Chapter 3
After a quiet weekend, Christine showed up at the office Monday morning, right on time.
She slipped into her usual rhythm, tackling her tasks and heading to Brad’s office to remind him about his upcoming meeting. As she neared the door, she noticed it was ajar. Through the gap, she caught a glimpse of Ava.-
Ava was curled up in Brad’s lap, offering him half of her cookie. Brad was usually so particular about cleanliness, but now he just smiled, took a bite, and kissed her fingertips. His voice was gentle, almost tender.
“You were craving these pastries yesterday,” he said softly. “So I got up early and stood in line for three hours to get them. Do they taste as good as you remember?“>
Ava’s eyes lit up. “They’re perfect. Just as sweet as always. Back when you were still working your way up, you’d go across town just to get these for me. But you’re the CEO now. Shouldn’t you let your assistant handle this kind of thing?”
Brad just smiled, gently rubbing her ankle, his gaze full of affection. “If it’s got anything to do with you, I want to be the one to do it. I don’t want anyone else involved.“}
Ava looked absolutely smitten. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.”
Brad melted into her, deepening the kiss, completely lost in her.”
Watching from the doorway, Christine felt something twist painfully in her chest. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palm.>
The minutes ticked by. The meeting was about to start.
Christine took a deep breath, steadied herself, and knocked.}
“Mr. Tate, the meeting is about to begin.”}
Brad paused, about to stand, but Ava pulled him back. “Don’t go. Stay with me a little longer, please?“}
Brad’s resolve crumbled. “Push the meeting back two hours.”
This meeting wasn’t just any meeting; it was supposed to bring together the city’s top CEOs, a huge deal for the future of the company. Christine knew how important it was. She tried to remind him, gently. “Mr. Frankie, Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Sheldon are already in the boardroom waiting…”
Ava pouted. “Brad, your assistant is such a buzzkill. Doesn’t she know when to leave us alone?“>
Brad’s face turned cold. “I said postpone the meeting. Nothing comes before Ava.”>
Christine felt her chest tighten, but she just closed the door quietly and walked away.
Everyone knew Brad was a workaholic. No matter how busy or sick, he’d always put business first. He’d never postponed anything for personal reasons–until now.
Did he really love Ava that much?”
Christine lowered her eyes, forced herself to calm down, and walked into the boardroom to apologize to the waiting executives.
The Tate family had power, which meant the other CEOs didn’t dare complain to Brad. Instead, they took it out on her. She just kept her head down and listened.
Two long hours later, Brad finally arrived.”
Christine dragged her numb legs out of the conference room only for Ava to stop her.
“You must be Christine. Brad told me you make the best coffee here. Everyone looks exhausted. Why don’t you make a cup for everyone? I’ll have mine iced, no sugar.”}
Christine knew Ava was only acting this way because Brad spoiled her. She couldn’t refuse, so she went to the coffee room.§
It took her two hours to brew and serve over four hundred cups of coffee.
As soon as Ava took a sip, her face twisted. She picked up the mug and hurled it at Christine.}
The heavy mug struck Christine’s forehead, splitting the skin and drawing blood. She gasped, pain shooting through her as she clutched her head and fell to the floor.
Ava wasn’t done. She grabbed cup after cup, throwing them at Christine relentlessly.”
Bruises and cuts blossomed on Christine’s arms and legs. Hot coffee soaked her clothes, blood mixing with the brown liquid pooling on the floor. She could barely move, curling up instinctively to shield her head and chest.
The office fell into a stunned silence. No one dared step in; everyone just stood back, watching Ava unleash her fury.
The commotion finally brought Brad out of his office.
Chapter 3
He took in the chaos–the spilled coffee, the shattered mugs, and Christine bleeding on the floor. His brow furrowed.
“What happened?“}
Ava instantly switched to a pitiful expression. “Brad, I asked your assistant for a coffee. She knows I’m on my period but she still put ice in it. Now my stomach hurts so much.“>
Brad’s expression hardened when he saw Ava’s teary eyes.
“You’ve been with me for four years and you can’t handle something this simple? Are you doing this on purpose, trying to make Ava’s life difficult?”
Christine looked up, pale and bleeding, trying to explain. But Brad didn’t even give her the chance. He waved his assistant over.
“Christine has violated company policy. Dock her pay for this month and her quarterly bonus. Announce it to the company and have her apologize at next week’s meeting.”
Then, he shrugged off his jacket, wrapped it around Ava, and carried her away.
FRT
