Chapter 4: Back Again
"You..." Iris Hart cast a glance at Ava Sterling, who seemed all too pleased to watch the drama unfold, before swiftly burying herself in Nathan Ford's embrace.
"Nathan, just look at Ava Sterling. This is how she indulges her subordinates. It was bad enough that she humiliated me earlier, and now her subordinate treats me the same way. I just can't handle it..." Iris Hart spoke, her tears falling like rain, adding a dramatic touch to her plea.
Ava Sterling watched Iris Hart's performance, almost feeling an urge to applaud her act.
Ava had never been one to play the saint. It was Iris Hart who had sought this confrontation, only to end up playing the victim, complete with tears and theatrics.
"Ava Sterling, is this how you run your company?" Nathan Ford frowned.
"How I manage my company is none of your business. I couldn't care less about gossip. But given the stature of the Ford family, I'd expect you to be more cautious. I certainly don't want to wake up to headlines featuring the three of us tomorrow," Ava Sterling shot Nathan Ford a look, her tone dismissive.
Though there was no love lost between them, could he not afford her the slightest respect as his wife? If he couldn't even offer that much, she wouldn't hold back her words either.
"Just..."
"Zoe, I recall there are two documents yet to be handled. Please see to them first," Zoe Dawson, about to defend Ava Sterling, was interrupted and sent away, her willingness to assist brushed aside with an almost indifferent gesture.
Zoe Dawson cast a resentful look at Ava Sterling, her eyes conveying a sense of betrayal. "I tried to help you, and you're sending me away?"
"Darling..." Ava Sterling wished to keep others out of her and Nathan Ford's affairs.
After Zoe Dawson left, Nathan turned to the visibly upset Iris Hart and said softly, "Why don't you go back first, and I'll come to see you in a bit?"
His voice was as gentle as ever, disarming Iris Hart's reluctance and extinguishing any flicker of anger she might have felt.
"Nathan, I..."
"Sweetheart, please go back first, okay?"
Despite her unwillingness to leave Nathan Ford alone with Ava Sterling, his tone grew firm, leaving her no room for protest.
Ultimately, Iris Hart had no choice but to leave obediently.
The atmosphere in the office instantly quieted down, leaving only Nathan Ford and Ava Sterling in an awkward silence.
"Never thought your little girlfriend would listen to you so well," Ava blurted out, immediately wishing she could bite off her tongue for saying something so foolish. What did Iris Hart's obedience have to do with her?
"Jerk?"
"Um..."Ava queried, puzzled by Nathan's cryptic counter-question.
"Stud?"
"What are you talking about?" Ava asked.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you? Jerk, stud?" Nathan stepped closer to Ava, ratcheting up the tension.
This infuriating woman had dared to label him a jerk and a stud behind his back. How was he a jerk? Whose jerk? Whose stud?
"Isn't it the case?" Ava retorted defiantly, her gaze locked with Nathan's, her stance unwavering.
Nathan, it seems, was just like Iris Hart in that regard, allowing himself all liberties but taking offense when others spoke out.
Despite Ava's emotional courage matching Nathan's, the difference in their heights made their confrontation somewhat comical.
Nathan looked down at Ava, who barely reached his chin, marveling at her audacity to challenge him.
Ava, realizing the height disparity, tried to stand on her toes, but it hardly made a difference.
"Childish…" Nathan scoffed, surprised to find that the usually assertive Ava Sterling could also have such a childish moment.
It was indeed a revelation for Nathan Ford.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone