Williams’s POV
I flipped through the documents on my desk without really paying attention to what I was reading.
Signing the divorce papers with that bitch and taking over everything that belonged to her had been the best thing that could have happened to me.
Contract deals were flowing in now.
Soon I’d surpass even that arrogant bastard Victor Ashford.
I couldn’t believe Miriam was stupid enough to throw herself at him.
She’d come crawling back to me eventually.
They always did.
A knock came at my office door.
“Come in,” I called out.
The door opened and Nadia walked in looking exhausted.
She was always my preference over Miriam.
Classier.
Sharper.
Prettier.
“Hi baby, you look so down,” I said, standing up and wrapping my arms around her.
She hugged me back but her mood was clearly off.
“I got rejected,” she said quietly.
“Aww, rejected from where?” I said as gently as I could, holding her face in my hands.
She looked up at me and pouted innocently.
That pout.
I knew that pout.
She used it whenever she’d done something I’d told her not to do.
“Don’t tell me you actually applied for a job at Ashford Industries,” I said, squinting at her.
She sighed and walked over to my desk, sitting in my chair.
“I did.”
I snapped immediately.
“But I instructed you not to apply there. I told you I’d get you a position somewhere better.”
“Till when?” she cut me off, looking directly at me.
“You say this all the time, but you never actually do anything. I needed a job. I have expertise. Ashford Industries is one of the most popular companies in the city. I had no choice but to apply.”
I chuckled coldly.
“So you’re saying my company can’t provide you with a position that matches your expertise?”
“You’re twisting my words,” she said tiredly.
“I never said that. Please, I’m exhausted from arguing with you.”
She turned the chair away from me, presenting her back.
There was always one problem with Nadia- she didn’t accept what I wanted.
She did whatever she felt like.
Unlike Miriam, who obeyed my every command without question.
But I needed the Lopez connection.
I needed to keep her close.
I folded my fists and took several deep breaths, trying to control my temper.
Having a Lopez asset was still important to my plans.
I couldn’t afford to lose her now.
I walked around the desk and faced her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
She sulked and wouldn’t look up.
“Where would you like me to put you?” I asked.
She relaxed immediately, a grin spreading across her face.
She loved anything involving money.
“Well, I won’t ask for much. Just put me somewhere with a higher salary.”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“Deal.”
She laughed and kissed me.
I kissed her back, gripping her tightly.
After I got what I really wanted from her, I’d decide whether to keep her or discard her.
For now, she was useful.
“We’re in the office,” I muttered against her lips.
“Do you think we can do it here?”
She giggled and pecked my lips.
“We can wait until we get home, honey.”
I nodded.
I would do anything to keep her compliant.
“You heard from Miriam?” she asked, standing up and walking to my fridge to pour wine into two glasses.
“Trust me, that bitch will come running to me,” I said confidently.
“If she can’t afford to live on the streets, she’ll have to beg me to take her back.”
She handed me a glass and clinked hers against mine.
“I await her begging,” she mocked.
We both laughed.
The moment felt light, almost normal.
But then my phone started ringing.
The caller ID read “Middle Contract Man.” I smiled.
Good news, probably.
I picked up immediately.
“Sir, we have a problem,” the man said urgently.
I placed my glass down and walked into the other room, away from Nadia.
“What problem?”
“The money allocated to the Exclusive contract was suddenly diverted,” he said.
My entire body went rigid.
“What? Where?”
“Sir, you need to calm down. We’re trying our best to retrieve it.”
“Where the hell was the money diverted to?” I demanded, my patience completely gone.
“An orphanage, sir. I don’t know how it happened, but the money was diverted as a donation for an orphanage home.”
My blood ran cold.
“Which orphanage?”
“Sir, it’s owned by the Ashford’s family.”
I didn’t respond for a moment.
I couldn’t.
The words didn’t make sense.
“How?” I finally asked.
“How does Victor Ashford even know about this contract? How did he find out? This was supposed to be confidential. Forty-five billion dollars, and he just redirected it like it was nothing?”
“Sir, I’m still investigating. I don’t have all the details yet.”
I stood on my office balcony, staring out at the busy streets below.
My hands were shaking with rage.
This was unexpected.
This was impossible.
How had Ashford known about the contract?
How had he known the exact amount?
How had he gotten access to the accounts?
Unless.
Unless Miriam had told him.
No.
She wouldn’t be that stupid.
She wouldn’t risk it.
She had nothing.
She had no power.
She couldn’t possibly have the knowledge or connections to pull off something like this.
But Ashford could.
Ashford had the power.
Ashford had the connections.
Ashford had the resources to infiltrate my accounts and redirect my money without me even knowing it was happening.
The question was: why?
Was this about Miriam?
Had she run to him crying about how I’d taken everything from her?
Had she begged him to help her hurt me in return?
Or was this about something else entirely?
Was there something about Ashford I didn’t know?
Some connection to my past deals that I wasn’t aware of?
I immediately dialed another number.
“I need you to find out how Victor Ashford knew about the Exclusive contract,” I said the moment someone picked up.
“I need to know everything. His sources. His connections. How he accessed my accounts. I need answers right now.”
I lowered the phone and stared out at the city.
This wasn’t over.
This was just the beginning.
Victor Ashford had just made his first move against me, and he’d done it without me even seeing it coming.
The bastard had gotten forty-five billion dollars.
Money I’d been counting on.
Money that was supposed to make me unstoppable.
But he’d turned it into charity.
That meant something.
That meant he was showing me something.
He was sending me a message.
I smiled coldly.
Victor Ashford wanted to play games?
Then we would play.
But he had no idea what he was up against.
He had no idea who he’d made an enemy of.
He had no idea what I was capable of.
This was only the beginning.