Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Six - Facing the Board

After pigging out on croissants and more chocolate tea, Caleb and I sat in the boardroom of the Shopping Mall to await the other members, while I nervously kept twisting and turning my wrists, in anticipation of the ex-fiance's entrance.

The sudden vibe of my phone sent me digging into my handbag.

"Hello" I answered, breathing heavily into the phone.

"Have you been running the escalators?" My charming husband asks from the other end of the line.

"Yes, I'm running from your mother's designated board member." I retorted, leaning back in my comfortable executive office chair, smiling.

"Uh huh" Adian was saying, "actually that's why I was calling," Adian continued, while I heard the honk of horns in the background.

I didn't interrupt, but I wait for him to enlighten me on the purpose of his call.

"You there?" He asks quickly and I suddenly felt as if he's stalling.

"Yup, I'm waiting for you to get to the purpose of this call." I retorted impatiently, as I nervously felt as if it has to do with his darling mother.

"Yeah, about that." He started again, but paused.

OMG! "Is it your mother who'll be attending the meeting?" I exclaimed, "isn't it." I repeated, eyes widening as I met Caleb's frown.

Without waiting for Adian's response, "I knew it" I told him, "I just knew it." I repeated, sounding like a parrot in my ear. "She knows you won't be here?" I continued interrogating my silent husband.

"Are you still there?" I asked slowly.

Chuckling, "oh yeah, I was just waiting to get a chance to speak," Adain answers from the other end.

"Ok, I'm ready to listen" I told him, mentally zipping my lips.

"My mom will be attending the meeting and no she doesn't know I won't be there and no she doesn't know you'll be representing me at the meeting." Adian explains in one mouthful.

"Okay" I responded softly, lifting my eyes to smile at the middle aged gentleman dressed in a dark blue business suit pants and white dress shirt, completed with a navy blue tie.

Frowning at me the man nods to Caleb, whom he seemed to recognize before taking the seat opposite me, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"Okay I have to go, people are starting to come in." I told Adian, needing the time to prepare myself to face Ameila Knights.

"Yeah, I may not return in time to pick you up, Ger would be waiting." Adian reminds me, his tone of voice softer, edged with concern about me, I am sure.

"Adian, I am good and I will be fine, please don't worry, just do what you need to do and come back quickly." I said, reassuringly.

Last night I was determined to be a strong and better woman for Adian Knights and that starts now.

"You sure?" Adian asks and I chuckle softly, observing another gentleman taking the seat beside the first gentleman, watching as they both stare at me before whispering among themselves.

Did Ameila brief them about me and the reason for the meeting?

"I have to go" I said into the phone and cut the call, opening my file.

My phone starts to vibe again and I hesitated before answering it.

"Yes, didn't I say I have to go?" I answered Adian.

"Don't f**king hang up on me again," Adian warns me.

"I did tell you that I have to go" I reminded him.

"Are you okay?" Adian repeated his last question before I hung up on him.

Nodding, even though he can't see me, "yes I promise you. I'm fine," I insisted.

"I trust you," Adian assures me. "It's my mother I don't trust," he also reminds me.

A woman who isn't Ameila walked into the room and winks at Caleb who in turn blows her a kiss.

"Adain, people are coming in and I don't want to be seen on the phone instead of prepping for the meeting." I whispered into the phone.

"Okay, I also have to go. I love you and don't allow anyone to back you into a corner." Adian advises.

Smiling, "I love you"I whispered into the phone.

"Same here" Adian was saying, when I heard a gruff voice call out to him, addressing him as Mr. Knights, before he hangs up.

I pulled Adian's file and watch as the board members continue filing into the room.

Since no one introduce themselves to me and Caleb didn't volunteer to introduce me, I kept my head down in the file on my lap.

"Where's Adian?" I heard from the doorway. Lifting my eyes, to see Ameila glaring at me. "What are you doing here?" She asks harshly.

Lifting my head, I match her gaze, "I'm Hailey Sullivan Knights" I introduced myself around the table, watching people look at me in surprise or with a smile or a naturally shock expression. "I am representing my husband, Adian Knights and myself, as the daughter of the la..." I paused and hesitated, before continuing. "of David Sullivan." I gave her challenging smile.

Before I could say anything else, everyone around the table starting speaking to me at once, until the second gentleman to walk into the room, took a seat at the head of the table, leaving his chair vacant for the only member whose left standing, Ameila Knights.

Without taking her seat, Ameila address the Chairman of the board.

"I was appointed by David Sullivan to conduct all business on his behalf," Ameila says to my surprise but I hid my surprise behind my fake smile.

Turning to the chairman who sat frowning at me, "until my twenty first birthday," I added to Ameila's comment, trying not to kick Caleb under the table, when he starts to giggle softly.

With my eyes on the Chairman, the other members present started commenting, positively in my favor.

"Sit down Ameila, there's new blood in town" the chairman says to Ameila.

I refuse to turn in her direction and kept my eyes on the chairman, when another member started chuckling and I look up to see it's the woman who winked at Caleb when she came in.

"Well the new blood in the room is representing both the Knights and the Sullivan's, so you can take the day off." She says and I know the comment is directed at Ameila, but refused to meet her gaze.

Hmm, this is good a start!