Elliot and Daphne looked back to see who had called his name. Standing there amid the chaos was Joel, an urgent look on his face as he signaled for Elliot to come over."Joel?" Elliot muttered to himself, his brows furrowed in confusion.Joel was his personal assistant, and the fact that he had come only meant one thing—meetings.Nathan gently pulled Daphne away from the group to the back of the room, approaching Joel."Humm, everyone, let's be calm," Mick's voice broke through the murmurs.The room became silent as they quieted down to hear what Mick had to say."We'll reach a conclusion regarding the SPARK designer soon, but for now, let's all focus on working on the design as earlier stated," Mick continued, finally getting everyone's attention."Okay, Hmmm, I believe this is where I step in," Bella said, standing up at Mick's signal."Yes, thank you," Mick muttered as he handed over the mic to her."Okay, hello everyone, I'm Bella, the creative director for this project. I'm going
"From the look on your face, I'm assuming you know about this," Peter said, his eyes narrowed."I am just... fi…" Nathan tried to explain, but his father cut him off."Why would you do that? Why?" Peter asked, looking disappointed."Dad, if you listen to me, I will explain it all. I'm as surprised as you are too," Nathan replied, spreading his hand in frustration."Now your grandfather is back; isn't that all you wanted? If anything happens to him, it's going to be on you, Nathan," Peter said.Before Nathan could reply, Peter turned and walked out of the room, leaving Nathan standing there confused."What just happened?" Nathan muttered to himself as he stared at the door.Mike walked back into the office, looking as confused as Nathan."What's wrong?" Mike asked."I have no idea," Nathan replied, slliding down into his seat as he added, "I think it has something to do with the missing files.""How did he find out? You just found out yourself, and that is because you asked for it," Mi
Elliot left with Joel to attend a very important business meeting, hoping that Mick was capable of taking care of everything.Daphne walked over to her bag, picked it up, and signaled her team to come with her, leaving the meeting."That will be all. Let's not forget to come up with textile ideas for our different prototypes; it will save us a lot of time," Bella announed looking at Daphne's retreating team with a rasid brow at Mick, who just shrugged.There were several nods in the room, signaling an understanding of what Bella was saying."Okay, so Mick will hand out some documents to you as we wrap up," Bella continued."Will the next meeting be here because it's not stated in the timetable, seeing as we've been changing locations?" Someone said from the middle, a sign of Pride Fashion on her shirt."Uhmm, thank you for that question, Mirable; by the next meeting we would communicate a permanent location that we would be using going forward; apologies for the stress," Mick said, ad
Nathan's body became rigid at Nora's statement. His heart was pounding as he was taken back in time to that night."Nora, come out of there and meet me at the La Cuisine," Nathan mumbled into the phone."No, Nathan, come here if you want to dine with me," Nora replied stubbornly."F*ck," Nathan muttered, rubbing his temple to rub of an oncoming headache."It's been how many years, Nathan? Please come here; this place holds a lot of memories for us. Why do you insist on not coming?" Nora asked, her voice sounding low through the phone."Nora I don't want to talk about it," Nathan muttered."Nathan?" Mike called, looking at Nathan with concern.Nathan raised a finger, signaling for him to be given a minute. Mike nodded and stepped into the car."That's what you say every time. I know this has something to do with Ava," Nora replied, not backing down."I thought the whole essence of this was for us to make amends? Why are you trying to get on my fr*king nerves, Nora?" Nathan asked, his v
Nathan and Nora looked up to see Tyler and a new lady standing behind them. An amused look on his face at the look of frustration on Nora's."What are you doing, Tyler?" Nathan asked."Isn't' that obvious, to eat, of course?" Tyler replied with a grin."Then get yourself a table and leave us alone," Nora replied, adding, "I see it's a new face again today.""Oh, Silver, meet Nora, my sister-in-law, and my brother, Nathan," Tyler introduced."Hello, nice to meet you." Silver replied with a warm smile as she added, "You look so alike, almost like twins.""Yeah, everyone says that; I guess we've got our dad to thank for that," Tyler replied with a grin."Here's your table, sir." A waiter said to Tyler, pointing at the table beside Nathan's."Oh wow, what a coincidence," Tyler muttered, feigning surprise.Nathan turned to Nora and asked, "Do you want to leave now?""Oh, don't leave because of me; I very much want to be a part of your last discussion." Tyler said, adding, "Like I said earl
The hand that gripped her was firm, and it felt almost familiar that Ava quickly looked up.“This is becoming a habit,” Elliot said with a smile as he held her.Nathan’s eyes were glued to the sight before him, and for a split second, he felt a shift inside. It was not anger, but the sight made him feel off.“Thank you,” Ava said, steading herself as he pulled her up.“Elliot? You didn’t say you were coming over,” Mick said, looking surprised.“Yes, I know. I just thought I’d come over to have the steak and go; I figured you guys must have left already,” Elliot replied, his arm still on Ava’s waist."We were just on our way out," Bella interjected."Okay, that's fine," Elliot replied with a smile, then said to Ava, "You should watch where you go.""I will thank you," Ava replied.As Elliot looked up, his eyes caught Nathan sitting at the center of the restaurant, with Tyler's table right beside him."Nathan?" Elliot called in surprise."Let's go," Nora told Elliot, an air of authority
"Okay, hunnie, I'll be home soon." Ava said, smiling sweetly, her eyes locked on Nathan's as she spoke.Nathan stood there watching her as she ended the call before he said, "I don't want you near the house or my grandfather, if you really do mean what you just said."Ava didn't bother to give him an answer before she opened the car door and climbed into it."What did you say?" Bella asked as soon as Ava got into the car."Nothing," Ava replied."From the look on his face, I don't think that's true," Bella replied, adding, "He just stormed off.""I know, and I don't care," Ava replied."I knew your smiling face meant trouble," Bella stated."Not if everyone stays in their lane. I don't know why he keeps thinking I came back because of him," Ava said, still sounding angry."Why would he think that?" Bella asked."What? Stay away from his family? I never planned to come anywhere close in the first place," Ava muttered."Do you need a punching bag?" Bella asked."His face would have been
Nathan got into the car, totally pissed off by Ava."Where to Mr. Crawford?" Lucas asked"Home," Nora snapped, her hands folded as she stared out the window.The car was quite on the drive back to the house, with tension hanging in the air."I'll drop on the way since you won't be requesting any other thing," Mike said as they reached a traffic light."Thank you, Mike," Nathan muttered."Good night, Nathan, Nora," Mike said as he got off at the next stop.Nora didn't bother to answer, too pissed with Nathan to give a damn.After a few minutes of silence, Nora turned over to Nathan and asked, "What were you saying to her?"Not now, Nora," Nathan replied curtly, not interested in having the discussion."I don't care, Nathan. You spoke with her for a long time; what the f*ck were you saying to her? Is she somehow how back for reasons you're aware of and not telling me?" Nora asked."For f*ck sake, Nora! Leave this the f*ck alone," Nathan shotued.Lucas kept his eyes glued on the road, pr
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'