Avery Merritt wouldn't take
no for an answer again.
She made that point clear with Sophia Wolfe, though few people, if anyone, would know of her encounter with her fellow woman of “stature.” It was one of those rare times when Avery actually preferred that her exploits remained known only to a select few. But Avery, ever the strategist, saw the power of connections within LAW despite Sophia's answer to her offer for an alliance.
But she had learned the hard way how dangerous it could be to give up control to the other figure in those connections. Never again. She would hold the balance of power firmly in her hands from now on, especially when that power was at her disposal to get her to the top. That was what had led to her past mistakes. The leaks. The frustration with Jamie Harper and how she still wanted to grind him into powder for his knowledge of her past. It had all come back to bite her. But as a businesswoman, and one who desired to remain at the pinnacle of LAW, Avery knew there was still value in numbers. It wasn’t enough to rely solely on herself. She had to build a network, but one specifically under her thumb. That was what she was after now. She’d done the research, and she knew exactly who was ripe for the picking.
The criteria were simple: young wrestlers, good looks, physical potential, but crucially, wrestlers who weren’t so entrenched in their own careers outside of LAW that they would have the audacity, or even the ability, if they had good sense, to tell her no. Avery had spent time carefully selecting her targets, and she’d found the first perfect candidate.
Hand resting on her curvy hip, Avery watched the young woman stretch at the punching bag. The sight of her was enough to pique Avery’s interest. She was fit, toned, with a look that made her undeniably marketable in the ring. And the fact that she was here, at the gym, training… well, that was exactly the kind of person Avery needed. She wanted someone who had the drive but lacked the proper guidance, someone who’d benefit from having the Queen of Diamonds herself take them under her wing.
Avery took a step forward out of the shadows, looking quite impressive herself. She wore tight training gear that hugged her chest and barely covered her hips, showing off the strength of her long, toned legs.
She approached with all the grace and confidence of a model, her hips swaying with each step as she made her way into the young woman's peripheral vision. Her eyes narrowed in mock disappointment.
"Oh, for shame," she cooed with a playful smirk, feigning a sense of frustration. Her gaze swept over the woman’s body before she let out a light sigh, almost wistful.
"I might have been coming over to use this punching bag... but now that I see you working it, I’m spellbound." She exaggerated the intrigue in her tone.
