HEIRESS REBORN: MARRYING HER EX-FIANCÉ-Chapter 41: Five Years Later (3)

’....Right.’

Ayana let out a quiet sigh. Her left forefinger lightly tapped on the office desk, and her right fingers almost squeezed the thin papers.

"Of course she would." She muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly with a sharp glint. "She never misses a chance to get under my skin."

’Tsk! What an absolute nuisance.’ Ayana mentally clicked her tongue at the unwelcomed persistence.

Over the years, she had crafted an image of herself as someone who only mingled with others when it was business related—a reputation she maintained meticulously after Arabella’s 17th birthday banquet. And while invitations to banquets and gatherings had steadily declined over time, a few still trickled in, mostly from her relatives who refused to take the hint.

They remained stubborn and kept up their yearly habits of sending her invites. The consistency was almost impressive, if not irritating. Ayana wouldn’t be surprised if there were rumors painting her as ’an ungrateful niece’ for repeatedly declining these invitations—but she had long stopped caring about what people assumed of her.

’’Dispose of the invitation, Lisa.’’ Ayana said without blinking. ’’If Arabella asks for an excuse, come up with one on the spot like you have been doing.’’

’’Understood, ma’am.’’ Lisa replied, already anticipated her boss’s response.

’Now that’s over....’ Ayana’s mind shifted to something she nearly forgot. ’Perhaps I can attend my high school graduation, since I’m not too busy.’

She then let out a small sigh. ’The principal has been on my neck to give a graduation speech.’

’’Urm...are you unwell, ma’am?’ On the side, Lisa was quick to notice Ayana’s dilemma.

’’Yes, I’m very well, Lisa.’’ She replied straightaway, and returned focused fully to her work agenda.

’’About this contract, Lisa....’’

****

’’You’re still awake.’’

It wasn’t a question, but a statement. A statement that she knew the second she stepped inside the mansion at the nightly hour.

’’Of course I am, Ayana.’’ Her eyes took in the sight of her first cousin, Noah Kingston, standing up from the sofa in the parlor and walking towards her.

That’s right, standing.

Noah Kingston had long gotten rid of his wheelchair and had been walking for months like a normal person. Though, he still limped at times, but that was normal, according to Matt Easmond.

"I have a family member who insists on staying out almost till midnight under the pretext of work. And might I add...." He folded his arms with a grin, "She’s just an eighteen-year-old kid and has been doing this for the past two years?"

’’You of all should understand the reason I’m always out this late, Noah.’’ Ayana almost rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness. ’’My position as president is not stable yet....’’

’’I think your actions and reputation have spoken otherwise, Ayana....or should I say the rumored she-devil of the Kingston corporation?’’ Noah teased with a smirk.

’’...’’

’’Or it Iron lady now?’’

Ayana stared at him with the most unimpressed look. ’’If you have nothing else to say, I’m going to bed.’’

"Okay, okay," Noah chuckled, raising his hands in a mock surrender. "But you’re not going to ask about Jason?" He asked, lowering them back.

’’I was going to check up on him rather than waste my time on you.’’ Ayana paused before asking cautiously. ’’Did something happen to him?’’

"Nothing drastic." Noah replied, a hint of amusement still in his tone. "But you might want to know he’s been complaining about you. He didn’t take too kindly to the ’no games’ punishment."

"Jason needs to learn, Noah.’’ Ayana shook her head with a small sigh. ’’He should learn that being the Young master and heir of Kingston family is not a burden but a blessing and a responsibility. He can play with his games and puzzles after two days."

’’By learning, do you mean telling a seven-year-old that you were unhappy with his birth?’’ Noah blatantly pointed out.

Ayana did not respond, and wasn’t surprised that Noah got to know about her words either. Just as Jason was close to her, he acted the same way with their first cousin.

’’Sometimes, I don’t understand you, Ayana.’’ Noah let out a sigh at her silence. ’’In my opinion, you’re being a bit hard on Jason and yourself as well.’’

’’.....’’

’’There have been times when you stare at Jason as though you owe him something very important.’’

’’...’’

’’....Jason needs to be fully aware of his identity starting from now,’’ Ayana finally spoke, her voice firm. ’’And I can handle myself at the corporation. You worry too much, Noah.’’

’’I worry perfectly fine, Ayana.’’ Noah insisted. ’’I won’t speak of Jason since I can understand the situation a bit, but I can’t understand you.’’

’’...’’

’’I am pretty sure no one wants to go against you with how you used Shareholder Mcclain and the two department heads as examples.’’

’’...’’

’’Let’s not forget that you fired quite a number of employees every year and replace them without hesitation.’’

’’....It’s not enough.’’ Ayana lowered her gaze in thoughts.

What she had done since she took over the president’s position was not enough to be called an accomplishment.

’’Ayana....’’

"Don’t tell me that I’m doing perfectly fine again, Noah." She interrupted again, her tone sharp but not unkind. "You might say the corporation is doing alright under my lead, but it’s not enough. I want more accomplishments, and I won’t stop my actions until I get them. Till then, you can keep on nagging me until your tongue finally gets tired!"

Ever since she took over the Kingston corporation at sixteen-years-old, Ayana had wasted no second in putting what she had planned and learned to use as the new president.

That also included imprisoning shareholder Mcclain for embezzling the corporation’s money and his crimes using the corporation’s name, and also the two department heads working under him.

All three of them had also been investigated to be working for her uncle. With that Ayana had no qualms in firing them and also imprisoning them for their crimes alongside the evidence.

Ayana also vividly recalled the board members protesting that she must have been petty to take silly revenge against Shareholder Mcclain with fabricated evidence.

Whether they believed her or not, Ayana remained undeterred, pushing forward with her strategy of asserting her power at every corner of the Kingston corporation.

With the help of Sam and Mr. Dixon, most spies were found and dealt with. While she continued the projects Noah had started and launched new ones; many of which had led to solid results.

The board eventually stopped their complaints, as long as her actions didn’t directly threaten their self-interests.

Nevertheless, Ayana had made it clear that if they had other unkind intentions for the Kingston corporation, she would remove them just like she had done with the shareholder Mcclain.

She absolutely did not care what kind of position they held in the Kingston corporation. As the new president, she was the only who held the power.

All these had been her achievements since she became the young president of the Kingston corporation.

However....

It wasn’t enough.

Ayana felt that they were not enough.

Firing the annoying shareholder and the two-faced department heads and employees? What type of achievement was that?

She needed more.

More to put her mark on the Kingston corporation as her own and not through her parents’ name and reputation or their ancestors.

More to achieve what she had not accomplished in her past life.

More to atone for her foolish mistakes.

Most of all, she needed more to leave behind a good foundation for her precious little brother, her adorable Jason, when the time would come for him to take over from her.

If Noah expected her to dilly and dally during her time as the president of the Kingston corporation, he absolutely got it all wrong.

As the silence stretched in the atmosphere, Noah and Ayana held gazes for a moment. None wanted to surrender even for a second.

"Must you always use such sharp words on your older brother, Ayana?" Noah sighed, first breaking off contact and shaking his head as he recalled the countless times his younger cousin had wounded his heart with her biting remarks.

Indeed, she lived up to her name as the so-called she-devil.

’’I was being honest.’’

’’Yeah, Yeah, whatever suits your boat.’’ Noah muttered, dismissing her defense with a wave of his hand, and walked past her.

"Anyway," He paused and turned back. ’’You’re back, so I can finally get some sleep. I’ll keep waiting for the day you come home early, Ayana. I don’t care how much you hate me for my nagging or being nosy."

’’...’’

’’Oh, and your graduation is coming up, soon.’’ He suddenly remembered. "The principal has called to ask about your reply. Make sure you clear your schedule that day. We need to celebrate that milestone together as a family, and I won’t take no for an answer, Ayana." With that, he headed to his room, leaving the eighteen-year-old alone in the silence of the parlor.