful for pushing Ava to the mouth of hell, lonely having no one by her side, hurt for ignoring her parents, powerless to gain control over herself, guilty for plotting against the one who paid her school fee for five years, the grief of losing a friend who always did good for her, Grace looked hopeless.

She was yammering trying to convince herself that Ava is dead and she is imagining but a glass of cold water splashed on her face shooking her from fear. Aarvi hadn't left a single trace till that and now she started thinking about how she could get drenched in the dream.

"Grace Wells, I am back."

The confidence, her smirk carrying the evilness sobered Grace to some extent. Aarvi tossed a tab at her and spoke, "I am really grateful for coveting my ex-fiance."

A video started playing in which Vance was banging on a lady who was screaming in pleasure. The tab slipped from Grace's hands as she paled white as a sheet when Aarvi swiped the screen to play another video in which Vance was putting an engagement ring on the same lady's finger.

Aarvi watched Grace blanking out. She took her tab and shook Grace's shoulder but she was still as log losing all the spirit. She looked like a soul lost unreactive doll.

There was a time, Aarvi called Grace as a best friend. Aarvi had helped Grace in all ways and made sure she is comfortable and happy to stop her feeling inferior around others. But money and greediness could change a lot of things and Grace proved it.

Aarvi wanted her to lose mind and live in confusion all her life but Vance's truth affected her so terribly that she lost herself.

Aarvi's fingers caressed Grace's head and her helpless voice sounded in the room, "You shouldn't have drugged me, I trusted you... I trusted you more than myself."

Actually, Aarvi wasn't angry with Grace when she got to know she slept with Vance or she loves him. Even after that news, Aarvi trusted Grace but she became the one to push her to the bunch of wolves and to the darkness where Aarvi is suffering daily.

---

After exiting the hospital, Aarvi checked the missed calls and messages from Dax. [Dum Dum, I won. When am I breaking that fool's face?] Hays International lost the Ebony project.

Aarvi wanted Grace to lose her state of mind - Checked.

Collecting debt for destroying the sand arts - Checked.

It's time to fulfill a long time wish - Giving Dax a perfect chance to beat Vance Hays openly without hurting his image.