THE BRIDE'S REVENGE

The Proposal

Ava on her bed and she gazed at the ceiling lost in thoughts running late for work. She suddenly started smiling as her thoughts unraveled - Her father, the unknown caller, the Harts, the meeting and then the conversation she overheard.

She quickly sprung up and prepared for work while Ava was at work after sometime she leaned back on her seat, slowly, thinking for years she'd been trying to break into a locked building. Maybe she had been approaching the wrong door, maybe she didn't need to break in, just maybe she needed an invitation.

____

The executive lounge Peter's day was just unraveling another meeting, another attack and another attempt to weaken his authority. The boardroom felt smaller than usual perhaps because Victor occupied so much space despite saying very little.

During the meeting, the old man sat comfortably near the end of the table confidently and always watching. The presentation ended then Victor struck like a cobra, subtle and precise, the way he always did. Victor folded his hands and said - “Investors remain concerned, the market dislikes uncertainty” several board members nodded in agreement. Peter noticed the battlefield was changing and definitely not in his favour. He asked “ Why are they uncertain?”, his uncle replied immediately “ They wonder what their fate would be and that of the company if something happens to you”.

Silence followed as Peter understood immediately - it was all about succession, legacy and of course marriage. The same conversation wearing a different suit.

Victor smiled and said “the board simply wants reassurance”.

Peter wanted to throw him out of the window instead he smiled back equally fake and controlled. The meeting continued but the damage lingered by the time it ended Peter's patience was hanging by a thread.

He returned to his office, closed the door, poured himself a drink then another as the city stretched beyond the glass, powerful , lonely and beautiful.

A knock interrupted his thoughts as his assistant entered “Ethan Cole is here to see you”.

Ethan walked in, they both greeted and sat.

Peter asked him “how he had been because they haven't seen each other for months now”. Ethan smiled and replied “that he had just been busy working and travelling but he's here now at least for some weeks”. Then Ethan asked “ How's the company doing and your Uncle?.

Peter's expression almost changed a little bit, not that Ethan didn't notice he could tell that something was up. Peter exhaled and explained how the boardroom had turned to a battlefield with his uncle attacking him at almost every meeting, how the shareholders and investors keep challenging him, throwing questions and asking for stability and reassurance, how Victor was slowly turning allies into enemies and also how his mum brought up marriage as a solution.

Ethan was in awe and advised his best friend that he should take things easy and think through every decision before going ahead because of the consequences that come with it whether good or bad and mostly reassured him that everything would be fine .

Meanwhile, Ava kept summoning courage and she sprang up, walked to the elevator, pressed the button that headed directly to the executive lounge, Peter's office. In the elevator, she said to herself - “ the worst case scenario is that he may say No and end up kicking me out for the company Or……”

Then Ava walked out of the elevator, headed towards the assistant to tell his boss that someone wishes to speak with him.

The assistant stood up and walked to the door to tell Peter.

He knocked and nervously entered - “There's someone here to see you”. Peter frowned “I don't have appointments”.

“She doesn't have one” - the assistant answered. Peter asked with no expression on his face,” so why is she here?”.

“She says she has a proposal”, his assistant muttered. Peter asked immediately “what kind of proposal?”, the assistant hesitated - “ the marriage kind, she said you need a wife”.

Peter froze because almost nobody knew about those conversations - “ Who is she?”.

The assistant handed over a visitor's card, Peter looked at it and read the name twice as his expression darkened - Ava Voss. “Send her in”; the assistant left.

Peter's attention shifted towards the door, seconds later Ava Voss walked inside.

____

Peter Hart's gaze remained on Ava as he sat behind his desk with one hand resting on a crystal glass and his expression unreadable. Ethan remained seated quietly as he watched the whole drama unfold. As silence stretched, Ava recognised immediately what trivial moment she was in. She'd spend years in corporate meetings watching executives use silence as a weapon. Usually it worked but today it didn't. She closed the office door behind her and walked forward without hesitation leaving fear at the elevator.

Peter watches carefully like a man examining a puzzle he hadn't decided whether to solve or destroy. “ You have five minutes” - his voice was calm, controlled and dangerous as he sat holding onto the visitor's card.

Ava set her handbag on the chair next to Ethan, ignoring him “I won't need five” .

“What do you want , Ms Voss? - he asked with one dark eyebrow lifted, a reaction that vanished almost immediately.

Ava took the seat across from him, the office was enormous, floor-to-ceiling glass, modern architecture, luxury without excess, everything

about the space reflected power and Peter reflected control, yet she noticed something else…. exhaustion not physically but mentally, Victor was getting to him which was good and meant that pressure existed and pressure creates opportunites.

“ You need a wife, you need stability, you need shareholders of your back, you need public image strong enough to survive whatever Victor Hart is planning” - Ava said confidently. Ethan sat in awe of Ava's boldness as Peter placed his glass on the desk carefully a sign that meant controlled anger, a dangerous kind. He replied “ How much do you know? Let's pretend for a moment that everything you've said is true, What exactly does any of this have to do with you?”.

There it was, the real question, Ava's pulse quickened from awareness - this was the moment, the point of no return, once she spoke the next words, everything would change. She drew a breath, then said it “ MARRY ME”. The words landed between them sharply.

For the first time since she entered the office, Peter looked genuinely surprised not visibly but a flicker, “Excuse me” - as his gaze remained fixed on her, evaluating and trying to determine whether she was serious or not.

Before Peter could gather his thoughts, Ava deeped her hand in her bag and brought out an envelope boldly written “A PROPOSAL”. She lid it to Peter, grabbed her bag and walked out the door.