"Did they see the news?" Ava asked, hurrying up the stairs."No, what is the problem?" Bella asked, following her."Did you take their phone from them?" Ava asked."No, why would I do that? Besides, they are asleep, as I mentioned earlier," Bella hurriedly responded."There is something I need to check," Ava replied, opening their door quietly."You are going to wake them up, Ava!" Bella said, tight-lipped, trying not to shout."Let's be quiet and go in slowly," Ava whispered, tiptoeing into the room as she added, "I just need to take their phones.""Why would you do that?" Bella asked, her voice barely above a whisper."I need time to tell them by myself," Ava replied."But that does not..." Bella tried to reply as she followed Ava.Ava stopped abruptly, causing Bella to bump into her as she bent to retrieve one of the phones."Hey!" Bella shouted, before suddenly covering her lips with her hand to muffle her voice."Sorry, let's go," Ava said, turning back to face her.They turned s
"Did you know about this?" Clara asked as she joined the group."What are you doing here, Mom?" Tyler was surprised at his mother's sudden appearance."Why would I not be here? I just saw the news that Nathan's ex-wife is the CEO of Elegance and Style, and you don't think that has foul play written all over it?" Clara asked, her eyes hardened."I don't care what you say, but I had nothing to do with all this," Nathan muttered, walking past them."Are you sure? Or has this been your plan all along?" Tyler asked, stopping Nathan in his tracks."Why did you not mention she was in town to anyone? Seeing as you divorced her without as much as any mention of it to us." Peter stated."I didn't think it was important, Dad, and moreover, why didn't Tyler tell you too? He was aware," Nathan replied.He stared at all of them and then walked away, leaving them with his hand clenched in a fist."I don't trust him; I don't at all," Clara muttered in scorn.Peter turned and walked away, heading towa
Ava turned slowly to Jordan, seeing the resigned look on his face as he shook his head."You don't want what, baby?" Ava asked, taking his hand."I don't want to go to…" Jordan trailed off, his small shoulders slumping.Ava lifted his jaw with her hand and said, "Jordan, tell me what you want and I will try to get it for you.""I don't want another school," Jordan stated, his voice quiet as he added, "Can we continue going to Angel's school if we stay?""Oh, sweetheart, you won't be going to another school," Ava replied, finally understanding his concern."Really?" Jordan asked, his eyes spreading in excitement."Yes, dear, you don't have to," Ava added."Mom, are we going to keep staying here?" Jenna asked, rubbing her nose."Hmm, Mommy does not know now, but I will later, okay?" Ava replied, pulling both of them into a hug."We are not going back home after the competition," Jordan stated.Suddenly Ava remembered the call she had gotten from Nora."Oh, right, the competition." Ava mu
On the screen before them was Ava, looking all glammed up and sitting confidently as a guest on a live broadcast for Elegance and Style."What is Ava…?" Charles muttered, trailing off as his confused gaze locked onto the bold caption under her name."That is why you can't see Mr. Clark right now." The receptionist explained, before adding, "If you would like to wait, I could inform him once broadcast."They didn't bother to say a word to the receptionist as they walked over to a sitting area in the corner."Is this real? How is Ava the new CEO of Elegance and Style? Emily hissed, shaking her head in disbelief."I can't it either," Charles replied, shaking his head."I'm as shocked as you are. How are we going to convince her after all we did to her?" Charles muttered under his breath."Oh, god," Emily murmured, wishing she was having a bad dream.On the screen, the presenter leaned forward, a practiced smile on her face."Ms. Smith, I must say, it's quite a surprise that no one knew a
"Who is that?""Do you know who he is here for?""It's Mr. Noah Bright."All this murmuring rose from the reporters as they tried to place a name to the man that was walking towards Ava.Ava was shocked to see him, and he held a flower in his hands as he approached her."Congratulations, Ava, you deserve this," Noah said, a warm smile on his face as he handed her the flower."Thank you," Ava said, taking the flowers from him.Noah bent down and placed a peck on her cheek, taking her unawares.There was a silent gasp from the press as they witnessed the unexpected display of affection. Ava was surprised, but she tried to keep her smile."Mr. Bright, what is your relationship with Ms. Smith?""Ms. Ava, would you like to shed more light on this?""Over here, Ms. Ava,"As they started to throw questions and push the microphone in front of Ava. A line of bodyguards stepped aside and cleared a path for Ava and Noah to pass through.They headed back into the building and found their way to t
The media was abuzz with news of Ava's role at the Elegance and Style throughout the day. It was almost as if she had become the highlight of the day."Thank you for the safe Noah," Ava muttered as he drove into the driveways in front of Brad's house."You're welcome. Glad I could be of help," Noah responded."I guess I'll see you around then," Ava muttered."Sure, let's hope those reporters don't find out where you leave before then," Noah replied with a wink.Ava's eyes widened, almost as if the thought had never occurred to her before."Hey, I'm just kidding; it's not like anyone knew your address before today," Noah murmured."Well, not really, and I'm hoping they don't figure it out," Ava responded."Let's hope so," Noah replied.As Ava turned to step out the door, Noah grabbed her hand, lightly pulling her back into the car.His eyes were filled with something Ava could not quite place."Noah?" Ava called out."I know this might not be the best time, but I just have to say it," N
Ava felt her heart beating faster than ever before as she thought about what to do to stop him from kissing her.Just then Ava's phone vibrated, and the sound echoed through the room.The sound pierced through the moment like a sharp knife, breaking the tension."I've got to take this call," Ava muttered, clearing her throat to ward off the awkward moment."…hmm, sure, you can," Noah murmured, adding, "I should go; I should not hold you up any longer.""Sure, see you tomorrow," Ava said, picking up the call as she stepped out of the car.Noah drove off without looking back, trying to avoid the awkward moment."Damn," Noah muttered softly under his breath, smiling to himself.Ava watched the car drive off as she placed the phone to her ears."Hello?" Ava muttered, waiting to get a response.The line was silent on the other end, almost like the other person had forgotten they had placed a call to her."Hello? Who am I speaking to? Ava asked."So it is your number," came Nathan's soft re
"You will what?" Bella asked, waiting for Ava to finish her statement."I will need to put some…" Ava muttered, trailing off as her eyes drifted down to the twins.Bella seemed to catch the drift and quickly changed the subject."How about a celebratory dinner in town?" Bella shouted."I don't think that's a good idea right now," Brad stated with a smile as he slid down into one of the couches."I agree," Ava murmured."Okay, then we will have to make do with dinner right here," Bella muttered."That would be fine; I'll just head up to get changed; I'll be right down," Ava muttered."Sure, Brad, help Lucy set the table, will you? I'll be right back," Bella shouted over her shoulder as she hurried after Ava."Hey! That's not fair," Brad shouted after her.Bella grinned as she caught up with Ava at the top of the stairs."We'll help you, Uncle Brad," Jordan stated with a warm smile."Aren't you a sweet one? Come on then, let's go give Lucy a hand," Brad said, clapping his hands as he st
The person walked over to her, holding her gaze as the footsteps echoed in her ears.Amber could see the lips move, the concerned look come into his eyes as he spoke. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder, jerking her back to reality."Are you alright?" Brad asked, his brows etched in concern."Oh, I…I'm sorry, I didn't, um, sorry," Amber stammered.Brad was worried; he didn't know if he had startled her or if she had been lost in thought."You don't really look so good," Brad stated, stepping away from her.Amber coughed, trying to regain her composure. She didn't want to show how flustered she was."Hmm, yeah, I'm not... oh, hmm, I actually meant I am fine; it's a surprise to see you here today," Amber said hurriedly, changing the subject.Brad decided to take her answer at face value, not wanting to push her further."Well, I just have some questions to ask. Is Mrs. Chucks around? or who can I speak with?" He replied with a warm smile."Oh, hummm, what do you want to ask about? Al
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