CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN - The Aftermath of Defiance

Ava spent the entire morning on damage control, fielding angry calls from Xander Corp's CEO and trying to make sense of the mess Evelyn had created. By lunchtime, she was ready to pull her hair out. "Sarah," Ava called out to Max's assistant, "is Max available? I really need to speak with him about this Xander Corp situation." Sarah looked up from her computer, a sympathetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Ms. Hart. Mr. Bennett is at the university giving his first lecture. Mrs. Bennett made it clear he wasn't to be disturbed." Ava closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "Okay. When is he expected back?" "Not until late this afternoon," Sarah replied. "And then he has back-to-back meetings scheduled by Mrs. Bennett." "Of course he does," Ava muttered. "Thanks, Sarah." Back in her office, Ava threw herself into damage control mode. She spent hours on the phone with Xander Corp's team, trying to find a compromise that would satisfy their new expectations without