What he wants for his daughter is happiness. He is not a greedy or covetous man. Heaven knows he didn’t force his daughter into that marriage because of the Lester family fortune.
He is a man of character and reputation. He might not be wealthy or be able to afford a three square meal but he has held onto his integrity for these many years and he was never going to relinquish it for anything in this life.
“If you want it, then you have our full support dear. We only want you to be happy. If being married to Adrian Lester would ruin your happiness, then walk away from that marriage with your sanity still intact” Clara declared.
Ava carefully raised her head. Her parents are in support of her divorce? Wow, she was worried that it would break them and was hesitating on telling them initially.
She smiled through her tears and hugged her mother. Kissed her Papa’s hands and the happiness returned again.
As Adrian Lester arrived at the office, he was having a series of meetings and didn’t have the time to ruminate on Ava’s utterances earlier that day.
After the last zoom meeting with his partners before lunch time, he got back to the office and met Lola Carrero who was waiting for him. He saw her by his desk and shivered when he got in unannounced.
He didn’t put her sudden paleness to heart as he opened his arms and she walked into his hands, smiling seductively. Adrian hugged her tightly and inhaled the smell of her hair.
He gently raised her chin as he bent over and planted a kiss on her lips. She kissed him back briefly and withdrew. He let her go and asked “how long have you been waiting?”
“Not quite a minute my love” Lola declared. He pulled her unto himself as he sank into the sofa and brought her to sit on his thighs.
He caressed her hair, kissed her cheeks and Lola suddenly asked “What about our plans of getting married?” She is more than willing to get married to him immediately so that she could complete her assignment and disappear from his life forever.
“Ava requested for a divorce herself and my lawyer is working on it. Soon it will get through” Adrian Lester reported, sniffling in her body scent.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and he paused and said “come in”. One of the company’s managers walked in and submitted a file.
“What stage are we in now?” Adrian asked, still clinging to Lola Carrero and doesn’t care that it’s the office environment.
“At the final stage sir. We would be finalising the signing tomorrow morning and that settles it” the manager informed.
Adrian Lester nodded and waved for him to leave. He is happy. A multi billion dollars contract he’d pursued for over a year was going to finally be his.
Lola Carrero swallowed hard. How can she get to lay her hands on the file to that contract? The one she’s working with has instructed her to get it to him latest that day.
“Lunch baby, let’s go” Adrian Lester declared and tried to raise her off so he could stand up when Lola said “Aren’t you going to share your joy with me?”
Adrian looked lost. What joy? Is it about the divorce?”
“Until the divorce is completed, there isn’t anything to celebrate yet. Just wait a little longer…” Adrian was saying when Lola said, “No, I mean the contract you’re signing”
Adrian chuckled aloud and said “The Kenaz multi billion dollars technology has not finalised the deal. Hopefully this time tomorrow, we would be throwing a party”
“Oh, it’s indeed the Kenaz technology” Lola Carrero mumbled and Adrian realised he said what he shouldn’t have said but he trusted Lola, she’s his woman.
“You said what?” When he heard her mutter something about the Kenaz technology but didn’t hear her say it loudly.
“Oh no baby, we would be happy with the Kenaz deal, right?” Lola stuttered, not sure of why she said that.
After lunch, Ava Leon doesn’t want to return home to the Lester family. Sam Leon has been taken back to his room and is having his siesta.
Ava and her Mom talked at length and when the sun was about setting, she asked if Ava won’t be returning home and she said she wished she could spend the night with them.
But Clara Leon refused. She said she was still a legal wife to Adrian Lester and she cannot stay in her parents house but return to them. Once the divorce is over, she’s welcome back to her home.
Reluctantly, Ava soon said goodbye to her mom. She stepped out and got into a taxi. Clara Leon wondered why Ava cannot be offered one out of the numerous fleet of cars in the Lester garage.
She’s hopping from one taxi to the other when her husband is a multi billionaire in New Jersey. Just what kind of a family are the Lesters?
When Ava arrived at the Lester’s mansion she suddenly lost that excitement she was experiencing when she was with her parents. She sighed softly and prayed silently that the divorce gets through quickly so that she can be free eventually.
As soon as she got into her room, the door was violently pushed open and Anna Lester walked in. She walked round the tiny room that could hardly contain two persons besides the narrow bed it already contained.
Ava Leon was quiet. She already anticipated this encounter with Anna. She knows the woman would come after her after grandfather reprimanded her before everyone.
“You think too highly of yourself, you tramp. You ought to be thrown out and be fed to the dogs but we took you in, gave you shelter over your miserable head and treated you like a princess.
You would never have tasted wealth or come anywhere close to smell it until your seventh life and yet my son took you and favoured you. But you’re a swine like your parents…” Anna was saying when Ava interrupted her sharply.
“Don’t call my parents here. If you have issues with me, then talk to me. Don’t involve my parents in your unguided fit of words…” She was saying when Anna Lester gave her a violent slap across the face.
The echo of it resounded in the entire mansion and Ava staggered backwards and she heard a hollow noise so loud in her ears that gradually faded away.
Her eyes dizzy and blurry and for a moment, she lost consciousness of where she was. But quickly she recovered and saw the sparkles of stars.
“How dare you talk back to me? Who the hell are you to tell me not to humiliate your parents? Those roadside beggars who are at the mercy of Lester’s family…?