Walking into her room, Ava listened to the caller's reply as she set down her bag and took a seat on the bed.“Okay, that’s good. Let me know once the next delivery is made,” Ava replied.She ended the call a few seconds later and immediately dialed her assistant in Los Angeles.“Hello, Ava!” Lily’s voice rang with joy."You're going to burst my eardrum, you know," Ava muttered, smiling.Lily laughed as she replied, “I thought you’d forgotten all about me!”“No way I could. You know I can’t handle all this work by myself,” Ava replied, smiling.“How’s the trip going?” Lily asked.Ava walked over to the window, taking in the view of the city as she sighed deeply.“The kids love it,” Ava said, adding, “and the reason I called is because I need you to check out a new client for me.”“Okay, shoot,” Lily answered, her voice bubbling with excitement.“I need a detailed report on their business activities. You know what to look for, right?” Ava asked.“Definitely. After over two years of wor
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
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