Married to My Billionaire Rival

No Way Out

Ava Bennett's POV

Sometimes, there are weeks when it feels like the world is deliberately trying to make you feel small. That's exactly how I felt for the seven days after Noah Kingston visited my office.

Seven days.

Seven days of nonstop meetings.

Seven days of rejection.

Seven days of hope slowly fading.

And with each passing day, I felt Bennett Innovations getting closer and closer to the edge of the abyss. The first day after Noah left, I immediately set up meetings with various banks. If I couldn't get the funding we needed from investors, maybe there was still a chance with financial institutions.

That's what I thought.

That's what I was holding on to.

But by the third day, that hope was starting to crumble.

I was in the conference room of a large bank when I heard the same answer I'd heard several times that week.

"We're sorry, Miss Bennett, but after reviewing your company's current financial position, we can't approve the loan request."

I forced a smile even though I wanted to sigh.

"I understand."

I don't know how many times I've said those words.

Maybe five.

Maybe six.

I've lost count.

As I exited the building, a cold breeze immediately greeted me. I hugged the folder I was holding tightly as I watched the people walking on the sidewalk. What's funny about this? They didn't know that my world was slowly falling apart. To them, I was just a woman in a business suit busy with work.

They didn't know that every rejection was like a piece of the company I had worked so hard to build was missing.

They didn't know that behind my well-dressed and calm face was a CEO desperately searching for a way to save his company.

That evening, I met with another bank.

Then another.

And another.

But the result was the same.

It seemed like they were following the same script.

"We appreciate your proposal."

"Unfortunately, we cannot proceed."

"Given the current risks..."

"We're unable to provide financing at this time."

Over and over.

Over and over.

Over and over.

It was like a never-ending nightmare. If it wasn’t banks rejecting me, it was investors who were suddenly disappearing. There were people I used to chase down to meet with.

Now?

They weren’t even answering my calls.

Some weren’t replying to emails. Others were just telling their assistants they weren’t available. And what was worse? I knew they weren’t busy.

They were avoiding me.

They were avoiding Bennett Innovations. And maybe, they were avoiding the possibility of going under with us. By the end of the week, I had almost no good news left for the board.

I had no new investors.

I had no new loan approvals.

And I had no concrete plan for how we would pay off all our obligations in the coming months.

But the problem didn’t end there. One morning, as I entered the office, I immediately noticed a strange silence around me. There were employees talking in whispers. Some people were looking at their cellphones before quickly putting them down when they saw me.

And some looked like they were trying to smile when they met me. Right then and there, I knew something was wrong. When I arrived at the office, Karen greeted me immediately.

She looked worried.

"Miss Bennett..."

She swallowed before placing the tablet on my desk.

"You might want to see this."

I frowned as I picked up the tablet.

And I immediately saw the reason for her concern.

A business blog and in the middle of the screen was a headline that made my jaw tighten.

IS BENNETT INNOVATIONS ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE?

I silently scrolled down. There was another.

INSIDE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF AVA BENNETT'S EMPIRE

And another.

SOURCES CLAIM MAJOR INVESTORS ARE ABANDONING BENNETT INNOVATIONS

My grip on the tablet tightened. The problems we face aren't enough. Now the rumors are starting to spread and in the business world, sometimes rumors are more dangerous than the truth.

"The articles are piling up," Karen said weakly.

"Some employees are asking questions too."

I didn't answer right away.

I just kept staring at the screen.

I knew that not everything written was true.

But I also knew that there was enough truth there to be dangerous and that was the problem. When people start to lose trust, fear spreads quickly. And once fear spreads, it becomes harder to contain. In the days that followed, I noticed a change in the atmosphere in the office.

Employees were quieter.

More worried.

More people were asking if their jobs were still safe. And with each question I heard, I felt more hurt. Because I couldn’t give any assurance.

One afternoon, after yet another pointless meeting with an investor, I stopped at a restaurant to have a coffee and think. I didn’t expect to see one of the people I never wanted to see again.

“Well, if it isn’t Ava Bennett.”

I stopped.

I recognized that voice.

And even though the years have passed, I can't forget it.

I slowly turned around.

And there he was.

Daniel Carter.

He looked older and was dressed more formally. But he still had the same smile that I once loved. And once hated.

"Ava."

As if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn't broken my heart a few years ago.

As if he hadn't traded our relationship for a bigger opportunity.

As if he hadn't abandoned me when I needed him the most.

"Daniel."

My voice was cold.

And that was a good thing because otherwise, he might have noticed all the painful memories coming back.

He smiled.

"It's been a long time."

"Not enough."

He laughed a little. It was annoying. He was still the same.

"Can we talk?"

"It depends."

"About your company."

I was immediately alert and I immediately hated it. because he clearly knew my situation.

"What about this?"

He leaned back in his chair.

"I heard what was going on."

Of course.

Everyone heard.

"And?"

He took a deep breath.

"Ava, I can help you."

I laughed.

Not because it was funny but because it was insulting.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"I'm ready to invest."

I looked at him silently.

And for a few seconds, the past came flooding back to my mind.

The man who promised to stay.

The man who said we would face everything together.

The man who left when I needed him the most.

And now?

Now he wants to help me?

"Why?"

I noticed his expression change slightly.

"Ava—"

"Why now?"

He didn't answer right away and that was enough.

I stood up.

"I don't need your help."

"Ava."

"Not then."

"Not now."

And certainly not ever. I left him there without looking back because there are wounds that no matter how much time has passed, they still haven't completely healed and Daniel Carter was one of them. That night, I returned to the office again.

Alone.

Quiet.

And tired.

It was past midnight.

Most of the lights in the building had already been turned off. Outside the large window of my office, heavy rain was falling. Drops were hitting the glass repeatedly and it seemed to accompany the chaos in my mind.

I sat silently at my desk, looking at financial reports.

Unpaid bills.

Overdue obligations.

Numbers I didn’t want to see anymore.

But I had to look at them.

Because I was the CEO.

And it was my responsibility.

I held my forehead.

I was so tired.

I didn’t know how many hours I had been sitting there.

I didn’t know how many times I had studied the same numbers.

And I didn’t know if there was a way out of this situation.

For the first time in years, I felt like I was completely out of control.

The office was silent.

The entire building was silent.

All I could hear was the rain outside.

Until my cellphone suddenly lit up on the desk.

I frowned.

There was a new message.

And when I saw the sender’s name, my heart beat faster.

Noah Kingston.

My grip on the phone tightened.

I slowly opened the message.

And immediately saw what was written.

"Ready to discuss my real offer?"

I stared at the screen.

It was as if the air around me suddenly became heavier.

Because for the first time in a week...

I wasn't sure if I could refuse him anymore.