Chapter Five: Beneath the suit and tie
As Liam and Ava were back from the magic of the moment, they began to talk and discuss about stuffs. Just then Ava made way to ask a question.
"Now that we're together, I still don't know anything about your family," Ava said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Liam smiled reassuringly.
"In time, I will introduce you to them."
Ava's brow furrowed.
"Why can't you tell me something now?"
As she spoke, Liam's mind flashed back to their earlier conversation at the burger joint. Ava's words echoed in his mind: "Maybe money is the root of all evil. There's no such thing as a good-hearted billionaire."
Liam's eyes snapped back into focus.
"I think we should wait for things to settle down with my job, and then I'll introduce you to them."
Ava's eyes narrowed playfully.
"You better not be lying to me."
Liam's smile was genuine.
"Hey, trust me. You are the most important thing in my life, and I'm going to protect you from the rest of mine."
Ava's face lit up with a radiant smile as she continued to play with the button on Liam's shirt.
Meanwhile, outside, a sleek white car pulled up in front of a large building. Liam Hamilton stepped out, accompanied by his personal assistant, James.
"Mister Hamilton, there's no good reason for rushing your visit with the Warner's architect," James advised.
Liam adjusted his suit and tie.
"James, I'm a kept man now. I've got to get back before my wife gets home from work."
James's eyes widened in surprise.
"Isn't she still your wife? Why does she still need to work?"
Liam's smile was mischievous.
"How else is she going to support me?"
James's face was a picture of shock, his eyes wide with incredulity.
"What?!" he exclaimed, unable to believe that the billionaire Liam Hamilton would allow his wife to continue working after they got married.
He follows Liam as he made way into the company as he still wondered in shock.
"Hey, new girl. Drop this file and don't forget to dump the trash cans" One of Ava's colleague said to her as all colleagues dropped different files on top of the box she had on her.
As Liam entered the building with James, Ava struggled to carry a huge box, her vision obstructed by the files piled on top. Her coworkers dumped more files on her, adding to her burden.
Just then, James and Liam walked by, oblivious to Ava's presence. Jade, the supervisor, approached Liam, "Mister Hamilton, the general manager is on his way. please wait in his office."
As Liam made his way upstairs, one of Ava's coworkers whispered, "Wow, that's the heir of Hamilton Holdings! Oh my God, he's so hot!"
Another colleague chimed in, "Can you imagine marrying him? What a life!"
Ava on hearing their conversation decides to join them, "Did the heir of Hamilton Holdings arrive?" But her coworkers ignored her.
Just then Jade comes downstairs and instructs Ava to get a coffee for the guest.
"Go make a coffee and take it to the office. Use the best black ivory coffee from Thailand. Don't mess this up."
Meanwhile, Liam sat in the office, James talking to him while he pressed buttons on his phone.
"Sir, I told you there was no reason to rush. You kind of came too early. The general manager is probably rushing here right now, scared out of his mind."
Liam's mind wandered back to his encounter with Ava. He recalled her saying, "This is my number. I'm gonna take care of you. Call me anytime."
As Liam's thoughts drifted back to the present, he found himself smiling. He began dialing Ava's number, and before he knew it, he had pressed the call button.
Ava's voice came from the other end of the line, "Hello?"
"What are you up to?" Liam asked, concerned.
" I'm at work. Some bigwig just showed up, and everyone's freaking out. So, I'm making coffee."
James interrupted Liam, "Sir, is that your wife?" Liam quickly covered the speaker to avoid Ava hearing him.
"Get out, go!" he ushered James out of the office.
Ava's voice came from the phone again, "Who's that? Are you not at home?"
Liam hesitated, "I stepped out."
Ava's curiosity was piqued, "What for?"
Liam replied, "Ah, looking for a job."
Ava responded, "Okay, good luck. I have to deliver this coffee, so I'll talk to you later."
Just as they were about to hang up, Liam and Ava locked eyes, both shocked to find themselves in the same office. Ava stood holding a tray of coffee, while Liam's eyes widened in surprise.
Liam's mind racing, he thought, "Does she work here?" Meanwhile, Ava wondered, "Why is he here?"
Ava broke the silence, "Why are you here?"
Liam's voice was laced with surprise, "You work here?" As he spoke, he slipped his phone into his suit pocket.
Ava dropped the tray of coffee onto the table, her eyes narrowing.
"Are you looking for a job here?" she asked.
Liam explained, "It's just that my college buddy works here, so I thought he might be able to help me out." He added, "But this isn't his office."
Ava's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"This is the general manager's office."
As she spoke, she grasped Liam's hand, dragging him out of the office and keeping him out of sight. James walked towards the office, oblivious to their encounter.
Ava folded her arms, a sly smile spreading across her face.
"See, that must have been the heir of Hamilton Holdings."
"Glad we didn't run into him," Ava said, relief evident in her voice.
"So what if we did?" Liam asked, his brow furrowed.
Ava's expression turned serious.
"Those rich snobs think they own the world. One wrong step, and you're done. You know, you almost caused a scene."
Liam chuckled.
"Oh, come on, that's too much. I mean, from what I've heard, the heir of Hamilton Holdings is not only very attractive but also very kind to people."
"But that's just a front, trust me. I've seen it all before." Ava protested.
Liam raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Ava continued, "The richer they are, the thicker their masks. Most of them are wolves in sheep's clothing. That Hamilton heir is just top-of-the-line, the worst of the worst."
Ava dragged Liam by the hand, leading him away from the office.
"Please, just go home, okay?"
Liam nodded, "Okay, okay."
Ava smiled, adjusting Liam's suit.
"Meet you after work. You look very handsome in a suit. Where'd you got it?"
Liam's eyes crinkled at the corners.
"I eh, rented it."
Ava's eyes widened.
"This is a top-notch brand. How did you afford this?"
Liam looked down.
Ava's voice filled with regret.
"Look, I know your college buddy moved up in the company and is an executive now, so I know that could be a hard price to swallow. But I just want to say I'm sorry, okay? I'm the reason we're in this situation, and I can't even afford to make ends meet, let alone buy you nice clothing. So, just please, just return the suit, okay? I'll do better."
Ava's face softened, her voice reassuring.
"Get out of here. I gotta go." She added
Liam nodded.
"Go, right now."
Ava smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I have to go back to work."
As Ava entered the company, Liam stood there, watching her go.
As soon as Ava left, Liam pulled out his phone from his suit pocket and texted James. The message was brief, and its context unknown.
Meanwhile, James sat in the office, oblivious to Liam and Ava's earlier encounter. He received the text from Liam and raised an eyebrow, wondering what it meant.
Just then, the general manager rushed into the office, out of breath. "Sorry, Mister Hamilton, I'm so sorry," he said, panting heavily.
James turned around, and the general manager greeted him formally, "Oh, hi. Sorry, where is the Hamilton heir?"
James smiled, "He's already left."
The general manager's face fell, still trying to catch his breath.
"It's okay, he just had to step out," James said, standing up from his seated position.
"But he asked me to tell you…"
The general manager's eyes widened," Please…Speak freely."
James's expression turned serious, "There is a new employee, Ava Miller. Mister Hamilton said you should take good care of her and even provide financial assistance if needed."
The general manager's eyes grew wide with confusion.
"If there is any mishap, your job is on the line," James added, flashing a devilish smile.
The general manager's face paled, lost in confusion, as James's words hung in the air.