AvelineMy eyes widened and a gasp escaped my lips. This was not the time I was supposed to give birth, not in this kind of situation…not in this kind of place…not even in the midst of these bastards. I swiftly turned my face sideways; even after they saw the water rolling down my legs, they still had an indifferent look on their faces. "Trust me we don't give a fuck about what is happening to you right now," it came from my left side, and I turned to him. He seemed like their boss if we were to place them by their body size. His eyes were deadly, so was his face, and he had a scar just under his right eye. "Yeah, we don't!" Another one from my right-hand side barked. I was surrounded. 'What…what do you think we should do?' I heard my wolf stutter. She could not hide her fear. Neither could I, but there was nothing I could do; I didn't know what might happen to the baby if I messed up, so I just stood in a particular spot. "Please," I was barely able to find my voice but they
AvelineSlowly, I turned to the woman but her gaze was not even on me. She packed the trays and other items before turning to take her leave. "Thank you, ma'am," I managed to voice out, and she turned to me. "You're welcome," she spoke in a calm tone. With that, she took her leave from the room after she and Lucas exchanged a smile. "How did I get here?" My face was etched with worry. I looked at the child in my hands; she had fallen asleep. Lucas walked further into the room with his hands in his pocket and he sat down on a metal chair close to the bed. "Did you have any idea where you were before I came to save you?" "I do remember that I was surrounded by some thugs," my words were slow but steady. "I passed out…too quick."He nodded slowly. "You were unconscious when I found you." "How did you know where I was?" My curiosity piqued the more I threw questions at him. "Were you tailing me?"A silent chuckle escaped his lips and he brought out his phone before handing it to me
AvelineI held Kade by his wrist and dragged him to a corner in the huge room. "What do you mean by Draven Harrington?"He slowly removed my hand from his wrist and smiled. "You kept on refusing to meet with his company, why?"My hands were across my chest and I sighed, Kade's gaze still fixed on me, he was obviously waiting for an answer. An answer that he might never get. "It's been three years Ms Nova," he smoothed his hair by pushing it backward slowly. "Three years." "Are you sure it's three?" I let out a light chuckle. He heaved a frustrated sigh. "Yes, three. They are not as successful as they used to be about four to five years ago but we can benefit from them also." I sat by the edge of the long table in the meeting room and my eyes were fixed on the floor. "I thought they said I was able to do nothing without the help of those bitches." I felt my finger going into my palm. "What did you say?" Kade pulled me out of my thoughts and I just lifted the corner of my lips. "U
AveAcknowledging the moderator on the stage with a wave of hands, I smiled brightly at the congregation that cheered at the mention of my name, and also at the lady who had suddenly gone pale.Emily. She looked like she'd seen a ghost or was probably in a nightmare. With a confused face, she looked around the hall, trying to comprehend the strange news that was dished.The moderator continued to acknowledge more prominent people in the meeting but Emily didn't move an inch from where she sat. Her gaze pinned on me.After years of seeing her, I knew that she was going to be at the conference and a part of me was anxious about seeing her. Thinking about the possible outcome of our meeting.Thinking about how pretty she would probably be looking especially as someone who hadn't gone through the kind of stress I did these past few years. But seeing her that day, I knew that there was no way I could be compared to her. She looked basic. And I was just not about basics anymore. The event
Aveline Shifting my attention to the audience who waited for me to speak, I began, reflecting on how far I'd come but not forgetting about the business struggles the city had to face over the years. Working with Draven for years has helped keep me conversant with the business world and all the happenings in it. So even when I was away for three years, I knew the development in the business world. After my speech, as the applause rose in the crowd, I saw Draven walk back into the hall, but this time around, without Emily. I didn't want to think about the many different reasons why she didn't follow him back in. Maybe he sent her back home, or maybe he told her he didn't want her for the rest of the occasion. I didn't know but one thing I knew was that I was glad. I was glad she didn't return with him. I was glad he sent her away for a change.Happy with the turnouts of events. I got to my feet and headed towards the door.Darting my eyes to where Draven sat, I saw him talking to s
Aveline I heaved a sigh when I got to the office. Certain that Draven and some people from his company would be inside already, waiting for me courtesy of the stern condition I gave them the last time.Thinking back to it, it felt like I was a little too harsh, but one reminder about the worse he'd done to me, I shoved the guilty thoughts away.Nodding slightly to the bows of the staff at the door, I walked past them into the hall that led to the meeting room.Mr Kade stood at the entrance of the meeting room. "Good day ma, trust you had a good night rest?" He asked but I could hear the impatience in his voice."I slept alright Kade. Are they in already?" I answered, referring to the reason behind his tension."Yes ma, they've been here for thirty minutes at the very least." He replied, looking worried."Very well then." I replied, wanting to make my way into the meeting room but he step ahead of me, stopping me in my tracks."Is there something wrong?" I inquired, with a firm voice
AvelineI walked into my office and shut the door behind me. I would give Emily a taste of what she deserves; she has to know that the Aveline that disappeared three years ago is no longer the same as the one she trampled upon. After hours of working and going through files, I gently rubbed my eyes. A sigh escaped my lips, and just as I was packing the files, I heard a soft knock on my door. "Yes?" There was no response. Instead, the person just knocked again and I transferred my gaze to the door, curious.Who could that be?"Who is there?" My gaze was still plastered on the door. "It's me." That was no other person than Draven. A soft exhale escaped my lips and I pushed my hair behind me. "Come in." The doorknob turned slowly and he walked into the office with his hands behind him. "It's a nice one.""You should tell me why you came here," my voice was hoarse. "I don't have that luxury of time, my tables should tell you that."Draven wore a shocked and confused expression at my
DravenDraven stormed out of the building, but not in anger, in defeat. He hopped into his car and slammed the door behind him. "What's the problem, sir," it was his driver. He shot him a deadly stare that made him gasp before turning to the front and he drove out of the premises. 'You made her cold and ruthless, so you are the one at fault,' his wolf spoke in a firm tone. 'Shut the fuck up!' Draven yelled in frustration and hardened his jaw. 'You don't need to lecture me!''I warned you but you were proud…too proud.' the wolf did not cease to stop talking. 'You knew she was the best person in your company, the most versatile.' Draven face fell and he folded his arms across his chest without uttering a word. "Go faster." His voice was audible. His driver's gaze moved to the rearview camera and his face became etched with worry. "Sorry, can you come again, sir?" A slight growl could be heard and his hand shivered. "I just told you to drive faster, do you need a hearing aid?" T
AvelineHappiness and relief were completely an understatement to what I was feeling immediately after my gaze landed on Betty. "You are not hurt Betty, you are not." "Mom?" She forcefully took her hand out of the cop's hand, and just as he was about to follow her, our eyes met, which made him pause. "It's fine." She jumped into my arms and I took her far above the ground level with constant chuckles. "I was worried about you." I kissed her on the forehead. "What really happened?" I turned to my back, and I saw Draven smiling at Betty. I felt guilty for a split second. I lied to him about his child, but it was for her safety and nothing else. "There…there was this man who gave me gifts at school," Betty's serene and innocent voice pulled me back to reality. She had started to stutter in fear, and I noticed that her grip on my hand tightened, which made me hug her. "It's fine," I patted her on the head gently. "All that matters now is that you are safe." As we were in each other's
AvelineFollowing slowly like a snail wasn't doing much to help my anxiety but the hope of seeing my daughter again made the slow drive worth it.Emily's car was ahead, and the two bikes were behind her, freestyling on the road like they were in some race competition even though I wouldn't know that I was being followed. Then I was the last vehicle in the line. I drove slowly so that Emily wouldn't see my car and it was killing me.My phone rang and I connected it to the car's speaker. It was Sabrina. "Hello, any update yet?" Her worried voice inquired. I could tell that she was tired.She decided to go from house to house on the other side of the city with Betty's picture to ask people if they'd seen her and I could tell from her voice that she was exhausted and worried out of her mind.She blamed herself for letting Betty out of her sight and no matter how I tried to convince her, it was like pouring water into a gasoline explosion. "Nothing solid for now, but Emily came by the o
Aveline"You don't have much time to waste. Your daughter's life is on the line, except she doesn't mean anything to you of course, you can let the cold hands of death snatch her from you but remember, she will never forgive you if you do." Emily's voice sounded once again, making me more aware of my situation. I was caught between a rock and a hard place, with a very difficult condition to be met, I was at my wit's end.My struggles to build the Nova empire were for the sake of my daughter, Betty, I wanted to make sure she wasn't going to have a tough childhood or a tough time settling down when she came of age like I did.I wanted her experience to be the opposite of mine, she was the fruit of the only thing that mattered to me in the past but, I wasn't going to let the same people who almost ruined my life years ago ruin my daughter's life.'There has to be another way, there has to be some other way I can get back my child without having to give up a large amount of my shares or
Beatrice"What happened to you when you confronted Aveline?" Beatrice asked Sofia the moment she saw her seated in the living room."What are you talking about Mom?" Sofia asked with a fake smile, trying to act as casually as possible but it was too late.Beatrice already knew what happened, she only wanted to confirm that Aveline wasn't bluffing and Sofia's silence just proved that Aveline wasn't bluffing.Beatrice exhaled slowly as she settled into the same sofa Sofia sat on."Tell me everything that happened that day. Don't leave anything out." Sofia nodded at her mother's words, there was no hiding things from Beatrice. She was always so meticulous with whatever she was doing.Sofia knew that it was better to tell everything to her, especially as it had been confirmed that she was no match for Aveline."Are you sure that's what happened? Aveline is a wolfless werewolf." Beatrice asked with doubt after Sofia finished narrating what happened. "I still think about that night, somet
Aveline"You must be Kade Pierce," Emily stretched forth her hand with a smile on her face. "I've heard a lot about you." Kade turned to me and I shrugged. "Thank you very much." He replied with a smile that did not go as far as his throat not to talk of his heart. "I don't think it's bad to admit that you are the one behind the success and massive growth of this company right?" She rolled her eyes at intervals whenever our eyes met. "It is, in my opinion, though; I don't know about others." The way Kade looked at me showed that he knew Emily and I knew each other. "In my opinion, I think it's Ms Nova; I've worked with her for three years, so yeah. She's the main person behind the success of this company." Emily scoffed in disappointment before taking her hands out of Kade's hand abruptly. "I'm sorry that I was not able to notice it sooner." I looked at the hand she stretched towards me in disgust. "Go straight to your point," I looked her in the eye. "I know you are here for so
Aveline"You must be Kade Pierce," Emily stretched forth her hand with a smile on her face. "I've heard a lot about you." Kade turned to me and I shrugged. "Thank you very much." He replied with a smile that did not go as far as his throat not to talk of his heart. "I don't think it's bad to admit that you are the one behind the success and massive growth of this company right?" She rolled her eyes at intervals whenever our eyes met. "It is, in my opinion, though; I don't know about others." The way Kade looked at me showed that he knew Emily and I knew each other. "In my opinion, I think it's Ms Nova; I've worked with her for three years, so yeah. She's the main person behind the success of this company." Emily scoffed in disappointment before taking her hands out of Kade's hand abruptly. "I'm sorry that I was not able to notice it sooner." I looked at the hand she stretched towards me in disgust. "Go straight to your point," I looked her in the eye. "I know you are here for som
AvelineThe thought of the next thing Beatrice would do disturbed me and as much as I tried to, I could take my mind off the threat she gave me. Sophie had Beatrice and Draven to help her, but there was no one for Betty except for me and maybe Kade. Just maybe. "Good afternoon, ma," one of the computer scientists greeted, but I took my eyes off him without giving a response to his greetings. I was weakened and infuriated at the same time after I found out about what would happen if I terminated my contract with Draven. 'No matter what happens, I'm here,' I understood that V was trying to be there at all times for me, but this was not something she was needed in, and sounding it to her would be rude, so I remained silent. I heard creaking sounds from a distance; it was the door that led to the conference room if I was not mistaken. The indistinct chatters I heard made me sure that they were the one. The flower vase was shattered on the wall by me and I screamed in anger after slam
Aveline"What do you mean by it's not possible?" My face twisted in confusion. "Why can't I terminate the contract?" "I'm ready to do whatever it takes, no matter how far I have to go or how long it takes," I said, my determination and resolve evident in my voice. "I want you to tell me the steps I need to take to terminate the contract with immediate effect, so I can start making preparations."I paused, my eyes locked on theirs I knew it may take months to get some of the documents from the court, but I was willing to wait. I was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. But what I didn't want to hear from them was that I shouldn't terminate the contract. That's not an option for me.I've worked too hard to get to where I am today. I've built Nova Empire from the ground up, and I won't let anyone or anything threaten its success. Beatrice needs to know that I'm not someone to be underestimated. She needs to know that I'm a force to be reckoned with.I took a deep breath,
AvelineI pushed the double door of the conference room, and the board of directors, along with the shareholders, all rose to their feet; I noticed that they were more than the people I knew. As I racked my brain, I remembered that I asked them to come along with their lawyers, and it seemed every one of them came with a lawyer. "You can have your seats," I gave everyone a copy of the files that were in my hand, and the sudden expression on their faces showed me how surprised they were.The only one who was not surprised was Kade and it was very clear to me as to why he was not surprised. "Please–" "Once we start you can say anything you want," I interrupted one of the shareholders who raised his hand. I saw the impatience in his eyes. "You need to wait, and while you are at it you can go through it." I finally sat down before heaving a heavy sigh. "This is sudden." I heard the voice from my left but I could not make out the name of the person that said it. It was not something stu