The Seduction 3 Read Online Free PDF

to relieve yourself of the burden.
But this company has tried to launch a takeover bid before,” he
adds, “And Ashcroft turned them down every time. It’s a hedge
fund, real cloak and dagger. We don’t even know who’s behind the
money.”
    “But what about the
share price?” I ask. “They say it’s gone down.”
    Cam gives me a
reassuring smile. “Share prices bounce around all the time. Things
will stabilize once they see it’s business as usual here.”
    “I just don’t know
if I’ll be more harm than good.” I sigh, looking around. It’s
not just this office, but factory plants and offices all around the
country. Thousands of people whose jobs now depend on me.
    Cam keeps smiling.
“You’ve got time. We don’t need to make any big decisions right
away. I’ve got things under control here at HQ, so you just settle
in, get a feel for things, see how it goes.”
    I exhale, relieved.
“OK, sounds like a plan.”
    “I’ve kept your
schedule this week pretty light,” Cam continues, checking his
tablet. “We’ll take meetings with all the department heads, so
you can hear how they’re running things. And since the gala is
cancelled--”
    “What gala?” I ask.
    “Oh, you didn’t
know?” Cam pauses. “Every year, the company hosts a charity
fund-raising gala. Black-tie affair, we usually raise about
half-a-million dollars for good causes. It was Ashcroft’s pet
project,” he adds with a smile.
    “But you said it’s
cancelled?”
    Cam clears his throat.
“Brent said it wouldn’t be appropriate this year, since Ashcroft
just passed...”
    I feel a flash of
anger. Typical Brent, ignoring people in need. He’d been the one to
hurry on the reading of the will, not caring about the charity
donations Ashcroft had left.
    “When was it
cancelled?” I ask. “Is it too late to change the plans again?”
    Cam looks thoughtful.
“That shouldn’t be a problem. We host it in the same place every
year, and I’m sure the caterers and staff are all still available.”
    “Then make the call,”
I decide. “The gala is going ahead -- in Ashcroft’s memory. It’s
what he would have wanted.”
    “What about Brent?”
    I narrow my eyes.
“Screw Brent. He’s not the one in charge here. I am.”
    Cam looks at me, slowly
breaking into a smile. “I can see why Ashcroft picked you,” he
says with a chuckle. “You’re going to do him proud.”

6
    VAUGHN
    I meet Keely in the
city at the Ashcroft Industries headquarters. I want to see what the
old man built on his lifetime of betrayal, and when I get there, it’s
everything I expected: a massive, fuck-off testament to lies and
deception. There’s no mention of my dad, or everything he
sacrificed to build the company. The glossy brochure in the waiting
area doesn’t even say that he started this place from nothing with
Ashcroft, it’s all boasting and puff pieces about the bastard
himself.
    He deleted my father
from history so completely, it’s like he never existed.
    I pace around,
impatient. Keely’s meetings have run long, and although some
assistant runs up to offer me a drink every five minutes, I don’t
want to spend another minute here more than necessary.
    There’s no point in
stalking around and getting to know the place, when soon enough, I’ll
see it all destroyed.
    Finally, the doors at
the end of the hall open. Keely comes out, laughing with some guy
right beside her, a tall guy in a suit.
    What the fuck?
    I tense, seeing the way
he leans in to murmur something in her ear. She smiles up at him, and
he rests his hand on her arm for a moment.
    Jealousy slams through
me.
    I stride over to them.
Keely turns, seeing me. “Vaughn!” She smiles. “This is Cam
McCullough. He was second in command to Ashcroft, so he’s been
explaining everything to me.”
    I meet Cam’s eyes
with a glare. Back the fuck off ,
I tell him without words, but the guy doesn’t flinch, just holds
out his hand for me to shake.
    “Great to meet you,”
he says.