Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

"I cannot believe the nerve of that woman, who exactly does she think she is?" Julia snorted in righteous indignation.

"One of the wealthiest matriarch's this side of the country, that is who she is." Nova said dead pan as she took a sip of her drink.

"It is just ridiculous, women like that who allow themselves get intoxicated with their power annoy me." Julia continued on her bitter rant while Nova and her father exchanged knowing glances with each other.

Since Nova had explained to Julia that even though Caden wanted to get married they could not at that moment because his mother had ensured that there would be no one to marry them, Julia had not stopped complaining and berating the woman she had formerly held in high esteem as she watched all her dreams collapse.

  "So she just wins?!" Julia shrieked.

"He did give me this beautiful ring and he promised that we will get married regardless of how his mother feels about it." Nova said and waved her fingers which carried the massive stone.

Julia stared transfixed in admiration as her eyes followed the ring like she was looking at a pendulum then she shook her head firmly.

"That is a very beautiful ring but I will not sit easy until the ink on the paper is dry and you should not be comfortable either, Callie Knox is a very formidable enemy to have. She is not going to just give up." Julia warned.

"By the way, I still believe that we should sue those magazine companies, it is outrageous for them to print such nasty things. How did they even find something like that, who leaked it to the press?" Julia continued and Nova's face clouded over at the mention of the disastrous pictures.

"It is definitely Stephen's doing, I have no interest in getting into a legal battle, that would mean having to unearth so many things and that is the last thing that I would want to deal with. Please let sleeping dogs lie." Nova said in exhaustion.

"But darling we simply can't just allow…"

"…Let it go Julia, she said she does not want to deal with this so that is what we are going to do, the news cycles will change." Elijah said sternly and Julia swallowed the rest of what she wanted to say even though she was bursting at the seams.

In her opinion her brother and her niece did not understand what was at stake, if they did not find a way to make this stop and show the people who had done this to them force no one would take Nova serious even if she got married to Caden eventually. She thought woefully about the big wedding she was going to be deprived of planning.

She had already been boasting to all and sundry about how she was going to be hosting the wedding of the season, she had even become highly sought after at parties and events because everyone wanted to get an invitation to the wedding celebration but now everyone she knew was looking at her with scorn.

"So does that mean we no longer have to sell off parts of the company anymore?" Julia pushed and Elijah sighed.

"Our position is not certain until Caden gives the go ahead." Elijah said.

"Then ask him, now that Callie has called off the wedding the debtors believe that we will no longer have a partnership with the Knox family anymore and they are closing in once more. Nova darling, maybe you could speak to Caden and explain the urgency of the situation." She pleaded.

"I am aware that this is a contract marriage but I don't think it is a good idea for Nova to bother him about this, he is aware of our situation and he has promised to help, there is no point in pestering him when he has given his word." Elijah cut in before Nova could answer and Julia scowled.

She too so much riding on the union between the Knox family and the Addison and if something was not done soon she would be done for. She had believed that the wedding between Nova and Caden was a done deal but now that the tables had been turned and now Callie was against it. and if that was her stance then chances were high that the marriage would not hold.

It would be a huge misfortune but it could also be to her own personal fortune and if she played her cards right then she would get a chance to bring Paisley who was a much better candidate as a wife to that influential family than Nova.

It would not be easy, Callie was sure to be skeptical about her daughter seeing how she was related to that skank of a niece she had and convincing her would be an uphill task but she would have to convince them on the wisdom of the switch between the cousins.

She glanced at Nova with narrowed eyes and no one noticed her while she wished that her own daughter Paisley had been the one chosen by the Knox family instead, she was more deserving and of a better character than Nova was and she would definitely not have brought about this shame to them.

As if reading her thoughts Elijah spoke in a bid to ease the tension around them.

"How is Paisely, is she still coming?"

"Considering that the wedding is no longer taking place I saw no point in dragging her back here since she will soon be done with the semester and will come back home anyway." Julia explained and he nodded at her answer.

"In any case if he refuses to continue with the marriage I can sell off this expensive ring and it will buy us a decent condominium somewhere in the suburbs." Nova teased with a giggle and Julia glared at her in annoyance and that only made Nova laugh harder.

'I will make sure that I wipe off that laugh from your face soon enough.' Julia thought to herself.