Audrey buried herself in work at the company, consistently sketching designs in her sketchbook. It was past 9:pm, but she appears to have lost track of time until her stepmom summer strolled into the office. Looking elegant in a mini strapless gown, her shiny curls were proof that she had visited the stylist recently, coupled with the thick layers of makeup on her light skin. She was in her mid-forties but was often mistaken for someone in her late twenties because she was consistent with cosmetic surgery and never misses an appointment with her doctor.
" Audrey?!" Audrey lifts her head and was disappointed by the figure before her, her gaze fell to the clock on the wall, making her gasp." Oh, my God!"" What are you doing here, Audrey?"" Last time I checked, I work here"Audrey rolls her eyeballs packing up her sketchbook and samples of designs into her bag.Her father got married to summer when she was just fourteen and despite how tough summer choose to be, Audrey was never scared of her and always stood her ground. At a point, summer realized she was no easy nut to crack, paving the way for a mutual understanding where they both do not interfere in the other's business." Well, Audrey, not for long. Because we finally found a buyer and right now, your father is signing the documents with them" Audrey let out a dry laugh." That impossible!"" Well your tricks don't work on everyone, or you think your father isn't aware that you are the one behind the rumors that have been spreading"Audrey stopped what she was doing to stare summer in the eyes, perhaps searching for a glimpse of hope that says she was lying." Someone is buying the company?"" Yes! And guess who the buyer is. The famous Carter Colton" Summer let out a loud laugh, stepping out of the office with her heels making a loud sound.Audrey picked up her bag and dashed out of the office as fast as she could to her car.Her heart was racing, she was riding at an unusual speed limit while cursing her father all the way home. She didn't bother packing the car when she got home, leaving that to the security on duty." Father!!" Audrey dashed into the large living room, where Mr. Norbert was having a father-daughter time with his daughter Ella." Father, is it true? Did you sell the company"?" Have you lost your manners, that doesn't give you the yardstick to barge in here like that!"" Father, did you sell the company"" You knew that, eventually, it was going to happen. I thought allowing you to have your way would make you feel better, or did you think I wasn't aware of your tricks?"" Father! Did you ever love her? That company was her life, her sweat, it was all she lived for hoping the both of us could be comfortable, yet you threw it all away"." Audrey, your mother is dead but we, on the other hand, are still alive and need to keep surviving. I am not a designer, you know I was never into fashion. At times I chase my dream, for I have been chasing your mom's for the longest of time"." The company never stood in your way of chasing your dreams. You were not into fashion, but you knew fashion was my life, you could have at least let me in on some decisions regarding the company"." You are just a kid and that is what summer is here for and so far all her decisions are the best the company ever took"" Really father. Do you know how many families feed from our company, do you realize how many workers depend on us? You sat here in the luxury my mother made to tell me summer made the right decision"A loud slap landed on her face causing a red mark on her tender face. Tears immediately filled her eyes." I will not stand here and watch you disrespect me. I might not be the founder of the company, but I was able to manage it for a long period more than the Jace family ever did" he slams his fist on the wall as he spoke the last word." Am sorry Ella dear, but we will continue our discussion tomorrow" He retired upstairs to his room, not reluctant to turn back for a second and stare at that child who was once the apple of his eye."Audrey, did you have to spoil this moment I was having father" Ella chirped also checking into bed.Audrey, who was now standing at the window in her room, decorated with golden artistry, held a family picture of her father, and mother, and her tears slowly dripped down her cheek. Audrey, always believed she could achieve whatever she puts her mind to and this was the more reason she had promised her mother on her deathbed that she would hold on to the company.But right now, she couldn't fulfill that promise, which kept her wondering what her mother would think of her right now.The glass door to her room clicked open, and Emma peeped through before walking in." You are still awake" She walks closer to Audrey also staring at the picture she was holding." I miss those days, it was so lively in this mansion"" Yeah. I remembered the first time nanny Gianna introduced you to me as her daughter, I was so furious because I thought you were going to take my place in this house, but instead, you made this house a home for me"." Yeah. And it will always be your home after I leave. Aunt Helen is not disappointed in you because I know what you are thinking right now"." I failed her Emma" The tears rolled down her cheek as she spoke straining those long natural lashes." No, you did not, she knows you did your best, do not beat yourself up"" That company was the only strain of life I was holding on to, and summer took that away from me. She's taken everything I ever held dear"Audrey rested her shoulder on Emma's chest and held her while gently patting her back. She let herself cry louder without holding back because she believes she would feel better after that. Not only that, but she did feel better and was able to go to bed while Emma lay beside her.Emma was brought into the Jayden's mansion when she was fifteen years after she lost her father who had been taking care of her because her mother Gianna was barely home because she had to work when she was brought into the mansion, the whole place and people there seem hostile towards her that she doubted she would be able to stay there.But after a few months, Jayden's mansion became her home and Audrey became her sister.The day dawned crisp and clear, sending the first ray of sunlight through Audrey's room, who was still lazily in bed.The sound of birds chirping from the garden could be heard. Audrey finally opened her eyes, rubbing her bleary eyes and stretching out herself.She stood up and strides over to the window, staring at the pearly glow in the sky. She veers around to stare at Emma was still sound asleep before rushing to the bathroom.After a thorough wash, Audrey applied some beauty product to her skin before putting on her blue jean shot and a leather jacket. She finally combed her hair, letting it droop around her pale cheek.Her cheeks were blush red, and a light amount of pink was applied to her lips. She quickly left before anyone would realize she was gone.****Liam Wyatt stood at the window that gave him an astonishing view of the city park. He had been in Florida for two days now. Haven concluded his business transaction, he was supposed to fly back to New York, yet he knew his
" Yes. That is why I am here, as a matter of fact, my team and I have been able to narrow it down to a few sketches base on the team of this year's competition" She tilts her head forward presenting the sketchbook on his desk.Chloe fox was the best-graduating student from the New York fashion school after which she journeyed to Paris where she worked with famous designers and then to Spain where she met Carter Colton at a competition, he was intrigued by her perfect stitches and offered her to come work for his company.Chloe accepted his proposal not because it was better than the prior proposals she got from famous designers, but the fact that she fell in love with him from afar on the first day she met him when he was invited to give a speech at her school in New York. Ever since then, she had secretly prayed for the day she would meet him again and when she finally did, she didn't waste the opportunity.But Carter Colton was a tough nut to crack despite all the tricks she tried o
Precisely after her parent died, Helen still took care of the company as her life depends on it. because for her, she felt it was her way of apologizing to her parent for proceeding against their will. All Norbert did was relish the luxury that came from the company.At eight years, Audrey could think and sketch out designs and at ten years she was tagging along with her mom to the factory doing mini sewing like stitching off the edge of a fabric.At fifteen years she was working seven hours a day at the factory, creating, sketching, sewing, and stitching up fabrics and yet, the man who did nothing all his life fired at her telling her she never did anything all her life." Here is my credit card, take her bill"Audrey was conveyed back to reality by the calm yet manly voice that spoke behind her. He has been standing there even before she walked in, but Audrey failed to notice him, and he never stopped staring at him."It's okay dear, things like these happen"" Thanks for your conce
The creamy fragrance of coffee which was delectable was escalating within the fine coffee shop that was well decorated with lights and flowers. Audrey was a lover of flowers, therefore no flower pass through her sight without being glimpsed." Good morning Mr. Logan, what would you like to have"The waitress entered holding the menu book" My usual? Miss Audrey, what would you like to have?" Audrey was surprised he recollected her name, for she did not remember his and couldn't bring herself to ask again because it will hurt his pride." Thanks but am fine"" You can't come to a fine dinner like this and not eat anything, you really should try out their sandwich, it is breathtaking"" You've done more than enough for me Sir, honestly, am fine"" A cup of coffee won't hurt you"" You are persistent, fine, I will have a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream"The waitress smiled professionally before retiring behind the counter." You said you were here for business, what kind of busin
Audrey took the evening flight back to Florida, Gianna sent the family's driver to go pick her up from the airport while Mr. Norbert furiously awaits her return.The moment she stepped out of the car, the whole family stood outside, but Mr. Norbert ambled forward and touched down with a hard slap on her cheek.She placed her palm on her cheek, trying to soothe the pain, while she made sure no tears were visible. There were countless times she was abused by her father and she let the tears roll. But now she's decided to be strong and never show them her weakness." Do you have any respect for me? While I am trying to provide a better future for you, you go behind my back attempting to sabotage all my efforts. Do you think it was easy getting someone to buy the company?"" You know fully well those you are doing it for, so don't you ever mention my name as an excuse to debris mother's effort. If you did have the company at heart, all you will have done is merge the company with a bigger
" Trisha already gave you a grandchild, I will get married when am inclined, can you stop bugging me with this topic?"Grandma instantly spurts into fake tears.Carter Colton has been a very successful businessman all through the years he could see through other people's tricks but when it came to grandma Nana, he was feeble and even though he knew the tears were fake, it still broke his heart.Carter on his tenth birthday while he waited for his dad to come back home, so they could celebrate his birthday, his sister Trisha fell asleep, and he and his mom waited for his father to come back in time to celebrate his birthday.His father's rivals at work attacked his home, and his mother was able to hide him and his sister in a closet while Carter hid in there, he watched his mother cut down to death. He was just ten years old, but watch a group of men cut down his mother into pieces. Blood splutter everywhere, her eyes piercing him. But even now, as a grown-up in his thirties, each tim
Even as she exited the office, she was somehow feeling pleased that Carter thought positively of her and wants her to hem up such an impeccable design.Gianna sat at the counter of the kitchen watching the girl's Cook, Gianna use to be responsible for the cooking in the house when madam Helen was still alive, but now Emma and Audrey won't let her cook anymore.The sound of a phone ringing pulls their attention, Audrey strolls towards her phone placed on the dining table, it was not a saved digit, and she was oblivious as to who was calling, but she did pick up." Hello" " Yes. Am I speaking to Ms. Audrey Jayden?"" Yes, who is this?"" This is the General Manager of COLTON'S FASHION"At the mention of Colton's fashion, Audrey stood upright beckoning to Emma who rushed over to her side motioning her to place the call on speaker mode" You presented the CEO of our company with a sketchbook which he finds interesting, he has invited you to the company to discuss it with him"" When does
James leads Audrey to the VIP area where Carter Colton was already cozy on the delicate cushion, wearing a fine-tailored suit, it was a branded design but was precisely designed by him.Audrey walks into the immense hall with low lightening and calm music, the ceiling was decorated with wisteria flowers, the atmosphere calm and refreshed, as she walked in, she could tell bottles of perfume placed on each table were made from amaranths 'green cascade' flower.She had observed her mom make perfumes for the models at their company during a runway show when she was young and was familiar with them. The fragrance stemming from the hall was able to calm her nerve.James offered her a sit opposite Carter Colton, and for the first time, she was seeing him up close.She could see his almond-shaped dark green eyes piercing at her while his straight nose twitched. His thin red lips were shut, and his heart-shaped face was void of emotions. He was well shaved while his hair was short, dark, shiny
Audrey glammed up for work in a sleek jumpsuit, she had an early meeting with the board and felt a bit anxious. She grabbed a cup of coffee from the countertop in her kitchen and hurried outside to her car without noticing the figure who was watching her. Abram had to spend the entire night there since he noticed that her movement wasn't consistent. Without much thought on her mind today, besides being anxious, she stepped into her car and sped away. Abram pursues her behind in his red jeep while trying not to cause attention to himself. But just when he thought he found the right spot, another car intercepted him as he tightened his jaw, trying to stay focused Audrey, who was ignorant of what, was happening behind her, kept on memorizing her new proposal for the company. Abram slowly brought out his pistol, while trying to aim properly, he was able to finally get a good picture of her, he heaved a sigh of relief, trying not to smile. He attempts to pull the trigger, bu
Audrey was striding into a supermarket on a Sunday so that she could buy a few items to prepare a meal for Oliver when she had her first bumped into a lady at the front of the store. “ Oh my God, I am sorry, I wasn't looking directly”.“It's alright, you do not have to apologize”. The pregnant lady spoke as she swirled around to Audrey. “ Emma! ”. Audrey called with her eyes popped open while her eyes landed on her tummy. “ Audrey! My mom told me you came around, I was wondering how long it was going to take before our path crossed ”. Emma spoke in a light tone while her face was fueled with disgust for her dear friend, and although she did not say it. Audrey could feel the rage that filled her eyes. “ I am sorry Emma, but I am in a haste right now, we will have to do this some other time”.Audrey spoke, about to leave, but Emma stopped her at her pace. “Audrey! Are you going to do this even with me? ”.“ What are you talking about? ”.“ I am talking about you avoiding everyone
Audrey felt like she was at the top of the world, she was smiling so brightly that her cheeks started to hurt. “ She looks just like you”. James commented as he stood close to Audrey, she immediately dabbed her tears. “ And she seems smart”.“ Brilliant, just like you. Audrey, I don't know what is going on, but I know that it must be tough on you to look at your daughter and not be able to tell her who you are”. James exclaimed carefully, his tender gaze fixed on Audrey, who let the tears out. “ It was not easy for me all these years, Mr. Cornell bears so many grudges at me, and he will make that I never come close to his son”.“ I am so sorry about that, Mr. Cornell is a dangerous man, I do not know what he has on you, but I believe that if you speak to Carter, he can help you ”.“ No… No… Please, do not tell him that I met with his daughter, … ”.“ Alright, if you like, I could always bring her to visit you on weekends”.“ Thank you so much, James, you don't know what this means
After dinner, Carter retired back to his room, while Chloe followed behind. He had his laptop on while he sat at the desk in his room. “ Carter, I think that Mona might end up growing fond of me”.“ Yes, I think so too, I hear you are responsible for the designs that we're just concluded”.“ Yes, what do you think of them? ”.“ They are lovely, but I doubt that it should be merely a color, don't you think you should add a few spices to it? ”.“ That is not a bad idea, I will amend it tomorrow, but for now, you should come to bed”. Chloe lifts her breast as she creases his bare chest from behind while shutting his laptop with the other hand. “ Chloe, I am sorry, but I have to wrap up a few things”.“ You can wrap them up tomorrow, you know after your therapy with Doctor Elliot finally worked, and you could touch any woman without. I was extremely excited that you could finally be with me without any restrictions, but now, you won't even look at me”. She placed a kiss on his neck so
Audrey inhaled and exhaled deeply before sitting down again, she could tell that she was feeling off since Carter stormed into her office. After staying away for a while, she only came back because she thought that he didn't affect her again. But just the sound of his name, mentioned at her office, sent her over the edge. “ I am sorry Oliver, I have been through so much and so difficult getting used to it”.“ I understand, and if it pleases you, we could leave, start a life together, and you can have all the kids you desire”.He exclaimed as he squeezes her hand gently, but she pulled her hand away, suddenly itching the back of her hair. “It's alright, I know you still haven't warmed up to me, but Audrey, I am here for you, I have been here for you for the past six years, why it can't grow even a little feeling for me”.“ Oliver, it is not as easy as you think, Carter and I shared so much together, I might have gotten over my feelings for him. But I haven't forgotten the memories
Staring at the room Auntie Gianna just finished cleaning, Audrey couldn't help but fall to the ground as she wailed. The time she spent with Carter in that room flooded her memories as she sat there staring at the bed she had shared a happy night with. Auntie Gianna steps in and quickly tucks her into her arms. “ My poor Audrey, you have been through so much, I can't begin to imagine what you have been through, but it's alright, soon things will work out well for you”.She gently taps her back and all Audrey could do was sob loudly until she finally felt exhausted. Audrey decided to take a nap, and Auntie Gianna was excited that she was getting some sleep. *** Carter got dressed for work and was about to leave when a little girl with fair skin had her hair braided into two parts used to him. “ Daddy! You are leaving so early again without breakfast! ”.She exclaimed while her nanny Marianne stood beside her. Carter could live with the memories of Audrey at the condo after she
It was lunch hour when Carter heard a slight knock at the door as Chloe walked through. “ Hi dear, still busy as usual, let's go have lunch”.“ You can go ahead, I will meet you there”.“ You are doing that again, you have to eat well to be able to work well, besides I have something I need to discuss with you”.“ What is it about? ”.“ Our trendy collection has been getting squashed by a recent nameless company that is trying to trend”.“That's odd, it is not every day I see a designer who gets to squash yours, do you need any help? ”.“ Yes, please, help me find a way to get rid of that company or better still, buy it off! ”.“ Chloe, You can't keep trying to get rid of every competition, you need to be able to deal with it by creating a design better than theirs, you need to prove yourself in the fashion world”.“Haven't I done that?”.“ You don't get to do that just once, you need to do it at all times, keep proving yourself until everyone is satisfied. What is the name of this c
Liam and Emma stood in the living room that belonged to Audrey and Carter, while Carter locked himself up in her room. “ What are we going to do? ”. Emma asks as she bites her lower lip. “ I do not know, your friend, she hurt him so badly”.“ I still do not believe that Audrey left just like that, something must be wrong somewhere”.“ You are still trying to defend her, she left her husband and child, that is so cruel of her, who would do something like that? ”.“ Audrey would never leave just like that, I do not care what others say, but Audrey is not a cruel person who would abandon her child”.“ Keep lying to yourself, right now, I do not know how Carter is ever going to be able to come out of this again”.Liam heaved a sigh, falling on the couch. “ Baby Mona needs him now, we have to find a way to help him out”.“ If you want to help out, find your friend and find out why she did such a thing”. Liam exclaims before going back to the door, banging at it loudly even though he kne
Emma kept calling Audrey, but after each rang, it went to voicemail, she had to keep tracing the phone down to Audrey's car which was locked with her phone in it. Emma guessed that Audrey might have found a way to the hospital, but there was no trace of Audrey at KELTINE hospital, so she had to call Carter, who picked up at first. “ Emma! I was just about to call you, I missed my wife's call today, but have been trying to call her, and she is not picking up”.“ She called me earlier today saying she labors and was in traffic, I told her that I was coming to her location, but on getting here, her car and phone were all I found”.“ Oh my God! I doubted that her labor would start this early, you should check her at the hospital”.“ That is what I also thought, but she is not there, there is no trace of her coming anywhere close to the hospital”.“ Where could she be right now, I have to find a way and get home as soon as possible, I will call my security personnel and ask them to find