“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
“What is going on here?” Peter Crawford demanded as he strode into the room, his eyes darting between his two sons.Mike quietly excused himself, sensing the tension, and left the room to give them privacy.“Nothing, Dad,” Nathan replied calmly, then added, “What brings you here?”Peter turned his gaze to Tyler and asked, “Is that true?”Tyler shrugged and replied, “Nathan says it is.”“This is no time to fight with each other,” Peter said, sighing deeply as he added, “What if it had been your grandfather who walked in here?”“He’s the golden boy," Tyler snorted as he added, "and I doubt he'd receive any backlash."“Grandpa hasn’t been to the office in a while, Dad. I doubt he’d just show up,” Nathan replied, running a hand through his hair.“The tension in here is thick enough to cut with a knife,” Peter observed, his eyes flicking between his sons as he added, “That’s not so good, considering you are at work."Nathan sighed and replied, “It’s settled, Dad. Let’s not make a big deal
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 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'