THE BRIDE'S REVENGE

One Conversation, One Opportunity

Ava lost in thoughts one Tuesday morning when the coffee hit the floor she barely managed to save the document in her hand before the paper cup slipped from her fingers and burst across the polish tiles. Several people turned and muttered under their breaths but nobody stopped walking, no one cared. Typical Luxembourg's financial district moved too fast to care about a spilled coffee.

Ava exhaled sharply and bent to clean the mess as her phone vibrated inside her pulse the fifth in 20 minutes - a boss wasn't known for patience. “Ava” - she looked up as a security guard stood before her “management wants you upstairs”. Her stomach tightened “Now?. The garden immediately. Ava gathered the files, tossed the ruined coffee cup into a nearby bin and hurried towards the elevators she exhaled “today is a disaster and it wasn't even noon”.

She stepped out immediately and noticed something unusual, the atmosphere, people were whispering, assistants moved quickly between offices, phones rang nonstop - a storm was brewing and she stood quietly. She approached the reception desk “what's happening?”the receptionist lowered their voice “Hart’ Global” - Ava asked “what about them?”. “ They are Board is in chaos”, before she could ask another question her boss appeared “You are late, Conference room”.

He thrust a folder into her hand Ava had no time to react “I need a statement prepared before the market closes” - Ava flipped through the documents while working slowly, unlike emotions the facts, data and solutions made sense. She walked towards the conference room the way which also led to Peter's private office - the man she had always hated. Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to keep putting it in front of her.

___

Peter Hart was having a significantly worse day; the board meeting lasted 3 hours. By the end everyone wanted something more transparent, more assurances and more stability. These words followed him everywhere. He tossed a file onto his desks. His assistant appeared moments later, nervous - “Your mother is here”. Peter closed his eyes because her apparently ly board members wearing turn off punishment for one day - “ Send her in”. The assistant vanished, seconds later Eleanor Hart entered elegant as always. She didn't bother sitting and said calmly “Tell me you are reconsidering”.

Peter laughed “You didn't even say hello”. His mother replied immediately “we don't need to, you know why I'm here”.

And unfortunately Peter sighed - “ Marriage again, I'm not marrying the stranger to satisfy the shareholders”.

“ Megan again,” Eleanor said. Peter's expression darkened and he immediately looked away embarrassed not to answer and Eleanor noticed. Years later and somehow her shadows lingered “ you propose once, you survived the rejection, now move on” - his mother advised.

The room fell quiet, he exhaled slowly “ What if I don't want a wife” . “ Find someone willing to play the role “ - snapped Eleanor.

Peter was in awe.

____

Ava never intended to overhear anything yet somehow she found herself frozen outside the executive lounge on the 32nd floor, except the door had been slightly opened and a name kept ringing in her ears “Hart, Eleanor, Megan” she recognized the voices sharp and clear.

As Peter and Eleanor kept talking about the investors on how they wanted stability results and assurance but Ava heard something striking: “find a wife”. Ava blinked “What” with her eyes wide open.

Peter laughed saying “that's your solution?”.

His mother replied, “ Yeah, the simplest one or would you have your uncle killed?

Peter sat on his chair in awe of all his mother had said, laughing humourlessly.

Ava stepped closer before she realized what she was doing and said to herself “a wife for Peter Hart”. The realization settled slowly then all at once like pieces clicking into a place; Peter needed something. As her grip tightened around the folder in her hands, the words echoed inside her mind and she walked towards the elevator.

Then suddenly another voice surfaced in her head “the anonymous caller, the meeting, the business card” her heart beats accelerated.

The pieces wearing connected not just yet but for the first time they felt close, dangerously close.

Ava walked into the elevator lost in thoughts, staring at her reflection on the silver walls of the elevator.

The door suddenly opened, Ava jumped as a young assistant stepped into the elevator, she immediately stepped out and continued walking.

As her pulse refused to cooperate, the thoughts kept colliding faster and faster with questions multiplying around the strange caller, her father and then the Harts.

Ava got to her table, sat on the chair staring directly to her screen and then slowly an idea began forming an impossible idea, a reckless idea, one that should have had terrified but instead it excited her.

For the rest of the day Ava couldn't concentrate as her thoughts were still on the idea.

She got home that evening, all happy like she’d won a lottery but she had something cooking up.

As her plans steamed up like a kettle of boiling water, Ava brought out her laptop and began typing.

One conversation, One opportunity - so she decided to become Peter's wife to get closer to the Harts and most importantly; her revenge.

Ava drafted up a proposal and planned to meet with Peter tomorrow.

In all this excitement, her mother called and she answered. Ava told what had happened, how she overheard their conversation, Eleanor's suggestion of Peter getting a wife and how she saw it as an opportunity to get closer to the Harts.

Grace warned her about the plan and the consequences but Ava didn't give a listening ear, she had always opted for this opportunity and this one came lurking around so she definitely can't lose it.

After some minutes of back and forth, Grace tried to convince Ava how dangerous this plan was but at last Grace decided to give in, all she wanted was her daughter's happiness. Then she said “ If anything should happen or go south, don't hesitate to call me, you know I'm always here for you”. The call ended on a lovely note.

Ava continued drafting the proposal all happy .

A few minutes later a call came on an unknown caller, she answered but immediately she couldn't recognise that it was the stranger's voice.

Then he said almost whispering “ Be careful”.

The call ended just immediately leaving Ava with no time to respond.