Chapter 6 A Little Revenge

Ava's POV

"I'm sorry" he replies

"For someone who is trying to save his company, you sure have a lot of nerves showing up late. Some things just never change" I say to him, and give a sarcastic smile. "Be seated" I add, not giving him a chance to utter a reply

I flip through the documents and read each label; financial records, profit-loss sheets, bank statements, just quite invested in watching Derek fail.

"It seems like your company has very little chance of survival and putting my money into yours is going to seem futile. So why should I help you?" I ask, looking up from the documents and staring at Derek, waiting for a reply

Derek exhales sharply, and I feel a tinge of satisfaction settle in my stomach "Well Ava......

"Miss Ava" I interrupt

"Miss Ava, I.... I have made some mistakes but this company has a solid foundation and I assure you that with some cash injection being put into my company, it would yield great fruits and can help me get back on the feet. It has a higher chance of survival than you know"

I lean back in my chair and fold my arms, "Cash injection? You've been accumulating money for years now, you didn't think to put them into good use?"

"I'm trying to turn things around"

"You should have tried turning things around long ago, your finances are a mess, your investments are all crumbled and now you are here, begging for help?" I say coolly

"I am not begging" he snapped,

The board members look more invested in what little beef we have going on than in his company's survival

"Please consider the little history we share" he says apologetically.

His words triggered something, I couldn't tell if it was hate, hurt or anger "History?" I said quietly "You mean the part where you used me and manipulated me? Or the part where I was left to pick my broken pieces up?"

Derek swallowed hard, "That was personal, this is business"

"It seems the same to me, the way you run your personal affairs is the same way you run your business, carelessly!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but there were no words, he knew I was right and I loved to see him squirm in disappointment.

"You want my company's help? That is fine but I would leave the decision to the hands of my board members" I say, looking at Nikolai, giving him the go ahead.

"Mr Derek Lockwood, we would invest in your company, but on our terms. You would have to give us complete control if we are going to salvage your company's mess"

Derek stiffened. "Control?"

"Yes, we will run the company as we see fit, no interference from you"

The look of shock and fear on his face made me feel a little like I had accomplishes something, and I loved it.

"You want to take over my company?" He stutters

"Buying your company would have been an easier option, but then you would be left with nothing and I wont be able to condone your daily begging" I inject

"We want to save your company from the ground up, Mr Lockwood. We know that if you had other options, you wont be seated here. You have run into the ground and we would not put our money into it unless we turn it around the way we know how to" Nikolai says

I could see his pride flare up, but he has no other option than to accept our terms.

After a long silence, he finally nodded, defeated. "Fine."

I stand up, arranging the documents and slipping them neatly into my folder. " I'll have my legal team draw up the paperwork. You will get the proposal by tomorrow"

Without another word, I turn to my heel, finally feeling like I have control over him and I would not want it any other way. Just before I leave, I pause and look over my shoulder

"I hope for your sake, your ready for the consequences of asking this company for help"

And with that, I left with Nikolai following me closely.

"That was a nice closing statement" he smiles, "Mr Andrew would be happy to know we sealed a great deal".

I step out of the elevator and the soft dings announce my arrival at the executive floor of the industry. The plush carpets muffles my footsteps as I make my way towards the corner of the office. The tension in my shoulders begin to ease as I approached the frosted glass doors. I could see Andrew's silhouette through it, standing tall as always, likely pacing while on a call.

I push the door open slightly and Andrew turns, his phone is still on his ears, his sharp green eyes locks with mine and he offers a weak smile. He holds up a finger, telling me he was almost done and I give a weak smile, still surprised that I was able to get through the meeting which I didn't realize would take that long.

I let Andrew contine with his call and I walk over to the large window thatbhad framed the skyline. It was the best view in the office and I wasn't shocked that he had the best view.

The sun had started to set, casting ba warm orange glow over the city. I let myself take the view in for a brief moment.

"That didn't take as long as I thought it would" Andrew says,his deep voice cutting through the quiet and bringing me back from my thoughts. "How did it go?"

"Well, that went longer than I expected, and I didn't realize it was Derek, my ex husband"

"But you aced it, didn't you?" He asks

"You knew it was him?"

"Yup, but you said it was fine" He says defensively and honestly speaking, I was not mad at it

"yeah, how was your meeting and all that?" I ask, quite concerned

"They all went great, but I'm more invested in yours"

"Derek agreed to the terms, the paperwork would be signed tomorrow" I say tiredly

Andrew rauses an eyebrow, clearly impressed. He crossed the room in a few strides, stopping just in front of me. "He actually handed control?"

I nod, folding my arms. He didn't have a choice, not if he wanted to keep his company afloat."

A flicker of something crossed his face, I couldn't tell if it was curiosity or even admiration, but it quickly passed and that gave me butterflies. He reached out and rested a hand on my arm, his touch grounding. "I knew you'd get him to agree, you always do whats necessary"

I sighed, leaning into his presence. " It wasn't easy but I'm glad desperation finally broke his ego"

I stare at Andrew and I see his gaze soften, "That must have been hard"

I shake my head, "It was at first but not in the way it used to be, there was a time when seeing him struggle would make me feel something- anger, vindication, maybe even pity but today, it was just business"

He smiled at me, one of those smiles that always made me feel like he understood me completely. "That's because you've moved on, you've built something better for yourself "

"Maybe, or maybe I'm just better at you know" I shrug, 'But either way, his company is under my.. your control now" I giggle slightly

Andrew chuckles, moving to his desk and picking up a pen, twirling it absently between his fingers. "And I have no doubt you'll make it look effortless"

I smile at his words, my smile not reaching my eyes. "Its going to take a lot of time, Derek has made a mess of things and cleaning it up won't be pretty"

Andrew leans against his desk, staring at me intently "I know you'll handle it, you always do. But," he adds, tilting his head slightly, "just don't forget to let me help, always remember we are a team"

In this moment, I'm reminded of the way he treats me that Derek never did and how he always trusted me to handle things, even in his own company. My smile widens and its more genuine this time. "Of course, I'll hold you to that"

There is a brief pause, a comfortable silence stretches between us. The room with its modern furniture feels like a safe haven for me. Its hard for me to admit but anywhere with him feels like a safe haven for me. Andrew's presence has always been my safety net.

He moves towards me and reaches for my hands, "Lets get out of here"

"There's still......

"Nothing that cant wait till tomorrow," he interrupts gently. "You've had a long day, lets go home"

I exhale, feeling the tightness in my chest loosen at his words. "Okay," I agreed softly, "Let's go."