Chapter 2

Ava's POV

The sweet fragrance of coffee beans filled the air in the cozy cafe I was seated in as I waited for my best friend, Melody, to finish ordering for both of us at the counter.

Due to her event planning company and my job as the CEO of my company, we have both been too busy to see and spend time with each other recently.

Melody finished ordering in a few minutes, came back to our booth, and placed two trays on the table. She ordered hamburgers, fries and cola for the both of us.

"Ava, can you believe these people don't have salad? I couldn't believe my ears. What kind of cafe doesn't have salad? I don't even know why you come here, my goodness!" Melody was exasperated and I chuckled humorously at her exaggerated reaction.

I immediately dug into the fries and threw some in my mouth.

"But we have to admit they do make insane fries. It has this peculiar taste and it's so crispy." I replied to her little outburst.

Melody shrugged, "Still doesn't justify their unprofessionalism."

"Melody, you know they usually do have salad, right? You just came around on the day they didn't have one." I eyed her playfully.

She released a sigh. "I know. We've been so busy with our noses in our jobs that I almost forgot how you look." She finished with a pout.

"Can you not exaggerate for a minute, Melody?" I said, laughing at her last statement.

Melody loudly sipped from her cup, "I'm THE dramatic queen, Ava. I cannot not exaggerate. It's my charm." She emphasized on the "the".

I smiled warmly at her. I really missed my best friend. She was like a ray of sunshine in my life.

"I missed you, Melody." I couldn't help but voice out my thoughts.

"Awww, I miss you too, bestie." She playfully gave me flying kisses.

My phone ringtone going off interrupted our little reunion. It was my assistant, Camilla. I answered the phone.

"Hello, Camilla."

"Miss Ava, I apologize for calling on your off day but I just had to."

"Is there any problem?"

"Not really. Just that we have an unwanted visitor." I noticed how she said the "unwanted" in an almost whisper.

I frowned. 

"An unwanted visitor? Who is that?" 

"Maggie." 

At the mention of that name, my blood boiled in rage. What the hell was my stepmother doing in my company?

I saw Melody raise her eyebrows questioningly.

"What does she want?" I asked my assistant, in a low voice, trying my best not to show my anger.

"She's not saying. She insists on seeing you before stating her purpose for visitation. Should I order her out?" Camilla said, with anger evident in her voice as well. She knew all about my relationship with my stepmother and my family as a whole.

I rubbed my forehead, already exhausted even before meeting the evil witch physically.

"No. No, don't send her away. It will only aggravate her more. Just…. I'll be on my way now." I ended the call and sighed loudly.

"What is going on?" Melody asked immediately I put my phone back in my purse.

"It's my stepmother. She's in my office."

Her eyes widened, "What?!" Her exclamation was loud enough to make other customers in the cafe turn their heads in our direction and give us weird looks.

"That sneaky old bitch! What does she want? The audacity of her to actually show up at your place." Melody was raged and made little to no effort to hide it.

"I don't know what she wants. I'll have to go over and find out."

"You know you don't have to go over, right? You can order the security to throw her evil ass off your property. By the way, why are you so calm?"

I smiled bitterly.

I wasn't calm. In fact, I was the opposite of "calm", but I was only acting unaffected because I needed to pull myself together to face her. I would not let that woman see me in my weak state ever again.

"It's okay, Mel. I have to go. I'm really sorry for ruining our hangout. I promise to make it up to you, that's if you can forgive me." I apologized to my best friend, giving her a sober look. I felt so bad.

"Shut up Ava. You did not ruin anything. Your crazy stepmother did. And no, I will never forgive her. If you ever need me to come teach her ass a lesson, all you need to do is call or send a text. Copy that?"

Without thinking twice, I took her in my embrace and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Mel."

**************

Maggie was still the same as I last saw her. Her botox-injected face was caked with heavy makeup, and her black hair was now styled in a different perm. Most of all, the icy look and death glare in her eyes, whenever she looked at me were still the same as always.

"And look who we have here," Maggie said, in mock enthusiasm, when she spotted me walk into the reception.

"If it isn't the almighty Ava Brooks. Though I'm not really sure if you're a Brooks or not. I mean your mother never ran a DNA test before she died." She finished with a sadistic smile on her face.

I clenched my fist so hard that I felt blood leave the area. After counting one to ten backwards in my head, I looked up at her. I know she was only trying to reel me, and I wouldn't let her win.

"How may I help you, Maggie? I'm sure you didn't put yourself in so much pain by coming all the way here to remind me of my illegitimacy." I replied to her little speech sarcastically. And I noticed her smug smile drop when she saw how unaffected I was.

But she quickly put herself together and squared her shoulder, trying to regain her confidence. "Won't you offer me a coffee? I'm still a guest, aren't I?"

I reluctantly ushered my stepmother into my office. I just wanted her to be done so she could get out of my sight.

After settling down on my black leather couch and sipping from the cup of coffee my receptionist served her, several times, I was already growing impatient with her silence and I was about to ask her for the last time, what her purpose of the visit was, in a not-very-nice way, when she finally dropped the cup in her hand and spoke up.

"I want to invest in your company."

My brows shot up and scrunched in confusion. "Excuse me?" 

"My husband had some extra money and gave it to me and I kept thinking of what I could do with the money until I heard news that your company was struggling. And voila! There was my answer!"

To an outsider listening in on our conversation and by chance hearing what Maggie just said, would call her generous and probably give her the Nobel Prize. 

But I knew Maggie was being anything but generous. Not with the smug look on her face. The woman was literally mocking me. And I knew she wasn't offering investments for free.

"But well, I will invest on one condition."

I rolled my eyes. So predictable.

"You will make me the CEO."

"Excuse me!" I repeated for the second time to Maggie, but this time in a louder and more exasperated tone.

What the fuck?

"Honey, you're not contemplating this, right? Mid stocks have been falling for days straight. I may not know much about business but I know that you and your company are on the verge of bankruptcy. Not unless you get a huge investment, which I am offering you on a platter of gold."

"What the hell Maggie?? Did you just ask to be the CEO of my company?" I wanted to be sure I heard her properly.

"Yes, that's my only condition. I would invest five hundred million dollars in Mid Stocks if you make me the CEO."

Five hundred million dollars?!

"Five hundred million dollars?!" Several other voices and the one in my head exclaimed simultaneously.

I whipped around and saw Hayley and two of my workers, Micheal and Percy, at the door of my office. Five hundred million dollars was a lot. And not only would the money prevent my company from completely going bankrupt, but it would also take us forward financially.

I stood up from my chair and walked away from the table. Looking into Maggie's eyes, I gave her my reply to her offer.

"No."

"What?" Her eyes bulged out, making her wrinkles appear.

"I am declining your offer, Maggie Brooks." 

She opened and closed her mouth several times, like a fish. Was she that shocked that I declined her offer? Did this woman really think I'd give her my position? Yes, Mid Stocks were decreasing daily and falling behind charts. We were almost bankrupt. And if nothing tangible was done about the situation on ground, I might be forced to sell the company off.

But I would never make Maggie Brooks the CEO of my company. Even if she was offering five hundred million dollars. She already took so much from me. I would not let her take the company, I built from scratch with my blood and sweat.

"Ava, I advise you to give this a second thought. Pride is a luxury you cannot afford at the moment, honey." Maggie tried patronizing me but I was already walking out of the office.

But as I stepped into the elevator, I began to give it another thought.

Should I?

Should I sell out the company?

Should I swallow my pride and allow her to take over the company?

Should I?

What the hell should I do?