Chapter eight

While making her way back to her room, Ava suddenly felt as though she had stepped back into the life she once lived.

Luxury surrounded her once again, yet everything felt different. She was no longer the naïve young woman she had once been, and her father was no longer by her side.

A sharp ache settled in her chest.

She missed him more than words could describe, yet she couldn’t bring herself to visit him. She had brought ruin upon him by trusting the wrong people. Until she cleaned up the mess she had created and restored everything the Richmond family had lost, she would never have the courage to stand before him.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. Tears blurred her vision, but she stubbornly blinked them away.

She had cried enough. From this day onward, she would never shed another tear because of the Lyons.

After changing into a simple business suit, Ava headed downstairs. Lucian was nowhere to be seen.

She paused for a moment before walking outside, where the brand-new car awaited her.

It was exactly to her liking. A small smile tugged at her lips as she slipped into the driver’s seat. She got into the driver’s seat, entered the address on her new phone’s navigation system, and slowly drove out of the estate.

Nearly an hour later, the towering headquarters of NexaTech came into view.

Ava parked the car and stared silently at the glass building before her. The company’s logo gleamed proudly at the top of the building.

She remained seated for a few moments, trying to calm the nervousness building inside her. “You can do this, Ava,” she whispered to herself. “You can’t afford to fail.”

Just then, a knock on her window startled her.

She rolled down the window to find a middle-aged man standing outside. “Miss Ava Richmond?”

She nodded.

The man smiled politely and extended his hand. “My name is Harrison. I’ve served as NexaTech’s Executive Director for the past seven years.”

Ava shook his hand. “Mr. Blackwood instructed me to assist you during your transition.”

A flicker of surprise crossed her face. She hadn’t expected Lucian to arrange someone to help her, especially after claiming he wouldn’t interfere with the company.

Before she could respond, another voice interrupted.

“Good morning, Miss Richmond.”

A young woman, who looked to be about Ava’s age, approached with a warm smile. She wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and carried a tablet against her chest.

“My name is Emily. I’ll be your personal secretary. If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Ava smiled gratefully. “It’s nice to meet you, Emily.”

Some of the nervousness weighing on her heart eased. At least she wouldn’t be facing everything alone.

Mr. Harrison opened the car door for her, and Ava stepped out before following him into the building.

As they walked toward the executive elevator, he quietly briefed her. “The company currently has five board directors. I’m afraid not all of them support your appointment as CEO.”

Ava nodded calmly. “I expected that.”

The elevator doors slid open. The moment Ava stepped onto the executive floor, conversations gradually faded.

Employees openly stared at her. “Who is she?”

“Isn’t she too young to be a CEO?”

“She must have an incredibly powerful backer.”.

“I heard she owns half of the company.”

The whispers spread through the office like wildfire. Ava heard every word. She simply continued walking. Compared to everything she had already endured, gossip was insignificant.

Emily stopped before the boardroom and pushed open the large wooden doors.

Inside,Five directors were already seated around the conference table. Four men and one woman. The atmosphere immediately turned tense.

The woman spoke first. She adjusted her glasses before fixing Ava with a sharp gaze.

“Miss Richmond, I’m Director Catherine Shaw.” Her voice was polite, but her tone carried obvious hostility.

“You have no management experience whatsoever. On what basis should we accept you as the CEO of this company?”

Silence filled the room. One by one, the other directors began questioning Ava.

Every proposal she presented was challenged. Every opinion she voiced was met with skepticism. It felt less like a board meeting and more like an interrogation.

Only one person spoke in her defense. Director Benjamin.

After nearly an hour of heated debate, he finally raised his hand. “I have a proposal.”

The room gradually quieted as everyone’s attention shifted toward him.

“The company’s revenue has remained stagnant for over a year. Since Miss Richmond believes she can lead the company, I suggest we give her three months to prove herself.”

Director Catherine folded her arms before letting out a cold smile. “Very well.” She looked directly at Ava.

“If, after three months, the company’s revenue has not increased by at least fifteen percent, and our upcoming product launch fails to stay on schedule, you will resign voluntarily.”

“I agree,” another director added. “So do I.” Soon, the rest of the board voiced their approval.

The room fell silent as everyone expected Ava to reject such an unreasonable condition.

Instead, she slowly looked around the room, meeting each director’s gaze without hesitation.

“I accept.”

For the first time, surprise appeared on several faces. Ava remained composed. “I’ll prove that I’m worthy of this position.

Director Catherine chuckled softly. “You’re certainly more confident than I expected.”

The meeting continued with discussions on several ongoing company matters before finally coming to an end.

Emily led Ava to the CEO’s office. The spacious office overlooked the entire city, but Ava barely spared it a glance before immersing herself in work.

With Emily’s assistance, she spent hours reviewing financial reports, pending lawsuits, investment proposals, ongoing negotiations, and internal company operations.

By late afternoon, Emily returned carrying another file. “Miss Richmond.”

She placed it gently on the desk. “This is our biggest opportunity this quarter. It’s worth billions, and more than a dozen companies are competing for it.”

Ava opened the file. “It is an open bid for a government infrastructure project,” Emily explained. “If we secure this contract, it will significantly increase the company’s annual revenue.”

Ava carefully scanned the list of competing companies. Then her eyes stopped on one familiar name. Lyon Group.

Her fingers slowly tightened around the file. Her expression hardened as a cold smile slowly spread across her lips.

“So..” she closed the file. “they’re competing too”

Emily looked confused by the sudden change in her expression.

Ava looked up, determination blazing in her eyes. “We’re winning this contract.” Her voice was calm, yet filled with absolute certainty. “No matter what.”

She might not have years of business experience, but there was one thing she refused to do. Lose to the Lyon family again.

She looked at Emily. “Gather the company’s most capable employees and form a special project committee.”

Emily quickly nodded.“Yes, Miss Richmond.” “I’ll personally lead this project.”

Emily immediately left to carry out the instructions.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ava buried herself in research, market analysis, government requirements, previous winning proposals, and every piece of information she could gather.

She became so focused that she completely lost track of time.

When she finally leaned back in her chair and glanced at the clock, it was already a few minutes past nine. Her eyes widened.

The curfew. She hurriedly grabbed her bag, rushed downstairs, and drove out of the company at top speed.

By the time she arrived at the Villa, it was already past ten o’clock.

Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly got out of the car and hurried inside.

The moment she entered the living room, she froze.

Lucian stood with his back facing her, one hand tucked into his trouser pocket. Without turning around, he spoke in a calm, emotionless voice.

“You’re late.”