Married to My Billionaire Rival

Ava Bennett's POV I don't just believe in luck, if there is a reason why I got to where I am today? It wasn't because of the right time or because of good connections. I got here because of hard work and sacrifice, let's add the non-stop work. as I sat inside the car and looked at the elegant facade of the Grand Meridian Hotel, I repeatedly reminded myself of a house. ''I worked hard for everything I have today.'' I wasn't going to let it just disappear. The car stopped in front of the hotel. An attendant immediately came over to open the door for me. ''Good morning Ms. Bennett'' I just smiled slightly. ''Good morning too.'' As I got down, I was immediately greeted by a cold breeze from the lobby entrance and I looked up at the building. I was a little nervous but I held it back because I was preparing for this special day. Because inside this hotel, an annual business summit of the Sterling Group will be held and it is one of the largest conglomerates in the country. Then today they will choose who will be their strategic partner for the next five-year project. And that contract is worth millions of dollars. For Bennett Innovation, this is not just a simple contract. It is a lifeline for me. As I walk inside, I still try to hide the nervousness and heaviness I feel. Because most people know that my company is doing well and in their eyes, it is still growing and we continue to secure clients. But no one knows the whole truth, and no one knows that the cash reserves that my company has have been dwindling for months. No one knows that two major projects have been delayed in the past two months. Even more, no one knows that if we do not get new investment or a large contract, I will be forced to make decisions that I do not want to make. One of these is the reduction of employees. I just held my breath and tightened my grip on my bag. ''This cannot happen.'' I said to myself. Three hundred and twenty-seven families are counting on me and I cannot let go of them. When I saw Karen, I immediately approached her. I breathed a little. Karen was an employee of mine who trusted me and took capital to start her company. ''Good morning Karen.'' I greeted her. ''Good morning too Ms. Benneth, how are you? It looks like you've been stressed and sleepless for a few days.'' She replied to me. I laughed at what she said. We talked until our topic turned to today's event. I told Karen that if we get this contract, I will allow her to take two weeks off. She was happy with what I said. As we were heading to the conference room, there was a lot of noise and a lot of reporters around. Then there were cameras that couldn't stop flashing. There were many CEOs exchanging business cards, then investors holding expensive coffee while talking about projects worth millions that were just coins to them. I used to feel isolated at these gatherings because I felt like I didn't belong. I didn't grow up in a wealthy family or had a lot of money. Then my last name wasn't known in the industry. I also don't have any family connected to businesses. Everything I have started with a small apartment, an old laptop, an idea that many people laughed at. But now? I'm the CEO of Benneth Innovation and no one can take it away from me. Unless I fail. When I arrived backstage, I immediately saw Ethan and other members of the executive team. When Ethan saw me too, he immediately greeted me. I laughed at him and said, "You'd be better off asking how our projects are going." Ethan just sighed. I felt my chest tighten, which didn't seem like a good sign. Ethan looked me in the eyes. ''If we can get the partnership, then we're safe.'' His answer was simple, but for me? The word SAFE means a lot. When we get that? We still have a chance to recover and a chance so I don't have to tell them that I'm laying off employees. A few minutes before the conference started, I was sitting alone reviewing the presentation. I had memorized almost every slide. Every graph. Every projection. Every number. But I still wanted to make sure. Suddenly the door opened. Karen walked in. There was something strange about her expression. It was as if she had news she didn't want to share. I frowned. "What?" She hesitated. "Noah Kingston is here." I closed my eyes. Of course. Who else? If there was one person in this world who had the uncanny ability to ruin my day without saying a word, it was Noah Kingston. CEO of Kingston Global Holdings. Billionaire. Business prodigy. And my biggest rival. "Doesn't he get tired?" I asked. "What?" "By getting every important contract." Karen laughed. "Maybe you two just never get tired of competing." I ignored her. Because she had a point. Over the course of five years, Noah and I had crossed paths repeatedly. I won a contract. He won more. And with each loss, I became more determined that one day I would beat him too. I remembered the first time we faced each other. A bidding competition for a big tech company. I thought I was going to win. Until he walked into the conference room. Two hours later, he walked out with the contract. I had the biggest loss of my career. From then on, the competition between us seemed to have become normal. And even though it was annoying to admit it... He was good. Very good. When my name was called, I stood up. This was it. I took a deep breath. And walked to the stage. I was immediately greeted by the spotlight. Hundreds of eyes were staring at me. But I wasn’t scared. This is my world. This is what I do. “Good morning, everyone.” The presentation began. For thirty minutes, I presented the vision of Bennett Innovations. The new technologies we were building. Our expansion strategy. And the reasons why we were the best partner for Sterling Group. As I spoke, I noticed a few investors nodding. Some were taking notes. Some were listening intently. And for the first time that day, I felt hopeful. It was going well. It was great. When I finished, applause immediately rang out. I smiled. This was probably my best presentation this year. When I returned to my seat, I saw Noah standing up. I didn’t know why. But I immediately felt a pang. He was wearing a black suit. He was perfectly groomed. His posture was perfect. The timing of his arrival on stage was perfect. It was annoying. Even more annoying was the fact that he knew he was handsome. As he spoke, I tried to find something wrong. A hole in his plan. A weakness. Something I could use against him. But there wasn’t one. And that was the problem. He spoke so well. Calm. Direct. With a confidence that didn’t need to be forced. And I knew the people there could see that too. An hour later, the long-awaited moment arrived, the result. The entire conference hall was silent as everyone waited for Sterling Group’s decision. I felt my heart pounding as my grip on the armrest of the chair tightened. This was it. The fruit of all the preparations we had made over the past three months. The chairman of Sterling Group stood on the stage and smiled before speaking. “After careful evaluation…” Time seemed to slow down. All the noise around me seemed to fade away as my full attention was focused on him. “We have reached our decision.” I swallowed hard. And then he mentioned the name that shattered all the hopes I had held onto all day. “Kingston Global Holdings.” It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. Loud applause echoed throughout the hall. I heard people’s greetings. I saw reporters immediately begin crowding around Noah to get a statement. But for me, all of that seemed so far away. The only thing that was clear in my mind was the fact that I had lost again. Again. And this time, it wasn’t just my pride that was at stake. It was the future of my company. It wasn’t long after the event that I left. While the media and investors were busy approaching Noah, I quietly left the venue. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I didn’t want to see him win. Not now. As I walked to the parking area, my cell phone rang. When I saw Ethan’s name on the screen, I immediately answered it. “Ethan.” He was quiet on the other end. And I immediately became nervous. “What happened?” I asked. He took a deep breath before answering. “Ava, we have a problem.” I stopped walking. I felt like cold water had been poured on my back. “What was that?” Ethan fell silent again before speaking. "Three investors just withdrew their funding." I gasped. My world seemed to stop. Three investors. In one day. No. This can't be happening. Not now. Not after we lost the contract. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to calm myself down. "Exactly what I said," he replied. His voice was heavier now. "They withdrew this morning." My grip on the phone tightened. And then I realized something. Our problem was bigger than I thought. "Ava..." Ethan's voice was weak. "If we don't find new funding soon..." He stopped talking. There was no need. I knew what he meant. I slowly looked up at the hotel building. It had only been a few minutes since I lost the most important contract of the year. Now, the company I had spent my life building could be gone. Bennett Innovations is not just a business to me. It is the result of all the sacrifices I have made, of every sleepless night, and of every opportunity I have chosen to work rather than give up. This is the company I built from scratch, the company that has employed hundreds of people who believed in me even when I was still a name in the industry. And for the first time in years, I was scared. Because Bennett Innovations might not make it to next month.