Ashley had barely managed to escape the stifling formality of the boardroom. Her heels clicked sharply against the polished marble as she strode into the afternoon sun, determined to reclaim a fragment of normalcy in the chaos, Julian Blackwood had so abruptly injected into her life.
She inhaled deeply, letting the city's hum settle around her. She called Brooke immediately.
"He's… different," Ashley admitted, voice tight. "Nothing like the Julian I knew. Cold, precise, infuriatingly professional. And it drove me insane, so I walked out on them."
Brooke's laugh echoed through the line. "Sounds like the real Julian is nothing like your lover boy fantasies, wake up and smell the coffee baby. "
Ashley smiled wryly, but her thoughts kept drifting back. Every measured glance, every controlled word from Julian in that meeting had been deliberate. He was assessing her, evaluating her… and she hated that she wanted him to see through her, just as much as she wanted to frustrate him.
" How about the proposal? Please tell me he considered that at least" Brooke said with a hopeful voice.
" He wouldn't even touch it with a long pole, he kept saying my proposals did not align with their interests. Brooke we will have to activate plan b and force him to the table. Did you dig up any more dirt?"
She barely noticed the sleek black car gliding to a stop nearby, the window lowering, until a familiar, commanding voice cut through her conversation.
"Ms. Ashford."
Ashley froze. Heart hammering. That voice. That impossible, infuriating, magnetic voice.
Julian.
She quickly discharged Brooke off the phone promising to call back and faced him fully.
He was sitting behind, calm, sharp, impeccably dressed, with an aura of controlled power that made every nerve in her body tingle.
In front of the car starring, was a professional looking driver and a couple of photographers hovering discreetly like vultures waiting for a shot.
Her first instinct was to turn and flee, but Julian's eyes caught hers, steady, commanding, and… impossibly irritating.
"I'm not here to chase you," he said smoothly, voice low, almost teasing under the formal edge. "I just want a civil conversation."
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Civil? After you…?" She waved vaguely toward the boardroom, toward him, toward the audacity of this entire encounter.
He opened the door for her to get in.
"I want us to separate our personal lives from business," Julian said before she barely had a chance to settle in. "The divorce still stands as planned. But you will not mix our… private matters with the takeover. Understood?"
Ashley laughed, sharp and incredulous. "And here I thought you were ready to talk "
Julian's expression tightened ever so slightly. A flicker of something unreadable passed over his features, something between frustration and desire, but he quickly masked it behind professional detachment.
Ashley, however, was in full flare-up mode. "Oh, I understand perfectly, Julian," she said, stepping closer, daringly, even as her pulse raced. "I understand that you want to control the narrative and every decision I make concerning this transition period. But newsflash, I don't respond well to being told what to do."
A sharp exhale escaped Julian. "That's exactly why I want a conversation before things escalate. I don't want unnecessary… complications."
Ashley smirked, teasing him deliberately. "Complications? Me? I'd never. I'm just trying to survive your… charming form of corporate warfare."
" This isn't warfare, I must say you're beginning to act entitled."
"She cut him off immediately, what do you mean? I gave a proposal ,you didn't even bother to read, I saw you flipping over it. I was dismissed. Is this the way you actually treat people?" she said in a hurt tone.
"When the fuck is the divorce going to be filed, im sick of you already." She'd forgotten she was the one who had not gone to sign the petition for filing.
She regretted the moment she said, "When the divorce is over and I can not be linked to you anymore, your PR team is about to get busy. Brace yourself for the storm I'm about to unleash on you Mr Blackwood. Let's see what the actual court and the courts of public opinion thinks about Blackwood incorporation, influencing the foreclosing of small companies through shell companies only to swoop in and buy them cheaply." The accusation lay heavy in the air, she wasn't meant to drop this fact yet. It was at this point she knew she'd fucked up.
That was it. The unfounded and baseless allegations pushed him just far enough. If she was looking for a reaction from him, she got it finally. He wondered why she was basically grasping at the straw, anything to smear the name of blackwood and he wasn't about to back down from this challenge. Julian's lips tightened, jaw set, and for a heartbeat, the calm, professional mask slipped to reveal the man who had made her heart race on the cruise, the man who had wanted, teased, and possessed her in ways that left her breathless.
"Very well," he said slowly, voice low and deliberate. "If you insist on testing boundaries…" He paused, letting the weight of the words hang in the air. "…then I have no choice but to delay the divorce. Until I see you understand the consequences of your actions."
Ashley blinked. "You…wait…you can't do that. The divorce is legal. We agreed…"
"I can," Julian interrupted, sharp but controlled. "And I will. Not out of malice, but as incentive. Let's call it a lesson in respecting boundaries."
Ashley flared, eyes wide. "You're unbelievable. Punishing me because I dared speak my mind? Are you serious?"
Julian didn't back down. Not an inch. Not a flicker of his steel blue eyes softened. "I'm serious. You wanted to provoke and threaten me? Congratulations. You did. Now we proceed carefully, or you will see exactly what 'consequences' mean for unfounded baseless accusations."
Ashley clenched her fists, equal parts frustrated, exhilarated, " They are not threats when it's the truth. I did my own research and fine," she said, chin lifted, fire in her voice. "If we're doing this… game on. But don't think you can scare me."
Julian's expression darkened just enough to make her pulse spike. He didn't smile, didn't tease, didn't indulge. He simply nodded once, precise and deliberate.
"Good. Then let's keep it civil for now," he said, his gaze scanning the street for the reporters still lingering. "We have a reputation to maintain, I do at least."
Ashley's eyes followed his, noticing the few remaining photographers attempting to get shots of them.She ignored his snide remark and insinuation. Her lips pressed together. Julian's hand subtly signaled the driver, and in moments, they were gliding through side streets, weaving between alleys and narrow roads that lost the press in minutes.
Julian's gaze went back to her, Her eyes looked tired and for a brief moment he felt pity for her. Was this the problem she wanted to forget on her trip ? "You think I enjoy this, I'd prefer we sort out the whole issues amicably"
"Oh, I know you do," she countered boldly. "Now that you know that I've found out the skeleton in your expensive closet"
For a heartbeat, he didn't respond. The annoying loud mouth was back. It made him want to teach her a lesson for the future so bad.
Ashley rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth quirked. Every word between them was loaded, now that they were seated this close together. Every glance, every pause, was a spark, a reminder of the stolen week, of the man who could still ignite her with a single look.
Finally, they pulled up to a quiet café away from the cameras. Julian signalled the driver to kill the engine and turned to her. "One coffee. Civil. No distractions."
Ashley raised her brow, smirking. "One coffee? You drive a hard bargain."
They entered, ignoring a few curious glances from other patrons. Sitting across from each other at a small table, Julian's presence was commanding, almost suffocating, but she couldn't deny the thrill it brought.
"Let's be clear," Julian said smoothly, voice steady, eyes unblinking. "The divorce… will only happen as planned only if the transition will proceed smoothly and I want you to understand that personal flare ups, baseless accusations cannot interfere with business. Do we have an understanding? And enough with smear campaigns, this is not my first rodeo"
Ashley sat back, her arms folded across her chest, fire in her eyes. "Understand this, Mr. Blackwood, you don't get to dictate how I behave. And I won't be intimidated into… being anything other than myself, it's not a baseless accusation if it's true."
A tense silence hung between them. Julian's jaw flexed, eyes narrowing, but his controlled composure never wavered. Then he leaned back, voice softer but still firm.
"Fine," he said, deliberate. "Then consider the divorce delayed. Not for the negotiation…it seems you enjoy being married to me and I will grant you your wish. We will remain married till we come to an agreement and can be civil to one another"
Ashley's pulse raced, frustration and anticipation mingling in equal measure. She wanted to roll her eyes, storm out, and throw a tantrum. A part of her also wanted to lean across the table and smack the smug look of his face.
"Civility," she echoed, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Noted."
Julian smirked ever so slightly, one eyebrow lifting. "Good. Now, coffee, if all goes as plan, i'd ask my lawyer my lawyer includes adequate alimony"
It took Ashley all her strength and energy not to scream at the utter debasement. Instead she quietly replied "That's far too kind Julian, but I don't do bribes. This stinks like a huge one. I promise you, once I confirm Blackwood is behind "Stonehenge" I am going to rain hell on you and blackwood." she said in a very quiet tone.
The coffee arrived, the air between them crackled with tension and anticipation. Words had been said, threats had been issued , Sparks had flown and none of them was backing down, neither of them aware of how combustible their collusion would become.