After She's Terminal The Alpha Regrets (Elaine and Lucas) novel Chapter 128

Ada stepped through the front doors of the rental space. Not as large as she might have wanted but she didn’t exactly have hundreds of thousands of dollars to be spending on renovating a larger space.

It would have to do.

The location was what she liked most. Only a few blocks away from New Dawn and in an area with more bility. It was right off the main road.

“A hundred thousand dollars, you said,” Kaine said as he walked past her, “I still do not see that money.”

“It will come,” Ayla lied easily enough. She wasn’t about to admit that the money had all gone to Elaine and not her. “Don’t worry so much.”

“You keep trying to brush it under the rug. I’m starting to think you never secured that much.”

“These things take time. Not everything happens so quickly. Trust me, we’ll be raking in the cash by the time this place opens. Take New Dawn for instance. They’re quite successful directly after opening,” Ayla said.

Kaine tilted his head, considering this. “Yes, but the location suggests we’re directly competing.”

“Oh, barely.” Ayla walked through the empty lobby. “I have no doubts this will take off and outpace her own in no time.”

“We shall see then.” Kaine glanced over his shoulder as Lucia came down one of the hallways from having looked over the building.

“I think it will suit our needs quite nicely,” Lucia said. “Even if money is tight.”

“Wouldn’t be so tight if my investors were a little more generous,” Ayla said with a smile that didn’t reach her

eyes.

“Proof of concept, my dear. We need to know this will work.” Lucia stopped before the two of them, placing a hand at her hip. “We can’t go throwing around so much money for nothing. There needs to be a return.”

“A return that will come. But progress is slow,” Ayla said.

“Just slap a ‘now open‘ sign at the front and start collecting donations. There, problem solved.”

Ayla chuckled. “Right. Because that’s not suspicious at all.”

“Ayla is right. This needs to run legitimately,” Kaine said with a shake of his head. “Though I admire the sentiment.”

Lucia smirked. “We need to start earning somehow.”

“We will, trust me on that. Once we spruce up this place a bit and set up the facilities, there will be more than enough in donations to prove this foundation’s success.” Ayla turned away from the two. “Now, if you’d go over the paperwork with the realtor, I have somewhere else to be.”

“Something more important than this?” Kaine asked.

Ayla had already started walking back to the doors. “Oh, please, don’t be so dramatic!”

Even if it was.

The only thing, or person, she was even doing this for. Lucas. He was far more important than skuttling around

173

Chapter 129

+20 BONUS BONUS

some old building talking about donations.

She pushed the doors open, walking out into the small parking lot. But she paused right as she spotted her car Someone was leaning against it. Not casually, but with a sort of tension in their frame.

Not just any person, though.

Walter, Elaine’s father.

Ayla’s pace slowed as she neared the car and recognized him. Her eyes narrowed despite her attempts to keep a cheerful expression.

“Walter,” she called out. “What are you doing here?”

He looked up. “Ayla. I’ve been looking for you.”

“Why?”