“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
Daphne turned to look at Nathan, her brows raised as she asked, "What question?""Would you mind if we took it away from here? It's quite important." Nathan stated."If it's important, I guess it can wait a few more minutes," Daphne stated, turning to face Elliot.Nathan was not surprised by her response, putting into consideration the fact that she was currently really pissed at Elliot."Could you guys give us a minute? We will join you all shortly," Elliot stated, taking Daphne by the hand and walking out of the building.Elliot walked a few feet to the right of the building before turning into a corner. Only then did he let go of Daphne's hand."For god's sake, what the f*ck did you just pull in there?" Elliot asked, totally pissed."Nothing less than the reaction you are supposed to get when you don't consult me before making some certain decision." Daphne shot back at him.Her eyes were hardened, almost blazing with fire as she tried to stare Elliot down.Elliot brushed his left
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