LOGINLooking shocked and confused. Elias looked at the little woman that had just fallen asleep in his arms.
He was just about leaving the club when this woman came crashing into him. He had a lot going tonight and this lady was not part of the agenda. Letting out a long sigh he tried to wake her,but the more he tried the more she snuggled deep into his hands. " Where the hell did you come from little one" he pocked her cheek while staring down at her. He had to get rid of her as soon as possible because he couldnt be caught up in any scandal now,that will be bad for the company. But the lady in his arms seemed to be comfortable sleeping in his arms without a care in this world. He remembered the last thing she said before passing out,"marry me".What would have prompted her to make such a statement. Staring down at her sleeping face,she looked so small and her cheeks were flushed red probably from the alcohol,her face looked so innocent and fragile,one that will make any man want to hide and protect her from the world. On a normal day he wouldn't let any woman close to him let alone touching him,but this stranger on his arm seemed different,he didn't feel disgusted by her touch instead he felt like protecting her from whatever made her to be in this state. Still lost in thoughts on what to do with her his men came running towards him. "Boss,the old man called. He asked..." The man stopped talking when he realised the lady on his boss arms. "Mathew..you were saying?" Elias said to him when he saw he was distracted. "Yes...he seeks your presence at his quarters now" Mathew continued still looking at the woman on his arms. Mathew was Elias right hand man. He was assigned to him by his father when he turned 15 and since then he was always with him wherever he goes. "Mhhm... tell grandfather that I'll see him tomorrow not now" Elias said while he began to walk slowly with the woman on his arms. "Alright sir. And what about her?" Mathew asked referring to the woman in his arms. Elias stopped in his tracks."prepare the car... she's going with us" he said and continued walking towards the entrance. He couldn't bare to leave her in a place like this..not in her current state. Mathew was shocked and surprised at the same time. He has never seen his boss close to any woman since the incident that occurred. He signalled for the guards to prepare the car while he ran to catch up with Elias. "At least let me carry her" he insisted. "Never mind... I can manage" Elias turned him down. By the time they got outside the car was already waiting for them. Elias placed Ava at the back seat and sat next to her, while Mathew got in at the front seat with the driver. " Where to sir?" Mathew asked him. "Drive to the penthouse" Elias said. He wasn't going to take a stranger to his villa. He rested his head and closed his eyes, giving no room for Mathew to ask any further questions. They got to the penthouse that was located in the city's only five star hotel,the hotel was under Ward industries. When they got inside the penthouse, Elias took Ava straight to the bath tub. He turned on the shower and let it pour on her to at least make her sober up. The water made her clothes wet and now they clung tight to her body revealing her small frame. She had curves just at the right place with a very tiny waist,her wet hair fell on her face that looked very smooth and soft. For a moment he seemed drawn to her but quickly got himself back. He quickly turned to go out when she drew him back subconsciously,he lost his balance and fell towards her,his lips just inches away from hers. He could feel her breath on his cheeks. Her chest pressed slightly to his, the only thing separating them was the clothes they wore. He could feel a part of his body becoming hard. "Little one..are you trying to seduce me" he said while steadying himself up. He carried her with her wet clothes to the bed then sat down on a chair to rest,it was almost day break. Just few hours he rested ,he heard some sounds coming from the bed,turns out she was now awake. Ava woke up with a throbbing headache,she realised her clothes were wet and she was in a strange place. That was when she recalled the event that happened the previous day. The last thing she remembered was running into a man and she became unconscious. She sat up straight and looked by her side and she saw a man who was asleep on the chair close to the bed. He must be the one that carried her here. She was a bit scared,she had to get out of that place immediately. Her sudden movement woke the man on the chair. He turned and looked at her. "You're awake" Elias said and sat straight. "Where am I and who are you" Ava asked him while trying to hide her fear. "Don't worry I didn't do anything to you.. even if I had the chance" he said with a smirk on his face. "You came running into my arms at the club last night, so I decided to help you out of my will. You should be thanking me, you wouldn't want to imagine what could have happened to you in that state if I had left you alone" Elias said while he picked up his jacket which he removed earlier. Ava just sat still on the bed, trying to calm herself down and recollect all that happened. She couldn't see his face clearly cause the room was a bit dark. " I've covered all the expenses on the room and you can leave whenever you want to... I'll be taking my leave now" Elias said while he walked towards the door. "At least can you tell me who you are or your name so I can thank you properly?"Ava asked just before he stepped out. He paused in his track and said without turning to her. "That won't be necessary... you can thank me properly when you see me again" he replied and walked out leaving her alone in the room.The atmosphere inside the conference room was tense but professional. Several executives sat around the large table while a foreign client discussed the details of a major partnership with Ward Industries. At the head of the table sat Elias looking calm and composed while listening attentively.A thick document lay open before him while the client continued speaking. Everything seemed normal Until the conference room door suddenly opened.Everyone turned as Mathew stepped inside. His expression immediately caught Elias's attention. Mathew rarely interrupted meetings And when he did, it was usually important."Sir." His voice was unusually serious.Elias frowned slightly and The room fell silent."Excuse us for a moment." He stood up and walked toward Mathew. The moment they stepped outside the room, Mathew lowered his voice."Mr. Lin is dead."For a brief second, Elias didn't react Then his expression darkened. "What?"Mathew nodded grimly. "The hospital confirmed it less t
The rest of the day passed painfully slowly for Ava as she e sat in her office staring at the same document for almost ten minutes without reading a single word. Her father's face kept appearing in her mind,his pale face and weak voice while his trembling hands held hers.And most of all,his apology."I have failed you."The words refused to leave her mind. Ava leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes briefly. She should have hated him after everything he had done,all the times he chose Rose and Clara over her, all the years she spent feeling abandoned, but Yet his apology had shaken something inside her. For the first time in years, she had seen genuine regret in his eyes, Ava chest tightened as she thought of it.Ava opened her eyes and looked at the clock,three o'clock. An uneasy feeling had been bothering her since morning but the more she tried to ignore it, the stronger it became. Something felt very wrong.She picked up another file and tried reading it but failed.With
The entire morning, Ava found it difficult to concentrate. She sat behind her desk at Lin Industries, staring at the documents in front of her, but her thoughts were elsewhere. They kept drifting back to the previous night,Back to the storm and Back to Elias.A faint frown appeared on her face,She still couldn't understand him. One moment he acted distant and indifferent,the next moment he was holding her in his arms as though protecting her from the entire world. The memory of waking up briefly in the middle of the night and finding herself nestled against his chest made her cheeks grow warm.She immediately shook her head. "What are you thinking about, Ava?" Muttering to herself, she picked up another file and forced herself to focus. Just then her phone rang.She glanced at the screen and The call was from the Lin residence. A bad feeling immediately settled in her chest as she answered at once."Hello?"The voice of one of the maids came through the line. "Miss Ava!" The wo
Sunday mornings at the Ward residence were usually peaceful.For once, Ava woke up feeling refreshed. The events of the past few weeks seemed distant, and as she stretched beneath the warm covers, she realized she felt lighter than she had in a long time. After taking a shower and having a simple breakfast with Mrs. Linda, she found herself wandering around the house with nothing to do.The mansion was large, quiet, and almost empty. Elias had disappeared into his study early that morning, as usual.Ava sighed and said, "I'm bored."Mrs. Linda laughed from where she was arranging flowers. "Then come and help me in the garden."Ava's eyes brightened. "Really?""Of course."A few minutes later, she was outside in the flower garden wearing a simple dress and gardening qgloves. The morning air was cool and pleasant. She crouched beside a flower bed, carefully trimming leaves and removing weeds while chatting happily with Mrs. Linda."This flower is beautiful."Mrs. Linda smiled. "Th
Clara paced frantically around the living room of the Lin residence as her heels striked angrily against the marble floor. Ever since the divorce, she had moved back into the house, something that already bruised her pride deeply.But today,today was much worse. She had avoided social media for two days after the humiliation at the lounge, unable to bear the mockery and criticism online. But the moment she finally opened the internet again the very first thing she saw was a video of Jeff begging Ava publicly at the restaurant. And standing beside Ava was Elias protecting her and Declaring her as his wife in front of everyone.The image alone made Clara feel like she was going insane.“How dare she?!” She threw her phone angrily onto the couch as she shouted.Rose, who sat nearby trying to remain calm, sighed softly.“Clara...”“No!” Clara turned sharply, rage burning in her eyes. “She ruined everything!” Her chest rose heavily with emotion.“She took Jeff from me completely!”R
The ride back home was completely silent. Only the soft sound of the car engine filled the atmosphere as the city lights flashed past the windows. Ava sat quietly by the side, staring outside absentmindedly but her mind was far from calm. The scene at the restaurant replayed repeatedly in her head.The way Elias had stormed in and the anger in his voic,the way he defended her in front of everyone without hesitation And most especially,the way he called her his wife not once but repeatedly.Ava tightened her fingers slightly on her lap. She couldn't understand him. One moment he acted cold and distant the next moment he looked ready to destroy anyone who hurt her. It was confusing.Beside her, Elias remained quiet as he drove but unlike his usual composed self, his thoughts were restless. Even now, he still felt irritated remembering Jeff standing in front of Ava begging her,looking at her like he still had a chance.His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly as The though
The city was calm and peaceful,but not for everyone.Jeff stared at the financial reports spread across his desk. All he could see were red numbers, declining profit margin,delayed payment, withdrawn investors interest. Everything was wrong and the worse part was that he couldn't explain why o
By the time Ava returned to the Ward mansion that evening, the memory of the boutique still lingered in her mind like expensive perfume,sharp, unforgettable, and impossible to ignore. She could remember Clara’s shocked expression, Jeff’s silence, Mrs. Hayes calmly dismantling Clara’s pride wi
Saturday afternoon was supposed to be simple. For once, Ava had wanted a day without family drama, boardroom tension, or emotional warfare disguised as polite conversation. Just something normal. That was exactly why Jane had dragged her out of the house.“You need fresh air,” Jane had declar
The next evening arrived far too quickly for Ava’s liking. She had spent most of the day trying and failing not to think about it.Dinner with Elias’s grandfather. The words alone were enough to make her anxious. It felt strangely ridiculous. She had survived years of Clara’s cruelty, Rose’s m







