“She’s dead,” Bella replied. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Ava gasped, wishing she had never asked. “No, it’s fine. She died while giving birth to Angel,” Bella said, her voice hoarse with emotion as she cleared her throat. “It’s been years, and I know that doesn’t take away the pain that you, and especially Brad, must have felt; I for one understand that,” Ava said, placing a reassuring hand on Bella’s shoulder. “Thank you,” Bella said, adding, “and please, can you not bring it up with him?” “Of course I won’t, promise,” Ava stated firmly. As they reached their destination, Bella’s phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Bella glanced at the screen and saw it was an unknown number. “Hello,” Bella said, putting the call on speaker as she drove into the Civic Tower parking lot. “Hello, Ms. Isabella, this is Mick, the project director for Mr. Elliot Sage. I’m calling because your personal assistant says she’s not with you,” Mick said. “Oh, yeah, there’s a bit of a cha
Pasting a smile on her face, Ava looked up and saw Noah staring at her, his brows raised in question, a hint of amusement in his eyes.“Hello,” Ava said, stepping out of the elevator.“Hello, do you feel better?” Noah asked, now smiling at her.“I believe I do,” Ava replied, returning his smile.“You look breathtaking, by the way,” Noah said, his voice husky, eyes intently on her.“Oh, thank you,” Ava replied, flashing a confident smile.She felt more assured in her charm than she had ever been when she was married to Nathan.“Fancy running into you here. I didn’t quite get the time to speak with you at length yesterday,” Noah continued.“Oh, hmm, I came to see an acquaintance. What about you? Shouldn’t you be at the hospital?” Ava asked, then quickly added, “Not that I’m saying you have to only be at the hospital.”Noah chuckled. “Of course, I get what you meant. I also came to see an acquaintance. He’s a barrister here.”“Oh, I see,” Ava replied.“Yes, well, don’t let me hold you up
“Don’t look so surprised. Have a seat, please,” Oliver Tilper said to Ava.Ava noticed Oliver Tilper was slightly older than she had pictured. His hair was thinning, with streaks of white interspersed throughout.“You know I changed my name?” Ava asked, her surprise evident.“Of course, how else do you think I found you? That’s your mother’s name, after all,” Oliver replied.“It’s been months since you sent me that mail,” Ava said as she sat down in front of his desk.The office was large, with shelves lined with books—a typical barrister’s office. Oliver had on glasses that sat on the edge of his nose like a trophy.“Yes, it has. I was beginning to think you were never going to show up. That would have greatly disappointed your mother,” Oliver replied.Ava felt her heart stop for a second as she stared at Oliver, her stomach dropping as if she were standing on an edge.“My mom?” Ava asked cautiously.“Yes. How about some tea? You’ll need it because this is going to be quite a long st
“Nathan, it’s time for your appointment,” Mike said as he walked into Nathan’s office.They were preparing for a project, which meant Nathan had more meetings than paperwork.“Who am I meeting today?” Nathan asked.“Ella Howard, the head of creative,” Mike responded.“Oh, I thought Ella was out of the country.” Nathan said.“Yes, but she got back a few days ago, and I managed to get her personal assistant to schedule this appointment for us,” Mike explained.“Oh, okay, that’s fine,” Nathan replied.“I’ll get the driver to bring the car up front,” Mike said, turning to leave the office.“That reminds me, Mike, where are we on preparations for the kids' competition?” Nathan asked.“Oh, the school committee will be meeting soon. Once they submit a report, we can proceed with our usual support,” Mike explained.“Okay, keep me posted. Since Thomas couldn’t go for registration today, I should use that opportunity when taking him to see the school chairman,” Nathan said.Mike nodded, smiling
Nathan and Ava stood in the elevator, locked in a tense stare. Oblivious to the company staring at them outside the elevator.A slight cough broke the silence as a couple entered the elevator.“I think we’ve reached your stop,” Ava said, stepping back from Nathan.“You’d better step out so you don’t miss it.”Nathan’s face was hard, his jaw clenched as he tried to calm himself.“This is not over, Ava,” he whispered before turning away and walking out of the elevator.“It’s been over for a long time,” Ava murmured to herself as the doors closed.A few minutes later, Ava took the other elevator and reached the second floor in no time. She quickly dialed Bella’s number.“Hello, Bella, I’m here,” Ava said as soon as Bella picked up.“Great! Just walk straight down the hall, and you’ll see a door marked ‘kitchen’ on your right,” Bella instructed.Following Bella's directions, Ava walked the short distance to the kitchen. At the entrance, she noticed several people seated in the large room,
Nathan walked into La Cuisine, trying to shake off the unsettling encounter with Ava.The restaurant was one of the most prestigious in town, frequented by the city’s elite.An attendant greeted him as he entered.“Welcome, Mr. Crawford. Right this way, please,” the attendant said, leading Nathan to Ella's table.“Hello, Ella,” Nathan said as he approached.Ella sat waiting, dressed in a simple green dress that complemented her skin tone. Her short blonde hair framed her chubby cheeks, making her smile even more endearing.“You’re the only person capable of getting a meeting during my lunch break,” Ella said with a raised brow, the left side of her lips curling into a half-smile.“Naturally,” Nathan replied, taking his seat across from her.“You look like something's pissed you off,” Ella observed as Nathan sat down.“Not really,” Nathan said, managing a smile as he patted her hand."I don't believe that, but we both know you won't talk unless you want to, so I won't push," Ella said,
“I was talking about him,” Ella muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed on the figure approaching their table.She hadn't noticed Nathan was still on the phone.As Nathan finished his call, Elliot and Daphne joined them at the table.“Ella?” Elliot exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.“Yes, it’s me, and get that surprised look off your face, will you?” Ella replied, crossing her arms.“I didn’t know you were back in town,” Elliot said, his gaze shifting to Nathan.“Sure you didn’t,” Ella murmured with a shrug.“Hello, Nathan. How’s it going?” Elliot asked, turning his attention to him.“I’m good. Sorry, I left without saying anything yesterday,” Nathan said, looking up.“No worries, I think I get why,” Elliot replied, a knowing smile playing on his lips.Ella’s eyes darted to Daphne, her brows raised as she stared daggers at the woman.“And who do we have here?”Daphne met Ella’s stare without flinching.“I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said coolly.“Oh, I see,” Ella sai
Nathan walked into the Crawford Group head office, his long strides quickly carrying him to the elevator.“When did the meeting start?” Nathan asked Mike, who was hurrying beside him, to keep up.“A little over an hour ago,” Mike said, checking his wristwatch.“And my grandfather?” Nathan asked.“Last I checked, he was still at the house,” Mike replied.“Okay,” Nathan nodded as they stepped out of the elevator onto the top floor of the thirty-story skyscraper.There was just one conference room on the floor, reserved for Nathan’s special meetings. Nathan preferred the room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows offering an unobstructed view of the city skyline. It was the perfect setting to negotiate high-stakes deals and hold confidential meetings away from prying eyes.“Welcome, Mr. Crawford,” Anita, Nathan’s secretary, said, standing as he walked past her.“How many?” Nathan asked.“Four,” Anita replied quickly, knowing exactly what he meant.Nathan pulled open the door, stepping into
Nathan stood up and walked a few feet away from the table before turning back to face Elliot."I need to speak with your designer," Nathan stated.Elliot was silent for a few seconds, unsure what Nathan was trying to imply."Okay, would you care to explain? Because I'm aware you already have a designer for your project," Elliot responded."I can't really go into specifics right now," Nathan stated."Okay, who specifically do you want to speak with?" Elliot asked, adding, "Bella or some other fashion house designer, who I know you can meet on your own without coming to me.""I can't explain anything for sure right now; I need to speak with your major partner," Nathan stated."Okay, hold on, what exactly is going on? You don't sound like your usual self," Elliot said, his eyes squinting in concern before adding, "Does this have to do with your grandfather?"Nathan's head snapped to Elliot in surprise at his words."What? I should know there is only one person who has the capacity to mak
"Dad, what do we do?" Emily asked her father.The embarrassment of the day before had been weighing heavily on her mind."What else can we do? She is practically untouchable right now," Amelia stated.Emily raised her eyebrows, an angry look crossing her face as she responded, "Says who, Mom?" She is going to pay for this; I swear she will. How high can she rise again?""Enough, the both of you! We need to come up with a plan," her father snapped at them, his brow furrowed in thought."I really don't think we should go against Ava anymore; she is no longer the girl we used to know. What if she decided to come make us pay for what we did to her all those years ago?" Amelia asked in concern."She won't, because I won't let her," Emily stated firmly."Shut up! Nobody is making anyone pay; we need to find a way to get into her good books right now," Charles stated.Emily's hand clenched into a fist beside her at her father's words."Why do we need to do that?" Emily shot at her father."W
Nathan's eyes narrowed, his hand clenching into a fist, as his jaw tightened.His voice was cold and sharp as he responded, "I have no idea what Tyler is talking about.""I don't think we should do this here," Peter interjected, looking between Timothy and Nathan."I agree," Mike stated, a nervous look coming to his face."Shut the f*ck up; you don't have a say here," Tyler responded to Mike."It's not going to be much of a problem if Tyler just tells us what he knows," Wyat said with a satisfied grin."I don't want that," Peter snapped, shutting Wyatt up."We will have this conversation at the office tomorrow then," Timothy stated, signaling for someone in the crowd."That would be better; we can't have everyone staring at us for having a family spat right now," Peter added."Okay, if that would be all, I guess we are done here, right?" Nathan stated, looking at everyone before adding, "Good night."He walked away from the group and headed to the entrance. Mike followed him closely,
"Hello ma'am, nice to meet you," The staff greeted Ava.Their faces were filled with pleasure at meeting their new CEO. Oliver and Mr. Clark were walking her through the various departments in the building."Thank you all for the good work over the years. I hope to have a splendid time working here with you all," Ava responded with a smile.As they left the office, Ava looked at Oliver and asked, "How many offices do we have to go to?""Not much; I think it's just the human resource department and IT department," Oliver replied."Okay," Ava muttered as they entered an elevator at the end of the hall."After the introductions, we would be heading to your office on the last floor," Mr. Clark interjected."Okay, and what is the last floor?" Ava asked curiously.Mr. Clark only grinned at her and kept mute as Oliver tried not to laugh beside them."What?" Ava asked, but they didn't give her a response.After a few seconds, Oliver stated, "I guess we'll find out soon enough.""Oh, and that
"Really? Who is it?" Someone asked from the group.All eyes were glued to Mick, expecting his answer, wishing it was their own design that won."The winner for the design submission is," Mick replied."I have something to say before that," Daphne stated coldly.Her voice cut through the excitement like a sword as she stood up to face the crowd.Mick turned to look at her, noticing her expression for the first time."Hmm, of course," Mick muttered, stepping aside for her."So, the winner announcement would be put on hold for now," Daphne stated.There were silent murmurs as everyone looked confused, glancing from her to Mick."Okay, hold on, why? Mick just mentioned that he has the winner's name with him." Bella stated.Daphne turned towards her, her gaze freezing as she turned her icy stare at her."I see no reason why I should give you a response here; if Elliot is not around, I'm as good as being in charge." Daphne muttered.A surprised gasp rose up from the crowd as they all stood
"Don't you think we need to go see them at the school?" Bella asked as she packed her bag."Stop running!" Ava shouted to Jenna, who was running after Angel up the stairs."Come on, buddy, the competition is going to happen eventually. Okay, I'm sure they probably have a reason for shifting it forward," Brad said, patting Jordan on the back."I don't think there is any point in going; Nora was probably just messing with me when she called," Ava replied with a shrug."Why would she do that?" Bella asked."If I know her, which I kind of do, she is just trying to rub it in my face," Ava muttered."Well, I guess the joke is on her now, Ms. CEO," Brad teased.Ava smiled, moving over to Jordan as Brad stood up to head out the door."I'll see you guys later," Brad called over his shoulder."Bye, Dad!" Angel shouted from the stairs where she was now sitting with Jenna."Bye, darling," Brad replied, blowing her a kiss before stepping out the door."Hey sweetheart, don't worry; the competition
Monday morning came faster than anticipated after the long weekend with its shock and unexpected turn of events.The Crawford Group head office was abuzz with activity as guests moved through the lobby. The event was taking place at one of the halls located in the building."Looks like it's going to be a big one." A staff member whispered to another as they directed guests through the lobby.There were reporters stationed outside, and a live broadcast of the event was being streamed."Well done, Tyler, that was a good one," Peter stated with a warm smile as Tyler walked up to him.The event had come to an end with a final speech from Tyler. Now the ball was in the court of the guest to actually invest in the project."Thank you, Dad," Tyler said, grabbing a wine glass from a passing waiter.Timothy Crawford was seated in one corner of the hall, silently observing and exchanging pleasantries with guests."Tyler, that was a good one. I guess you took the bull by the horns," Mr. Lee stat
For a few seconds, Nora struggled to find the words with which to respond to Tyler."Didn't mean to get you all scared, you know, just saying how bad it's going to look if Nathan finds out what happened in LA," Tyler muttered."You wouldn't dare!" Nora replied, her voice low and hardened as her eyes darted around the room, a flicker of tension betraying her tough behavior."Oh, you should worry about yourself; I just might tell him when you least expect it. That's why they say karma's a b*tch," Tyler responded, folding his hand on his chest."Then I bet you, you're going to lose all you ever hold dear; hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Tyler. Thomas is going to get acknowledged as Nathan's heir, and then you're going to be worthless like you are meant to be," Nora spat at him in disdain.The smile on Tyler's face faded away as he took three steps closer to Nora, pushing back against a couch.Tyler leaned close, his lips to her ear as he whispered, "Oh, I would like to see you tr
"Uncle Tyler," Thomas shouted in excitement as they all saw him standing at the door.A few feet behind him stood Nathan, with his face drawn into a scowl. He signalled for one of the house keeper to clean up the broken vase he had mistakenly knocked off."What is it with you all and standing by the door?" Timothy stated, looking up."Nothing," Tyler stated, walking more into the room before adding, "How are you, champ?""I'm fine, Uncle Tyler," Thomas shouted."Shhh, you're at the table," Nora chastised Thomas, her tone hardened as she cast a sideways look at Tyler."Sorry," Thomas whispered, looking down at his plate."What makes you want to see Ava?" Nathan asked."Why should I not see her?" Timothy asked, not in the least bothered."I don't think this is a good time to talk about this," Clara stated, staring straight at Nora."Nathan, keep your reservations to yourself; let's talk about it later," Peter stated.Nathan looked at Thomas's plate and realized the boy still had a lot o