Chapter 163 Crossing the line

She gasped in fear.

Her body was still trembling and it was visible. Anyone that saw her would think that she had just seen a ghost or been chased by a pack of hyenas. Her eyes held unto his just as he held hers. They both terrified each other but tried to cover it up.

"Ahem".

Bennett tried to break the awkwardness by speaking.

"W-w-what are you doing here?"

Zhavia managed to speak as she arranged her disheveled hair. This was the most embarrassing thing she had encountered. She just showed her illogical state to Bennett. Of all people, it had to be Bennett.

"I-i w-wanted to wanted to, um, to ask... A-a-ask if you would want to try out the spring. I-It's quite cold today. It could cause hallucinations". 

He stuttered with a straight face. His eyes weren't even on her as he fought in every way he could to kill the awkwardness but it was just futile because they were both taken unaware.

Great!

Just great Zhavia, even the old butler thinks you need to chill out.

"Oh? I-i'm good".

She was still trying to calm her nerves and not embarrass her ass in front of him as she fought to control her breath.

"Are you okay miss Mckay? You look tense".

His eyes were squinted in suspicion as he asked her. She literally scared him when she came out of the room like that and he acted in reflex. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"I'm fine". She brushed it off immediately and he nodded to her response.

His steps back towards the direction of the elevator were swift. He was rather confused seeing her like that and he found it strange.

What is she hiding?

He was halfway there when her voice called from behind.

"Bennett?"

He turned around to face her with his hands still crossed behind him as his face was shock ridden. This was the first time she was calling him by his name. In fact, she had never called him before. He was dumbstruck and somewhat excited at once.

"Where is this spring?"

.

.

Tiger's fingers raced on the table as he tried to think. There was no way he could call Nicholas at this point because he obviously will be on the jet. Meredith picked the perfect time to strike and the brat was fully aware of this. Meredith conveying her shares to Genevieve only means that she is now a part of the empire because Meredith owns over thirty percent.

He did not see this coming at all. He did not ever imagine that Meredith would do something like this just to prove a point. This woman truly can go to the extreme for whatever she wants. The brat knew how extreme she can go and aimed a perfect shot. 

After a few minutes,

The meeting began again and the lawyers arrived with documents concerning what was going to take place in a few seconds. The board members were all present. They were about to begin the signing of the document as Genevieve walked in, making all eyes turn to her. She had the most prideful look on her face as she took one elegant step after another– I mean no one can deny that she is indeed a very gorgeous-looking lady. 

"Shall we now begin?"

Meredith spoke as she sat with power. There was no expression on her face when her gaze penetrated every person in the room. She wasn't joking at all when she said she came there to give Genevieve her rightful place. Her eyes were on Tiger like she was talking directly to him. As if she was passing a message to him to send to Nicholas.

"The documents correlating this gathering have been processed, and everything said here that entails this procedure is being recorded". 

The lawyer in charge stated as he placed the document on the desk.

"May party A begin". He addressed Meredith as she nodded and picked up the file. Her mind was set on a goal and she was going to get it done. Somehow, she knew it was a wrong move, so she also had her own after-party plans. She had a plan B just in case this decision comes back to bite her on the ass.

Her fingers gripped the pen in her reach, and with a glance at the contract, she signed. Genevieve on the other hand was still shocked that she had done this. When she came up with this plan, she did not know that Meredith was going to buy it, she thought that she was going to need a lot of convincing, but that wasn't the case. Meredith trusted her completely. Finally, her years of staying under her shadows were paying off.

"It is now up to you party B".

The lawyer spoke as all eyes turned to the manipulative lady sitting next to Meredith. Her reaction was what everyone watched. She must be a very special person to Meredith to get this kind of privilege. No one uttered a word but it was seemingly their thoughts.

They all watched her pick up the pen nervously– which was obviously one of her pretentious acts. She needed to act like this to seem innocent by all means. Her eyes strolled from the file in front of her, to Tiger that was sitting at the far end of the table, watching every single act she portrayed. She didn't break the stare for a while. She wanted him to acknowledge this moment and the power she was being given, she wanted him to feel the pain she had felt for years. All those years of belittlement. She saw the anger boldly written In his eyes as she traced her gaze back to the file and back to him while she signed.

She did not even go through the file because she was too engrossed in enjoying the look on Tiger's face. She wanted to remember this moment, every bit of it. The file was passed back to the lawyer as he signed as well. It was now official. Genevieve was now a part of The Ross's Empire. She had been given a base and she could now give orders and make decisions as one of the biggest shareholders of the company. 

"Okay, the coalition has been signed by both parties, having all board members present as witnesses, we have concluded this contract with my signature as validity that Meredith Alviero Ross has agreed to substitute her shares to Genevieve Middleton on this day".

And just like that, everything was concluded. In the twinkle of an eye, Genevieve took Meredith's chair, and Meredith stepped down. It was the most unbelievable thing that had ever happened. Everyone was shock ridden by the change of power. And as the documents were handed over to Tiger, he was up on his feet. He was furious. He was mad, pissed, seeing red. 

Fuck!

There was nothing he could do to stop this. This was Meredith's decision. She made her decision, he couldn't stop her. He was in no position to. It was her choice to step down. And that was the problem. If it were up to him, he wouldn't have allowed her to make this decision. Anybody but Genevieve should have this kind of power. This is a free gateway to do whatever she wanted. She would now be fully aware of Nicholas's whereabouts– not that she could find out about him if she wanted to, but she is a very cunning person so if it was supposed to be extremely hard getting information, it will now be fairly hard.

He dashed out of the room and all eyes were on his back as he got out of sight. Call it what you want but everyone knows how dangerous he can be in that state. Genevieve had just done something disastrous, which is called crossing the line. She had just been included in Tyler Herde's book of anguish and trust me, she is at the top of this list. He wouldn't let her off it if he hasn't given her a full understanding of why he is called Tiger. 

The war has just begun.

.

.

Meredith walked out of the building with her bodyguards behind her as she stepped into the car. She looked grim. Her face was expressionless. She left Genevieve there to get accustomed to the people she would be working with– newly assigned P.As. 

She still had some things to do. She wanted to put everything in place before she sits back and watches how everything is going to turn out. She also still had her eyes on Genevieve and wanted to see how her little games were going to turn out for her. Yes, she knows that the brat is clever but she doesn't like the other woman– Zhavia Mckay either.

"Where are we headed, ma'am?" 

"J.k enterprises". She concluded.

"Yes, ma'am".

Her eyes were on the road as the car moved. It was time to put that so-called woman in her place. She had been a burden to her family to some point. Ever since she interfered with Nicholas's life, he had been worse. He had been completely different. When she is in the picture, he becomes even more beastly. He doesn't even recognize or see anything else when that woman is involved.

He even went as far as abandoning The empire for six whole months while he was in search of this woman. Yes, she fucking knows about it. He loses his mind to the hearing of her name and it angers her. Her son is heartless and cruel. She trained him to be a leader, an heir. She made the Almighty Nicholas Alviero Ross. She trained him like that for a reason. To be the head of The Ross's empire. And to be the head of an empire, you have to be ruthless, and without any weakness. At this point, this woman has become his weakness, and if this airs out, he automatically becomes open to a red spot because of her.

Zhavia Mckay is gradually ruining everything she had taken years to build and she has got to go. She needed to get rid of her, and fast.

Meanwhile, at the office,

Sofia's eyes were fixed on the screen of her laptop. These past few days had been an amazing experience. Nicholas's estate is virtually heaven on earth. All her life, she had never been able to live without having worries and what to think about. But in just a few days she had been living like the entire world was underneath her feet. She had people serving her, she had people treating her skin like it was priceless gold. Her entire body was being pampered like she was the ruler of the universe. She didn't even have any thoughts, all her thoughts evaporated with every warm breath of relief she took and she never even had to utter a word for any of these actions to take place. It just happened.

She felt like an entirely different person and even looked different. As the day went by and hours passed, she still had a smile on her face and had been in a positive mood since she arrived. It was evident in the way she talked and how smoothly and peacefully everything went.

"Make sure every staff gets this file today". She spoke calmly.

"Yes, ma'am".

The employee exited her office and just as she was about to trace her concentration back to the screen, another employee came barging In, with terrifyingly nervously looking eyes. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

"M-Ma'am we... h-have a problem". She stuttered.

"What problem?"

Sofia had given her all of her attention now. She wasn't even blinking at this point. Before the lady could open her mouth to speak, she was already up.

"Can you speak already?" She urged 

"M-M-Meredith Alviero Ross is here". The lady finally blurted as Sofia's eyes opened wide in shock. This was the last thing she expected. She couldn't even imagine how this was possible.

Her eyes couldn't leave the lady's as she tried to gather words to say but they weren't leaving her mouth. She didn't even have the strength to speak. If anyone told her that a day would come when she would have to see Meredith one on one and speak to her, she definitely would have passed away a long time ago because it would be too much for her to take in.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She tried to steady her breath and act cool in front of the lady but she was barely doing that. All her calmness was gone, she was now in panic mode.

"You um, y-you may go". She managed.

"Y-yes, ma'am".

She paced forth and back trying to get herself together. Who was she kidding? There is no way she would ever be able to get herself together when one of the greatest women in the world was in the same building with her. Hell, there is no way she can be calm.

Fuck! I wasn't even prepared.

God, I wasn't expecting this.

Holy shit!

"Pull yourself together, Sofia". She spoke to literally no one but herself as she let out an unsteady breath.

In a slit second, she was out of the office. With each step by gracious step in the hallway, her confidence slowly exacerbated. She now had a confident look on her face– of course, she wasn't going to let her first impression be a low-self esteemed and unsure lady. If she wanted to be remembered by Meredith she would have to up her game.

The elevator door opened to a responsible, high principled, and cultured young lady with her self-confidence at its peak as Sofia stepped out. She looked professional in that suit she wore and she looked like she knew what she was doing. 

As she stepped forward, the employee that announced the arrival of Meredith was already in front of her and ready to take her to the room that held the feared woman. On arriving at the door, she gestured to Sofia and strolled her way back leaving Sofia at the door.

"She's in there ma'am".

Sofia took a deep breath before gripping the handle of the door and stepping in.

She didn't even know what to say or how to react, all she could settle for was a slight bow and a polite greeting.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am, I'm...".

"I do not care about who you are, or what you are, you mean nothing to me. I am here to speak to Zhavia Mckay".

She spoke simply with a straight face, completely cutting Sofia off before she could even introduce herself.

Dumbstruck.

She found herself completely dumbstruck. All of her confidence evaporated into thin air as her leg became stuck on the ground.

"Where is she?"

Meredith's dark eyes took her breath in a glare.