Chapter 19
Elias couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom. The engagement party was in full swing and Ava was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t surprised. She’d accepted the invitation out of politeness and dropped off the radar. There was no mention of attending prenatal scans with her or going pram shopping together. The only gesture she made was buying an early engagement party gift—an expensive China dinnerware set that was delivered to his unit.
There was no denying he missed her. Ever since he quit Blue Tail, he’d left a part of himself behind. There was a unique bond formed between he and Ava, a partnership an outside party would think was strange. Dependable. Reliant.
But their union had created something special. He tracked every week like clockwork, downloading pregnancy apps on his phone so he could keep up with the baby’s progression. He had to be careful around Daisy, but she was so caught up with wedding planning that she hadn’t noticed her fiancé chatting to fathers on online forums. He wanted to be a good parent to this child. It meant more to him than anything else.
Two arms wrapped around his middle and someone’s hot breath tickled his ear. “Lisa, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m getting married.”
“I’ll find Lisa and I’ll kill her.” Daisy stood behind him, hands planted on her hips. Her red lips were pulled into a pout.
“Daisy, I’m only kidding.”
“Oh.” The pout was replaced with a dazzling smile. She sidled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Are you having fun so far?”
The venue for the engagement party was held at an old community hall, adorned with pink and white streamers hanging from the ceiling, a kitchen full of food and chairs embellished with pink ribbon. Forty people were invited to the party, happily chatting around the room, drinking punch and gossiping. Most of the guests were Daisy’s friends and family, so he was outnumbered.
“It’s great,” he said. “I think people are enjoying themselves.”
“Do you have anyone else coming from your side?”
“Yes, Ava was supposed to come. Maybe she’s caught up.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter if she can’t make it. I’ll keep a slice of cake for her just in case.”
“She’s not coming,” Elias replied flatly.
“I know.” Elias extracted himself from Daisy’s embrace and wandered to the punch bowl. It was non-alcoholic, but if he was going to survive this party, he needed something stronger. A hush settled over the crowd as the church doors opened. A woman entered the room slowly, her high heels tapping against the timber floor. It was Ava. Elias dropped his plastic cup and approached her. She wore a loose-fitting dress that concealed the tiny baby bump. He bit down the urge to run his hand over her belly, knowing he was being watched by forty sets of eyes.
“You made it,” he said, taking the coat she shrugged off her shoulders. “Did you find the place okay?”
“Yes, it’s pretty easy once you get onto the main road.”
They remained civil as he escorted her across the room, his hand placed protectively on the small of her back. They approached Daisy standing with some friends and Elias felt Ava’s body stiffen as they neared.
“She won’t bite,” he whispered in her ear.
“Her friends might.”
Daisy opened her arms and pulled Ava into an awkward embrace. “Thank you so much for coming and the dinnerware set was absolutely gorgeous. You shouldn’t have!”
“No problem at all. It will last for years.”
Daisy inspected Ava’s dress with a judgmental eye, fingering the lace motif around her collar. “This is nice. Designer?”
Ava nodded. “Zac Posen, last season.”
“Oh, I love his designs. They’re so feminine.”
“He’s a friend of friend actually,” Ava said. “If I’m lucky, I get his garments half price.”
Daisy’s girlfriends responded in a chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” and bombarded Ava with questions about her mysterious friend. Elias watched the conversation with a combination of amusement and dread. Ava handled the interest with poise and grace, used to having a thousand questions thrown at her. But Daisy hated having the attention diverted away from her. She stood next to Elias, arms crossed defiantly over her chest.
“I thought it was a bad idea inviting her,” she whined, pouting.
“Why?”
“It’s my engagement party. It’s supposed to be about me.”
“Excuse me, Daisy. It’s my party too,” Elias argued. “Stop acting so spoiled. Ava’s trying to be friendly. It’s hard being in a room full of strangers.”
“Isn’t that her job? She should be used to talking to people.” Without another word, Daisy spun on her heels and marched towards her parents standing in the corner of the hall. Her friends scuttled off once they realised she was gone.
Elias let out a breath of air as Daisy shot daggers at him from across the room. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
“Daisy doesn’t like me,” Ava said.
“I don’t think she ever will.”
“I should go. I don’t think it’s wise my being here.” She hooked her handbag over her shoulder and turned to leave.
“Wait.” Elias grabbed her arm and pulled her back, unintentionally crashing her body against his. They stared at each other as the entire room stilled. Sparks sizzled in the air between them and Elias realised he was still holding onto Ava’s arm. God, he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to drown in those emerald pools. “If you want to leave,” he said, “I won’t stop you.”
Her lips pulled into a sneer. “Everyone is looking at me like I’m wearing some scarlet letter. What has Daisy told them about me?”
“She’s just jealous. Ignore her.”
“It was a bad idea coming. I should leave, Elias.”
His name spilling from her sweet lips was all he needed to hear. He escorted her through the hall and out to her Mercedes. Luckily, she had parked down the street so no one could see him push her against the car. Despite a small noise of protest, Ava welcomed his kiss, folding into him like a puzzle piece. She tasted so sweet and warm. He brushed his fingertips along the curve of her jaw. “I missed you so much,” he purred between kisses. “I’m glad you came today. It’s nice to see your belly’s getting bigger.”
Ava stilled and broke the kiss. “We shouldn’t be doing this, Elias. It’s your engagement party, for Christ’s sake.”
“I want you, Ava. It was foolish of me to propose to Daisy when you’re carrying my baby.”
She planted her hands firmly on his cheeks and stared into his eyes. “No, you’ll go through with this wedding. You’ve committed to Daisy. You love her. You don’t love me.” She blinked back tears. “You and I were never meant to be together.”
He shook his head, caressing her belly lovingly. “If we weren’t meant to be together, how did we create this miracle?”
Ava leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss on his cheek. “Go back to Daisy, Elias. She’ll be wondering where you are.” She opened the car door, putting one foot in. “I’ll be in touch. Good luck, Elias.”
When he returned to the hall, sombre, Elias’s mother Karen was waiting for him by the front door. “You shouldn’t be kissing another woman so close to your wedding,” she said, handing him a plate of food.
“You saw that?”
“Yes, every second of it. Was that Ava Wolfe?”
Elias cast his gaze downwards, unable to look his mother in the eye. “Yes. I invited her.”
“She’ll break your heart, my darling boy,” his mother said, cupping his cheek. “She will use you. You have a wonderful woman waiting for you in that hall. Your life with Daisy is about to begin.”
“I thought you liked Ava?”
“I don’t know her well enough to make an assumption. I only know what’s best for my son. It’s easy to be swept up by Ava’s beauty and power. She’s made a reputation on such skills. But there’s no future with her, Elias. She’s a businesswoman, married to the job. Her husband will always come second.”
“Mum, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Karen looped her arm through his and dragged him towards the hall. “You can tell me inside. You have a cake to cut with your future bride.”
“I don’t think what I have to say is appropriate for all ears.”
~ ~ ~
Ava dreaded the drive into work on Monday morning. She planned to disclose her pregnancy to the board. She was almost three months along and could no longer hide her growing stomach behind trench coats and scarves.
It frightened her to think how they would react, since more than half of the members were men. They didn’t understand her situation, nor cared for it. Ava had spent half the night gazing up at the ceiling, thinking of possible ways to introduce her pregnancy and none of them seemed right. It would just have to come natural.
She found a parking spot outside a popular café in the city and wandered inside, eager to feed her pregnancy cravings. A juice and a chocolate chip muffin would do nicely.
She gave her order to the register clerk and took a seat in a booth as she waited. Judging by the people around her doing the same, she was in for a wait. To occupy herself, Ava reached for a newspaper on the stand next to her.
She let out an audible gasp at the blazing headline on the front page: PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: PUBLISHING GIANT CEO AVA WOLFE PREGNANT, SAYS SOURCE
Ava grabbed the copy before anyone could take it and read the article with trembling hands. The front page was splashed with a photo of her and Elias at the park. The photographer had captured a tender moment between Elias and Ava, gazing into each other’s eyes. Unlike the leaked photos of the shed incident, Ava’s face was clear as day.
A wave of nausea overcame her and she dashed out of the café. She turned into an alleyway and threw up in a trash can. There was no hiding now. Uncaring about her juice and muffin, Ava cleaned herself up and returned to the car. Her entire body shook violently and it felt like everyone who walked by was judging her.
Ava started the engine and drove into work. The board was waiting for her when she stepped off the elevator. Ignoring the inquisitive stares of her employees, she walked straight into the boardroom and closed the door behind her.
Chairman Frank Boulder sat at the head of the table as usual. But this time, he was only accompanied by the company’s solicitor Henry Brooks. In front of him was a copy of the newspaper she saw at the café.
“Ava, please take a seat,” Frank said, putting out his hand. “We would like to begin right away.”
She pulled out a chair and sat opposite Henry. He looked like the stereotypical lawyer with his faultless suit, wire-rim glasses, and beady eyes. His lips thinned as he locked eyes with her.
“Frank, what’s this about?”
Frank leaned forward in his chair, locking his fingers together. “Ava, do you remember the Bobby Hayes scandal?”
“Of course I do. It almost destroyed this company. But we rebuilt. The stocks prove our durability.”
“You’re right. You see, most large companies have the strength to survive one big scandal. That’s it. If it doesn’t destroy them, it means they have stability and security. But if it happens to be rocked by another one, consumers begin to question the business’s ideologies and objectives. I don’t want to lose Blue Tail Media after everything it’s been through.” He cleared his throat and looked at Ava right in the eye. “Did you have a sexual relationship with Elias Dorne during his employment?”
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
Frank flew to his feet so fast his chair rocketed into the wall behind him. “It is my business when my CEO is sleeping with one of her directors!” He leaned across the table and tossed the newspaper at her. “Is this article true? Are you pregnant with Dorne’s baby?”
Ava swallowed hard and picked up the paper, skimming over the article.
Blue Tail Media CEO Ava Wolfe is reportedly pregnant with her first child. At the time of printing, she has not publicly come forward to announce the pregnancy or reveal the identity of the father. Wolfe was previously married to PR expert Liam Heathcote for six years. He has denied any comment.
“What makes you think Elias is the father?” she asked.
“I haven’t been blind to how close you two became during his employment,” Frank said. “The late nights cooped up in your office, the multiple travel commitments and whispers behind closed doors. While I’m not one for office gossip, I couldn’t ignore the rumours of your relationship outside of this building. Ava, I’m not trying to be the bad guy here. As you understand, we only want the best for this company.”
“It’s my business—”
“And I have the authority and power to overthrow you. I don’t want that to happen.” He sighed. “When were you going to tell us about the baby?”
Ava bit at her bottom lip until she tasted blood. There was no point denying it now. After all these years working in the media, it had turned its back on her. “Legally, I don’t have to disclose to my employer until a month before my due date. I was going to tell you, Frank. Coincidentally, I planned on telling you this morning.”
“Elias’s resignation was not related to the pregnancy?”
“I don’t know. I’m telling the truth, Frank. Elias left the company before both of us found out.”
“Ava, I cannot risk another scandal rocking Blue Tail. We’re still picking up the pieces from Hayes. Unfortunately, it looks like the media has already gotten whiff of it.” He exchanged glances with Henry, who pushed a piece of paper in front of her. “We ask for you to step down from your role as CEO.”
“Hell no! This company is my life,” Ava argued, pushing the paper aside without reading it. “I’m not giving it up for some hefty payout. I can sue you for unlawful dismissal.”
“I don’t see any other way of making this disappear, Ava.”
“I don’t want this to go away, Frank. I’m a pregnant single woman. You’ll just have to get used to it. Elias doesn’t work for Blue Tail anymore, so what’s the harm? This baby has nothing to do with the company. If anything, it will destroy my reputation, not Blue Tail’s.” She pushed back her chair and stood up, glaring at both men. “Don’t take my threat of a lawsuit lightly, because if this conversation gets out, I will take it further.”
Ava turned and exited the boardroom, heading straight for the elevators. She didn’t wish to stay in the office for a minute longer. When she pulled into her driveway twenty minutes later, she recognised Liam’s car parked on the street.
He was waiting for her at the front door, his leg cocked against the wall, his eyes shielded by dark aviator sunglasses. A newspaper was cradled underneath his arm. Ava groaned when she saw it, wondering if she would ever get through today without seeing another copy.
“Is it true?” Liam asked as Ava unlocked the front door.
“Is what true?”
Liam unwound the paper in her face and pointed at the front page. “Is the baby mine?”
“Liam, we haven’t had sex in three and a half months.” She tossed her keys and handbag onto the kitchen bench and flopped into the lounge, kicking off her shoes. “It’s not yours.”
“I’ve read the paper and seen the news. It’s Elias’s child, isn’t it?”
“None of your business.”
He perched his hands on his hips, lingering over her. “Elias seems to be the media darling at the moment, appearing in every bloody newspaper. That’s him on the front page with his hand on your belly. I’m not an idiot, Ava.”
“I’m not saying a word.”
Then a light of recognition dawned on Liam’s face and he took a few stumbling steps backwards. “He’s your lover,” he announced with an expression of awe. “You were the girl he was caught coming out of the shed with. Oh my God. It’s all making sense now.”
“So you didn’t leak the photographs to Mike Corden?”
“Fuck no. That was Daisy.”
Ava sat up razor straight on the lounge. “What did you say?”
“Daisy knew all along you were boning Elias at the seminar. She leaked the photos at Long River Valley and I’m pretty sure she’s responsible for what’s splashed across Monday’s paper.”
“She told you this?”
Liam sat down next to her. “Yes, she and I bonded during the seminar. She told me everything. She’d been suspicious of your relationship with Elias since he started working with you. She never wanted him to work for you in the first place. When the storm hit and you guys were nowhere to be found, she arranged the search party, so she could catch you in the act.”
“I have to tell him!” Ava reached for her phone, but Liam intercepted her.
“You cannot tell him about Daisy.”
“Why not? They’re getting married so he deserves to know. They’ll be starting their marriage on a lie.”
“She asked me to keep it secret and I’ve already betrayed her trust.” Liam brushed his hair off his forehead, exhaling. “I can’t stop you from telling Elias. But it won’t make him come back to you. He has too much to lose now. His job, his reputation. His woman.”
“Daisy needs retribution. She accepted his marriage proposal for God’s sake!”
“Right after you screwed him too, yes?” Liam said with a glint in his eye. “By accepting his proposal, Daisy has won over you. That’s all she ever wanted. To have her man back under her control.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me.”
“Why would she? You’re the other woman. Leaking the photos was her way of publicly shaming Elias. It will destroy his reputation and force him to leave the industry. She’s not just a dumb blonde, Ava. She has a very strategic mind.”
“He still loves me, Liam. I know it. If he cares about me, he’ll leave her. I’m carrying his baby, after all.”
“Are you sure about that? History is full of unfaithful men who impregnated their mistresses, but remained married to their wives. Daisy will not let Elias go without a fight.”
Ava chewed at her bottom lip. “Whose side are you on?”
Liam kicked off his shoes and threw his arms across the back of the couch. “I’m still on the fence with that one. You cheated on me multiple times during our marriage. If I remember correctly, you slept with a coworker in your office while I waited in reception. A leopard doesn’t change its spots, Ava. What makes you think you won’t fall into the same pattern if you and Elias end up together? A baby doesn’t fix anything. Sometimes, it can make matters worse.”
“So what you’re saying is that I’m screwed either way.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “I still care about you, Ava. I always will. But you have to admit that it’s not the most ideal situation. Does the board know about the baby?”
“I had a meeting with Frank Boulder this morning. They are forcing me to resign. They don’t want another Hayes scandal on their hands because, they believe, Blue Tail won’t survive the downfall. But it’s my company. I can’t abandon it after I worked so hard in keeping its heart beating.”
“Maybe it’s for the best. You’ll be giving birth in six months’ time and I don’t think I’ve ever known you to take a holiday. It’s time for a break, Ava. You deserve it.”
Ava stroked her belly as she gazed around her multimillion-dollar mansion. Money was always the driving force in her life. She had to have the biggest house, the expensive car, the designer wardrobe, but this baby forced her to redefine what life was all about. Love. Family. Unity. Her CEO salary was more extravagant than most, so she had plenty of savings in the bank to keep her going. Maybe it was time to downsize and reevaluate things. She could take a year off after the baby was born and think about going back to work when she was ready.
“So what are you going to do?” Liam asked.
“I think I need to make the right decision for my family.”