Old Age Doesn't Necessarily Mean Wisdom

Chapter 2

Third POV

"Miss Daniels? Are you daydreaming again?!"

Avery's gaze was cold and unflinching as he glanced back at the old men in front of him, as they instantly kept quiet as they weren't expecting that from her.

"I can hear you all. So shut it, if you want to criticize me but have nothing to offer me." They instantly kept quiet, not sure what to do when the young lady in front of them suddenly became so rude and uncaring for their opinions. Lana was honest but she was at least mindful of her words yet the person looking at them was thinking of a way to get rid of them if they don't follow her words and kept quiet.

"Show me the reports or I can have my way with you and get you fired."

They paused before laughing out loud from her words, as they couldn't believe the young girl was trying to manipulate them. Especially when her father had more faith in them than he did with her about his business. Since she was always focused on anything but her inheritance, making it easy for them to gain more say than her in the company.

"Your father wouldn't allow that, Miss Daniels. You wouldn't want to disappoint him again, now, would you?" The man seated closest to Avery, who was currently Lana gave her(him) a smug smile in the process.

"But he won't be able to stop the law from taking you into custody if you were potentially exposed for fraud and scamming of clients, would he?" Lana (Avery) smiled back at him, having no emotions expressed, causing the man to shiver in response as he couldn't argue with that. None of them could argue with that, since Leonard Daniels would be unable to save them if there was physical and solid evidence that proved that they had broken the law.

"Insolent girl." One of them hissed at Lana (Avery), standing up at the level of disrespect and subtle hints of manipulation in her words. He knew that she was right, but it didn't sit well with his pride, he was ready to hit her, it may have been wrong, but his ego wouldn't allow him to see reason. Avery noticed how the others didn't try to stop him and decided to speak up on the matter.

"Your friends are quite traitorous, aren't they?" Lana (Avery) questioned him, watching him falter. "Stop trying to manipulate me, you brat." He faltered for a moment, quickly attacking back with no disregard or awareness of his surroundings. The rest of the board members watched, trying to stay away from the conversation while trying to save themselves.

"The young lady is simply feeling too proud now."

"Exactly. She is always in the lab and suddenly barking words she doesn't even understand."

"A disrespectful child like always. Pay no mind to her words."

Avery watched as they spoke like a mean girl cliché supporting their leader while making sure to seem like they were forced into doing and getting out of it unscathed. He would have let it slide if this was his problem.

That was a lie.

He would never let such a level of disrespect slide, and it was Lana's problem, which automatically made it his problem as well. Eventually the noise and chatter began to annoy him more before slamming Lana's hands onto the table.

"Will you keep quiet?!!" He shouted in Lana's voice, already planning on leaving lots of mints and ointment for the sore throat he was going to give her from all the yelling. He was tired of fighting with middle-aged men that had the greed and selfishness of a child that had never shared anything before in their life yet was suddenly asked to do so by their parents. That situation was understandable in his eyes, since the child was never taught how to do such and would retaliate from being forced into something without any form or hindsight or preparation from the parents' side.

"I have no use for leeches in my company," Avery commented, while standing up, using his outburst to stun them all as he began to take the documents from each person on the table and place them in front of Lana's side of the table. "It's your father's company, not yours." Avery wondered if this group of old people ever read a book or were to blind sighted by the thought of property being in their custody they didn't even have to work for.

"Fortunately for me, the law clearly states that the child of any parent, whether by blood, adoption or foster care. They are legally considered to be the heirs of everything that their parents possess in terms of monetary value. Monetary value from shares, buildings and even companies."

"Your father's will can be changed to someone else that is tied to him in more than just blood relations." Avery mentally facepalmed, impressed by the level of boldness and displeased by the lack of backup they had, since it was clear that Lana was going to inherit everything from her father and they couldn't do anything about it as Leonard Daniels loved his daughter a lot and trusted her judgment, even if she was more reserved and less sociable compared to him.

"I can take this to court."

"And who will take you open that case, Lana?" One of them spoke up, as the others smiled in triumph, thinking they had managed to get her (Avery) backed up into a corner by using her words against her.

"Avery Thomas." He smiled openly when stating his true identity while in the body of Lana Daniels. They scoffed until he unlocked Lana's phone and showed them his phone number and mail details on her contacts with messages already sent between the two, which caused them to instantly keep quiet, unable to find any flaws in the words spoken in the room as he was one of the best lawyers in the country and they weren't trying to meet this vicious man in court either. They all retreated, having nothing else to say but glare at Lana with wounded egos and pride, as they tried to think of ways to instantly back at her for such a humiliating conversation.

"For each glare sent my way, I will hold it to you mentally abusing me." He held up the recordings of the entire meeting in his hands, they retracted their glares and scurried off. Avery sighed, seating down properly as he adjusted the buttoned white shirt and skirt Lana wore under her lab coat. He took his time to relax and enjoy the peace of being alone in a room before opening the phone and started to text her.

You better not have messed with my files, Daniels.

-Lana

It took exactly two minutes for her to reply back with his phone.

I am proud to say that it was your sister that did that, not me.

-Avery

He sighed in response, not surprised as he would ask for the details later.

Just stay safe and stay with Anna.

-Lana

 Avery looked at the files in front of him, already criticizing the arrangement and lack of order on the paperwork and began to correct them. He seriously hoped that Lana was doing better in his body for the time being.