Billion Dollar Deal

Ellena's POV

“It has been a week already since you took your seat at Aurelia. How does it feel?” my father asked as he joined me at the breakfast table.

I finished eating my cereal and smiled. He was right. That week had flown by, and I was beginning to find my feet again. I loved being there. My days were busy, keeping me distracted from my ex and his mistress. There was really something very satisfying about financial reports and board meetings.

Today, I was doing something very different. I pushed my bowl into the middle of the table, and I felt my father's eyes burning into me as he sipped his morning coffee.

“Ellena, are you sure you are ready to face the lawyer this morning?” he asked, as if reading my mind.

I swallowed hard and then nodded in response.

I was more than ready.

My father placed his coffee cup down and smiled. “Good, because I do not want you walking into that office feeling like you owe him anything. It is time to put yourself first.”

I smiled faintly at his words. “I know, and I will put myself first. Don't worry. I owe Roman Blakewood absolutely nothing.” I rubbed my hands together and scowled at the thought of Roman with Vanessa. She really thought that she had won by having him and carrying his child, but she would soon see that she had simply taken away my biggest problem and given me back my life.

“Shall we go, then?” He reached across the table to squeeze my hand. His tone was gentle and reminded me of how he used to talk to me as a child when I needed reassurance about something.

“Let's go.” I scraped my chair back and grabbed my coat.

The lawyer's office was right in the middle of the town centre. I had already spoken to her on the phone, but this was the first time I would be meeting her. She was an old friend of my father's, and he trusted her with his life, so it made sense to use her services.

“Miss Vale, good to meet you face to face. Please come on in and make yourself comfortable.” Anna Davies greeted me. She was around sixty years old, with curly grey hair and huge glasses that sat on the end of her nose. She reminded me of my old schoolteacher, and that caused me to smile a little more.

“I will wait here.” My father gestured towards the waiting room. I nodded and turned back to Anna Davies.

She closed the door as I took a seat and then sat in her chair. She pulled out her laptop and offered me a drink.

“I'm okay, thank you.” I declined the offer politely. I was far too nervous to drink anything in that moment.

“Miss Vale, I have reviewed the proposed arrangements that were supplied by Mr Blakewood's representatives, and there are several things I'd like to go through before we go any further. Is that okay with you?”

I nodded, trying my best to look composed.

Anna Davies looked at me for a second before opening the folder in front of her.

“Okay, so first of all, there is the marital home. I see that this has been agreed to be transferred solely to you.”

The house.

I thought back to when we had first bought that house. It was supposed to be our forever.

“Miss Vale, are you okay? Do you need a minute?” the lawyer asked me with such concern.

“I'm fine, thank you. Can we continue, please?”

“Of course.” Anna Davies nodded, and her eyes went back to the paperwork.

She continued to explain the arrangements, the financial settlement and the villa. I listened to her carefully, taking it all in and making sure it was crystal clear in my mind. I was not interested in making this difficult for the hell of it. Oh no. I wanted to make sure everything was fair and that Roman could not backtrack on anything that we had agreed on.

He had already shown me that I could not trust him.

“So, what happens now?” I finally asked.

“Once the necessary financial arrangements have been agreed and the application has progressed, we will advise you on the next steps from there. But, Miss Vale, nothing is finalised today. However, we will ensure that your interests are protected throughout it all, okay?”

I let her words sink in before nodding to show that I understood.

“Then let's get everything moving. The sooner, the better.” I smiled.

When the meeting ended, my father was sitting in the waiting room reading a newspaper. He did not notice me at first.

“All done?” he asked as soon as he realised I was there.

“Yes, it went better than I expected, actually. She seems very nice,” I said.

“Oh, yes. Anna is great. She knows her stuff.” My father chuckled as he put the newspaper away and stood up.

We walked out of the building together, and he opened the car door for me.

Craig was off for the day, so we had taken my father's Mercedes.

“How do you feel?” my father wanted to know as he got in and buckled himself in.

“I feel fine. Relieved. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” I answered honestly.

“Good, I am glad.”

By the time we arrived back at Aurelia, my mood had improved so much.

My phone rang the minute I sat in my chair.

“Miss Vale.”

I smiled, knowing instantly that it was Damien Cross. He had been patiently waiting for me to give him an answer regarding the revised proposal he had sent me.

“Mr Cross, what can I do for you?”

He laughed before answering. “So, this proposal? Have you made a decision?”

I rolled my eyes. “I might have.”

There was a small pause before he laughed again, and I leaned back in my chair.

“Then maybe we should discuss it tonight over dinner?”

“Dinner?” I wrinkled my nose. I had not expected him to suggest that.

“Yes, Miss Vale. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight, and we can discuss working together further?” he said confidently.

“Send me the details. I will see what I can do.”

“I will take that as a yes.”

After I ended the call, I looked down at Damien Cross's proposal once again. I wanted to make sure I was fully on board with it and that there were no hidden tricks or tests. A billion-pound deal could change the future of Aurelia, and I was determined to make sure I was the one holding the cards.

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