She slept terribly that night. tossing and turning, replaying her last conversations with Brooke and anxious about the impending meeting. When it was 8; 00 am on the dot, she proceeded to the bathroom to shower. Today was the day she was going to meet with the Company taking over Ashford publishing. She knew this meeting was just for PR purposes, not to be seen as a hostile takeover and to better acquaint themselves with the processes. Her Father had called in the early hours of the morning, a little bit under the weather and entrusted her with the meeting.
She was dressed corporately in no time with her unruly hair tamed backwards, ready to take on the world. Her proposal was simple, she wanted an arrangement between the new buyers and her Family. An opportunity to partner with the company,if they could raise the sum to buy back some of their shares. Retainership of some of the staff, including herself. Surely they would consider if the figures were right, as it was all about the money for them she tried to convince herself. If they were able to offer better terms, just maybe, it could work.
She got to the parking lot, looked at the mirror making sure she was well put together before proceeding to the intimidating building which stood like a sentinel overlooking the City.
The name blackwood Incorporation was carved out in black and she taught about Julian blackwood casually and chuckled, what were the odds her "husband" shared the same surname with this fishy corporation.
Her phone buzzed just as she stepped past the revolving doors into the reception. Brooke's name lit up the screen.
Ashley hesitated, thumb hovering. Should she answer? She was already there. A part of her wanted to delay, as she wasn't sure she could handle any more surprises right now. But she couldn't call, better prepared than sorry.
"Brooke?" she said, breath puffing in the cool air.
"Finally. I've been calling you since breakfast." Brooke's tone was sharp, urgent. "Where are you?"
"On my way to the meeting. Why?"
There was a pause on the line, then Brooke exhaled slowly. "Ash… I found something."
Ashley's face lit up. "What did you find?"
"Stonehenges ltd is sketchy, I mean, it exists on paper, but the firm's practically a shell. No staff outside a few paralegals and one director. No major clients. Guess who their single biggest source of funding is?"
Ashley's chest tightened. "Brooke, stop with suspense…"
"blackwood incorporation," Brooke said grimly. "But that's not the end of it. Stonehenge is a subsidiary of Blackwood, they practically entrapping small businesses with loans and funny interest rates and clauses, move into foreclosure and sell to their own company at a ridiculous price." She lowered her voice as if someone might be listening through the phone.
"Blackwood Enterprises? The same company selling and buying it, they are the ones I'm meeting today Brooke, are you sure they are the same people ? So they could swing in like vultures? ."
The Jet, the yacht, the whole air of importance around Julian suddenly slapped Ashley in the face with unbelievable realization,she'd given no thought to earlier on. Her breath caught in her throat. "Julian had repeatedly called her 'Mrs Blackwood" No. That…no, that can't be, she remembered the nagging familiarity of the name anytime it was mentioned,like it was signalling her it should mean something. Everyone knew the blackwood enterprise, how could they not with that building towering above them.
"The evidence says they are the same. Blackwood is the parent company," Brooke said flatly. "Ash, I've double-checked. Paper trails don't lie. All of this, your family's ruin, the buyout, the debt deals, it all traces back to Blackwood."
The world tilted. Ashley gripped a column for balance, earning a strange and worried look from the receptionist.
Her mind spun. Blackwood. Julian Blackwood.
She barely heard Brooke's next words. "Brooke , The guy I married, his name is Julian Blackwoods. I need you to find what if he has any link with the company " she whispered, hoping and praying fervently it was just a coincidence he had the surname.
"Julian Blackwood is the stranger with the yacht? She screamed into Ashley's ears, almost deafening her. " How do you not know Julian Blackwood?"
Everyone in the corporate world knew him, he was a cutthroat business executive who'd taken over the family business at barely twenty three years old, when his father suddenly had a stroke.
Ashley squeezed her eyes shut. "This doesn't make sense. He…he didn't say anything. He acted like…"
"Like what?" Brooke asked softly.
"Like none of this existed," Ashley whispered. "Like we were just…" She cut herself off, heart clenching. She didn't want to admit it aloud, she had slept with and married the Devil.
Brooke's silence was heavy. "Ash, listen to me. Do not let him charm you anymore . Do not let him play you. I suspect your meeting wasn't by chance. You go into that meeting with your eyes wide open. He's not just some guy you married in Vegas. He's Blackwood's CEO. And Blackwood Enterprises is the reason your family is drowning."
Ashley's throat burned, but she forced herself to nod even though Brooke couldn't see her. "I understand."
"Good." Brooke hesitated, then added, "I'll dig more. I'll keep you updated. But, Ash, promise me you won't let him see how much this rattles you. If he's behind this, he doesn't get to win."
Ashley swallowed the knot in her throat. "I promise."
They ended the call, and Ashley stood frozen at the reception,not moving a step further. Her stomach twisted, a knot of betrayal and disbelief.
Julian.
The man who had wrapped her in his arms on the boat, who had teased her about her terrible attempts at poker, who had kissed her like she was the only woman in the world was the same man whose company was tearing her family's legacy apart.The man orchestrating their downfall.
Her hands shook, but she clenched them into fists. She couldn't fall apart now.
"Professional," she reminded herself. "Be professional. He doesn't get to see you break." she proceeded to the receptionist to make enquiries.
A receptionist with a practiced smile directed her to the thirty-fourth floor.
Ashley rode the elevator up in silence, adjusting her blazer nervously,Every floor that ticked by made her nerves tighter, she quickly googled his name half hoping it wasn't true and suddenly wondering why she hadn't done that all the time.
When the doors slid open, a board room loomed at the end of the hall, its glass walls exposing a long table and three men already seated inside. Her heels clicked against the tile as she walked forward, head high, in sharp contrast to the turmoil going on in her ahead. She checked her phone, the confirmation made her heart crack as panic set in.
She pushed the door open.
And froze.