Ava checked her phone; the message was from Oliver.-Thank you for coming today, Ava. I look forward to receiving your final decision. -Oliver.Ava sighed, running a hand through her hair.“Ava?” Bella’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.Ava looked up to see Bella watching her with concern, her hands busy setting the dining table.“Hmm, yes,” Ava replied, quickly shutting her phone and forcing a smile.“Everything okay?” Bella asked, her brows knitting together.“Yes, sure,” Ava said with a nod, brushing off the lingering thoughts as she asked, “What are we having for dinner?”“Spaghetti and chicken!” Jordan and Jenna shouted in unison, their faces lighting up with identical wide grins.“Hmm, I see someone’s got their favorite meal tonight,” Ava chuckled, reaching out to playfully ruffle Jordan’s hair.“Yes!” Jordan shouted, his excitement bubbling over just as Brad entered the dining room.“Hi, Ava,” Brad greeted, his smile warm and genuine as he took a seat across from her.“Hi,
Clara turned back swiftly, ending the call instantly as she faced her father-in-law.“It’s nothing; I was talking to Wyatt about a new item I’m expecting,” she replied hurriedly, trying to sound casual.Timothy Crawford descended the stairs, leaning on the walking stick he used for balance. Even in his old age, his sharp eyes missed nothing.“You sounded like you were talking about someone instead of something,” Timothy said.He eased himself into one of the couches, his eyes never leaving Clara. “Anyway, you don’t have to end your call because of me.”“Oh, I was actually done talking to him,” Clara replied, trying to keep her voice steady.“Alright, if you say so,” Timothy said, leaning back into the couch.“Yes, hmm,” Clara stammered, eager to escape his probing gaze as she said, “I’ll just go check on the chef.”Once she was out of sight, Clara let out a long, shaky breath.A few seconds later, "Dad?" Peter called, walking down the stairs, over to Timothy."Where are your sons?" Ti
Brad looked at Bella, eyebrows raised. “You mean the spark designer?”“Yes, that one. They seem to be making quite a buzz in the city,” Bella replied.“Oh, yeah, I have. Although no one knows who it is, the designs are just so lovely,” Brad said, his voice filed with admiration.“What do you think, Ava?” Bella asked, turning to her.“How would I know?” Ava asked, her surprise evident.“Well, it turns out you’ve been in the fashion space longer than I have been. You didn’t tell me your father owned the Love Clothing Company,” Bella said, lowering her voice to keep the children from overhearing.Ava glanced at Brad, who was now looking at her with interest. She then turned back to Bella, her expression neutral.“That doesn’t mean I’d know the designs. We haven’t even been back in town for long.”“True,” Bella agreed, adding, “So, what do you think? Should we go check out this famous designer? Let’s see if the designs are as good as they say.”“Okay,” Ava agreed.Brad joined in, smiling.
“Why are you silent? Say something,” Nathan asked.Tyler swallowed hard before saying, “It’s nothing major, Grandpa. I wanted to tell you after I finished. You know, it was supposed to be a surprise.”“See, he was planning a surprise,” Clara interjected, her laughter high-pitched and strained, desperate to diffuse the tension.No one joined in her laughter. Clara’s face fell, her gaze dropping to her lap.Timothy dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, setting his spoon down as he said, “Well, it seems this surprise has taken up about a billion dollars already.”“What!” Peter’s voice echoed through the dining room, his eyes darting between his father and Tyler, shocked.Nathan felt a cold knot forming in his stomach. A billion dollars? How had Tyler managed to move that kind of money without him noticing?“Tyler!” Clara’s voice was a mixture of disbelief and panic as she stared at her son.“Hmm, hmm.” Timothy’s cough silenced the room, drawing all eyes back to him.“Well, that’s part of th
“Nathan, the company is not yours,” Peter said, sounding offended.“No, but last I checked, my mother was the one who sacrificed her life for it,” Nathan shot back, his voice rising.Peter’s eyes narrowed as he replied, “I’ve sacrificed for this company too, Nathan. Whatever issues you have with me should stay between us. Don’t take it out on your innocent brother.”Nathan’s eyes flashed with anger as he responded, “You clearly don’t know anything, Dad, if you can sit there and call Tyler innocent.”“You will not speak to your father in such a manner!” Clara shouted, standing up abruptly, her face flushed with anger.Nathan turned to Clara, his voice dripping with contempt as he said, “Says the woman who swept in to take it all.”“What did you just say?” Tyler demanded, his eyes narrowing as he fixed his gaze on Nathan.Before Nathan could respond, Nora interjected, standing up from her seat. “I think it’s time to call it a night.”“Yeah," Nathan agreed, turning away from the table.Pe
Bella sat on the edge of Ava’s bed, scrolling through her phone, half-focused on what she was reading.“What happened?” Ava asked again, turning towards Bella, still looking sleepy.“The designer just released a new line, and my god!” Bella exclaimed.“Let me see,” Ava muttered, reaching over and gently taking the phone from Bella.“Seriously, Ava, we have to check out these collections,” Bella insisted, waiting eagerly for Ava’s reaction.Ava scrolled through the collection on Bella’s phone. The new designs were showcased on the Delicate Stitches website, since they were the only outlet with access to the designer.“Yes?” Bella asked as she watched Ava's expression.“It’s good, I guess,” Ava said nonchalantly, handing the phone back to Bella.Bella blinked in surprise as she replied, “You guess?”Ava laid back down on the bed, stretching her arms and legs as she let out a long, contented sigh, “Ahhh.”“How can you say ‘you guess’ about such amazing work?” Bella pressed, disbelief evi
Nora’s chest heaved as she struggled to keep her anger in check.“I have no idea what you—” she began, but Tyler cut her off, his voice sharp.“Oh, come on, Nora. Don’t play dumb. You can drop the whole innocent act.”Nora’s eyes narrowed as she darted a glance around the room, ensuring they were alone.“Whatever it is you think you’re accusing me of, it won’t work, okay?” She shot back.Tyler’s smile widened as he shrugged and said, “Accusing? Oh no, sweetheart. I’m just stating the facts.”Nora’s voice grew colder as she said, “Leave my son out of this, Tyler.”Tyler took a long sip of his coffee before responding, “Nora, I don’t even have to try.”Nora let out a dry, almost hysterical laugh, clapping her hands slowly in disbelief, and said, “Oh, please. You never stood a chance to begin with.”Tyler’s face darkened, and his voice dropped as he said, “You started this chaos six years ago. Don’t pretend you had no hand in it.”“I have nothing to do with the state of this family,” Nor
An Hour AgoTyler cast a glance at the housekeeper once more, his brow arched in curiosity before he descended the stairs."No, tell them I’m coming to the gate," he instructed as he made his way toward the door."Alright, sir," the housekeeper responded.Stepping out of the house, Tyler took the ten-minute walk to the gate.As he approached, he called out, "Who is it that came to see—" Tyler began, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice."Hello, Tyler," Jessica muttered, her face partially visible through the car window.Tyler froze for a second, turning from the security guard toward the car. His eyes narrowed in suspicion."What are you doing here, Jessica?" he asked."I came to see you. What else?" She replied casually, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.Tyler stared at her as though she had sprouted horns. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he asked, "Why would you come here? You could’ve just called."Jessica tilted her head and smiled coyly, sayin