Strings

Chapter 26 - Part I

"Or? Or what Hayden? What did they threaten him with?" She says, her face littered with concern and fear.

I look away. I don't know how to face her. How to tell her what actually went down.

She places her hand in mine, giving it the most gentle of squeezes and offers me a sad smile.

"Hayden" she says, her breath shaky and her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's okay." She adds her voice cracking; knowing very well that this was in fact, very much not okay. Everyday I think of how strong she is and the very next day she takes it up a notch.

"He either returns the entire sum that Olivia ran away with your name or he transfers the shares of the company that are under your name to The Fawkes."

Her whole body stiffens at the news.

"What?"
"Th-that's preposterous. My shares at the company are worth a lot more than the amount Olivia stole. It's a doomed deal littered with loss; there's no way father would've agreed to a deal as absurd as this." She lets out trying to make sense of the situation.

"Well it was either your shares or..."
I brace myself to continue
"....or your life."

Her hands drop from mine and her whole body goes limp as she stares into my eyes as if she doesn't quite believe it. I don't blame her either. Her beautiful honey brown orbs brimmed with tears. God. She's going to be the fucking end of me.

"T-this deal they offered, this negotiation; you do realize why they put such a high price to the alternative of refusal don't you Hayden?

They, god they want to go legit. Didn't you say they were a mob? So obviously they're sitting on piles of money that's dirty. They have to wash it so their money could be of any substantial use or investment.

Holy shit, Hayden please tell me dad didn't agree to this, The Fawkes will have used Marshall & Co. for international money laundering; goddamn it.

Slightest slip-up in the books, and our company will be black-listed and put under review. What do you think happens when the IRS conducts a raid huh? What happens when the Feds get involved; god please tell me dad was able to return the money; Hayden please" she lets out, her speech rushed and her chest heaving from the raspy breaths that she was taking.

Every thing she said was right. Down to the point. And I can't help but appreciate how quickly her mind works to connect the dots and to nail it right there at the root-cause of the demand placed.
It took her no-good of a father a helluva time to figure what Avery settled down at within seconds.

I find myself not being able to say anything; so I just shake my head.

"Your father was not able to arrange the sum they demanded, Avery." I say finally, not being able to look at her, as her jaw drops and her face goes devoid of all of its color.

(......to be continued)
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HI GUYS! It's been a while how have you all been????

This is a super super super important chapter and it took me forever to map out all of the details #distress

And since it's so very important and it's got so many details I decided to make Chapter 26 a two part chapter!

The second part will be uploaded within this week and will be a free flowing continuation of the first part so there's no need to fret but eeeepppppp the suspense is getting to me already!!!
(Ooo also, lest we forget, the second part of this chapter will also be containing some good oL' Avery and Hayden time if you know what I mean😉)

I am so so so excited to hear from you and what you think of the turn of events so far that I can hardly hardly wait so please for the love of god COMMENT!

COMMENT WHAT YOU THINK OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR, WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT AND YOUR TAKE ON THE DRAMA ENCIRCLING THEIR LIVES!!
I cannot stress it enough, how much I love hearing from you and how much I love y'all interacting and commenting.

If you've stuck till here, thank you so much. You're a real one.
Thank you for being so patient with me and loving my flawed characters so much.

Keep voting and commenting and spreading the word.

All of my love always
Xxxx