“Hmm, your mother informed me there was a partner, but she never mentioned who the person was to me,” Oliver explained.“So you’re saying someone can come anytime in the near future and lay claim to all that you just informed me is mine?” Ava asked.“No, you don’t need to bother about that; there’s a document to that effect,” Oliver replied, a reassuring smile on his face.He brought out a document from the file in front of him and handed it over to her.“Here, have a look,” Oliver said.Ava took it from him, her eyes scanning the documents, and just as he had said, right under was her mother’s signature.“Whoever the partner is, he or she does not want to be known, and I believe they created this together to give it to you,” Oliver explained.Ava didn’t know what to say; all this time she had vowed never to return, and just when she thought her days were numbered in the city, here she was making plans to fully settle down.“Okay, so what next? What am I required to do?” Ava asked.“T
Oliver and Ava stood at the gate to Elegance & Style, a towering building gleaming in the sunlight. Ava’s eyes widened as she took in the sleek, sophisticated structure before her.“Are you saying this is the office building?” Ava asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.“Yes, it is. The factory itself is located somewhere else,” Oliver explained.The building seemed to go on forever, and Ava found herself unable to even guess the number of floors from where she stood.“Would you like to go in and take a look?” Oliver offered.“Can I?” Ava’s asked, unsure if she was ready to meet anybody.“Of course,” he replied, smiling and adding, “It’s yours, after all.”It was becoming real, all too fast. A few days ago, she wouldn’t have imagined herself as the CEO of such a massive enterprise. She took a deep breath, letting the moment sink in.“Let’s go inside. You can have a look around, and don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone who you are until you’re ready,” Oliver reassured her."Okay, not that I
"Shouldn't the result be out already?" Emily murmured, constantly staring at her phone."I told you using someone else was going to be risky. What if the design does not get picked?" Amelia asked."Come on, mom, be optimistic about this for once," Emily stated."I know you and your father went to great length on this, so let's hope it works. Especially with the fact that your visit to Nathan didn't really work out so well." Amelia stated with a shrug."Well, Nathan never liked us; he only got married to Ava because he was forced to, so I'm not so surprised there," Emily murmured."Do you know where Ava has been hiding all these years?" Amelia asked."No, I don't, mom; if I did, I would have said something a long time ago," Emily replied.Her attention was on her phone as she was constantly refreshing her mail, hoping to get a mail of her victory."It just seems weird, don't you think, that she returns with nothing, knowing fully well Nathan is yet to get married, but she is not even at
"Lily? Are you sure?" Ava asked, sitting up on the bed."Yes, I am," came Lily's voice from the phone."Okay, send me the request now; I need to take a look at it myself," Ava replied."Sure, I was just about to press send," Lily replied."Thank you." Ava murmuredHer thoughts were jumbled together as she tried to make sense of what Lily had just told her."The CEO of the company seems to be a doctor or something," Lily muttered over the phone.Ava closed her eyes, nodding her head in agreement. The fact that Noah had chosen her to manage a project for him was as shock."Yes, I kind of know him," Ava replied."You do? Then he already spoke with you?" Lily asked."Hummm, no, I'm guessing he doesn't even know I'm the owner of the business," Ava replied."Really, okay, I'm guessing you would be speaking with him then," Lily replied."Yes, I will," Ava responded."Okay, I'll send you the report like you said, and then I'll wait for further instructions from you," Lily stated."Sure, thanks
Oliver stared at Nathan in shock as he tried to continue his conversation. He smiled at Nathan and stepped a few feet aside.“Oliver,” Nathan called, his face neutral.Oliver listened to whoever was speaking on the other end and nodded.“Yeah, and she asked us not to mention it to anyone until she is ready—oh... uh..." Oliver replied into the phone.“Is that my grandfather you are talking to?” Nathan asked.Oliver listened on the phone for a while longer before ending the call.“Hello, Nathan, I know how this must sound, but trust me, it had nothing to do with you,” Oliver replied.“Was it the Ava I know you were referring to? At least you can answer that if you’re really sure you aren’t hiding anything.""It’s... nothing. Just forget you heard anything." Oliver stated, silent for a moment before adding, “I’m a lawyer, and I’ve got client confidentiality to uphold.”"You expect me to just let it go after a slip like that? I’m not dropping this, Oliver; I’m only asking that you tell me
“It’s probably just an empty threat, mom,” Tyler muttered.“Did you make sure those accounts are untraceable?” Clara whispered.“Yes, and we probably shouldn’t talk about that here,” Wyatt replied.“I agree,” Tyler murmured."Okay, whatever, just ensure whatever he says you have an attack ready for it." Clara responded before walking into the room."Let's go in and finish this plan, shall we?" Tyler asked his uncle."I can't say otherwise, seeing how effective it has been so far." Wyatt replied with a grin."I have a feeling things are about to get more than interesting," Tyler muttered under his breath.There were several faces seated in the room as they waited for Timothy Crawford before the meeting could officially start.The tension was thick as Tyler took a seat across from Nathan and his father. Clara settled in beside Peter, her expression shifting between curiosity and unease. Tyler, however, looked composed, his confidence unwavering as he caught Nathan’s gaze with a mocking
In Timothy’s office, Nathan stood in front of him, a resolved expression on his face as Timothy looked at him.“You thought that was the best way to handle things, Nathan; going above your father and I to bring such a sensitive matter to the board directly?” Timothy asked.“Grandpa, you know I wouldn’t bring something like this up lightly. There is too much at stake, and there was no time to speak with you.” Nathan replied, his expression steady and unwavering.“But presenting it to the board? And then dragging your brother into it, what were you thinking? Do you perhaps know who is behind it?” Timothy asked.Nathan opened his lips to accuse Tyler, and for a minute, Mike’s words flashed into his mind.“Go on,” Timothy said, waiting for him to speak.“No, I don’t, but I really think this should be looked into.” Nathan replied.“Why then are you against Tyler being appointed as a representative for the next three months?” Timothy asked, squinting his eyes at Nathan.“I never said I was
Ava looked up at Brad and asked, "What wrong? Sounds like something important.""Hmmm, how about we discuss this later when you guys get back?" Brad asked."Okay," Ava agreed, taking the children up the stairs."What was that about?" Bella asked."What?" Brad asked, walking into the living room."I mean what you meant about there being an issue with Saturday," Bella replied."Oh, that, humm, I kind of have a work event, and I was hopig to go with Angel since it's a family thing," Brad replied."Oh, hmm," Bella murmured."Yeah, and it's looking like she is already perked up about this competition." Brad stated."Yes, she is. What time is your event?" Bella asked."Should be in the morning; why do you ask?" Brad asked."Duh, so I can find a possible way around the two events," Bella responded."Oh, okay, isn't the competition in the morning too?" Brad asked."Yes, it is, but I think it might last till midday, so you should be able to go to your work event and still meet us at the school
Ava took a step towards the door, but Bella held her back, shaking her head at Ava."No," Bella said.There was a bit of silence in the room before they heard Noah speak again."She does not know, nor does she know about the contract," Noah said."Wow, I can't seem to believe that she does not. Well, it's a good thing that she accepted your proposal; all we need to do now is speed up the wedding process." Beth said."Of course, that should be real easy." Noah said."After all the groundwork you have put in, it should be easy. I actually thought Philip was going to spoil things for us; it turned out he was only after his own pocket," Beth said."Yeah, there was no need to worry. As long as it did not affect what I had planned with Ava." Noah replied."It all feels like yesterday, though," Beth muttered."Yeah, it's a good thing my proposal to partner with Elegance and Style all those years ago was not successful. Now I get to own a part of it all, which is much better. My dream to vent
Nathan was frozen, unable to move an inch as he stared at Noah on his knees before locking his gaze with Ava."Say yes," people chorused around them.Ava took a deep breath and then looked at Noah and said, "Yes."A round of applause and gleeful cheer rose from the group around them as Noah slipped the ring on Ava's finger."Thank you," Noah said as he stood up and hugged her."Congratulations," everyone said as they walked past them."Let's find our table," Ava said.They both walked into the main hall, leaving a frozen Nathan still standing there.As soon as Bella saw Ava, she jumped up and walked over to her and hugged her tightly."Didn't seem like you both were that serious yet," Bella whispered, a forced smile plastered on her face."Neither did I," Ava whispered back with a forced smile."I need to check something at the back; my store is showcasing some of our latest collection." Noah explained."Okay," Ava said.Noah kissed the back of her hand and excused himself. Ava watche
The room went silent as they all looked up to see who the man was pointing at."Oh my god!" Ava exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand as she stared at her.She could not believe her eyes. How could she do something so wicked, so heartless?"Mom?" Tyler called, looking confused, "Did you do it?"Clara had her head to the ground, unable to lift it up to face Timothy."Oh, God," Peter said, falling back against the couch as he held his chest.Nathan's hand clenched into a fist at his side as he looked at Clara through death-stricken eyes."Take him outside; there are a lot more persons that would need to follow him to the police station." Timothy instructed the security guys.Clara went to her knees and begged, "I didn't know what I was doing; I'm sorry.""So you killed my mother? Why? What did she do to you? And then you threatened me to leave town. What did I ever do to you?" Ava asked, choking back tears."No, your mother's accident was a natural cause; I had nothing to do with
Nathan's words fell like a bomb as jaws dropped in shock. Everyone in the room looked from him to Nora, waiting for her to refute his statement."Did he speak with you?" Nora slipped, the words coming out of her lips before she could think."Oh my god," Wyatt exclaimed.Everyone started to speak at the same time, the whole room going into an uproar as they all tried to speak over each other.Ava sat there, her face neutral as she took in what was happening."Quiet!" Tyler shouted, bringing the room to a sudden silence.Nora's eyes darted from Nathan's to Timothy's, who sat awestruck, staring at her."Where is Thomas?" Ava asked."None of your f*cking business!" Nora shouted at her.Nathan turned, noticing Ava for the first time since he walked into the house."Ava?" Nathan called softly."Surely you do not want him to hear all this, right?" Ava snapped, getting visibly angry at Nora's lack of consideration."I will go make sure he isn't anywhere near and get one of the housekeepers to
"Thank you for having me, doctor. So you're saying he can get the transfusion tomorrow?" Nathan asked."Yes, he can. We have taken quite a bit from you, and it's a good thing that it matches, and we can give it to him. However, this might be a temporary fix, but let's get over this hurdle first, and then we can talk about the next step." The doctor explained"Okay, thank you so much. Do I get the results?" Nathan asked."Of course, I believe you would want to have a read-through yourself." The doctor replied and added, "You can pick it up at the lab on your way.""Thank you, doctor. I'll be on my way. Tomorrow, I'll be here with Thomas," Nathan said."We will be expecting you." The doctor replied, standing up to shake his hands before Nathan left.Nathan walked over to the lab and requested his results from the nurse at the station."Good day, Mr. Crawford, give me a minute, please." The nurse said and walked towards a table.She picked up an envelope and discovered there was another
"They have taken the sample; we would get the results tomorrow," Nathan explained."That was fast," Clara muttered."I will stay with him; you guys can go home; it's been a long day already," Nathan said."Okay, call us if you need anything, okay?" Peter said."I will," Nathan responded."I am staying with my son too," Nora insisted.There was no reasoning with her, so Nathan allowed her.The night was long, but by the time it was morning, Thomas was feeling much better."The results are not out yet, but he can be discharged. We should be able to book an appointment for when he would come in for the transfusion in the next two days," the doctor said."Okay, that's good. Thank you, doctor." Nathan responded.By the time they got home, it was almost midday. Everyone was waiting for them in the living room."Hey there, champ, How are you feeling?" Tyler asked."I'm fine, Uncle Tyler," Thomas responded.Timothy walked down the stairs at the moment, smiled at Thomas, and said, "You feel be
By the time they got to the garage, the sun was setting, and Nathan was already exhausted."Now it's good we all came here as Nora suggested. We haven't been seen in public together for a while." Peter said, a satisfied smile on his face."I agree," Wyatt seconded.Thomas held his mother's hand, who had refused to give him a smile or say as much as a word to him since losing the competition."Why do you look so sad, champ? You'll win the next one, okay? Tyler said, ruffling his hair.Nora pulled Thomas away from him and placed him behind her.Nathan picked him up and smiled at him, saying, "Do you want ice cream? Don't worry about the competition, okay? You'll get another chance."Thomas nodded, finally smiling at his father as he replied, "Okay."Nathan touched his forehead and looked over at Nora to ask, "Is Thomas on any medication? Why is he running a temperature?""Nothing is wrong with him. He is probably just pretending since he does not want to get scolded for losing the compe
"How did you find out?" Timothy asked."That has nothing to do with the answer you are supposed to give me," Ava responded as she folded the tissue and walked over to a wastebasket in the corner of the room.Timothy stood up and walked over to the window, a grim expression on his face.Ava stood silently behind him, waiting for him to speak, and at last he did."Your mother saved me from a car accident," Timothy stated.Ava was not so sure what he was talking about. She was vaguely aware of the accident but not her mother's involvement in it."Olivia was at the location of the accident that day. Ruth, Nathan's mother, and I were on our way to the factory that fateful day when it happened." Timothy narrated."The same accident Nathan's mother died in?" Ava asked."Yes, your mother pulled me out of the car, but it was too late for Ruth; she died as the car blew up." Timothy said, his voice cracking up, so he paused for a second."Is this why you built a whole textile factory with my mom
Nathan turned back to face Nora and asked, "What are you talking about?""I... I mean, did he…" Nora replied, trailing off as she took in the confused look on his face."Did who?" Nathan asked again, before adding, "I really don't get a word of what you are saying.""Oh, I mean, did you have a discussion with Tyler because you sound like him blaming me for whatnot?" Nora quickly said to cover up her slip."What in God's name did Tyler do this time around?" Tyler asked, coming up behind Nathan."What don't you do?" Nora asked, not really in the mood to get on his bad side since she still needed his help."This is not the time for this. Where is Grandpa?" Nathan asked the both of them."Where else? He has gone home, something you would know if he had told you, but oops," Tyler muttered, covering his mouth as he added, "You both aren't exactly on good terms right now, right?"Nathan's face hardened, but he forced himself to relax, keeping in mind they were at a public event."Tyler, you'