Chapter 20 #2
Today was supposed to be a break—a rare free day.
I’d be working until the afternoon, then heading home with Colson.
But the highlight was lunch with Logan. It had been weeks since I’d seen him; he’d been in Los Angeles, training for his new position at the AFC office.
Lunch together was a tradition, a slice of normalcy in the chaos my life had become. I couldn’t wait.
As noon approached, anticipation bubbled inside me.
I could already picture Logan’s easy smile, the way his presence always made everything seem more manageable.
But just as I was about to wrap up, a sharp scream cut through the air, shattering my calm.
My heart jumped into my throat, and I bolted from my office, nearly colliding with Vaughn as I stumbled into the hallway.
"Walk much?" Vaughn sneered, sidestepping me with a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
His tone was a stark contrast to our last encounter at the mansion, where he’d been almost civil.
Now, his voice dripped with venom, his anger barely concealed.
I knew why—my wedding to Colson was just days away, and Vaughn was clearly not happy about it.
Ignoring his hostility, I continued down the hall, my steps quickening as I headed toward Colson’s office.
The door was ajar, and inside, Simone was in full meltdown mode, her voice sharp and grating as she screamed at her father.
She was furious, railing against Colson for cutting off her use of the company jet and placing limits on her credit card.
It was a tantrum fit for a spoiled heiress, but Colson sat there calmly, stroking his chin as if he were watching a mildly amusing show.
Simone didn’t need his money—she had a substantial trust fund and earned a decent salary at AFC.
But entitlement ran deep in the Ashworth family, and any restriction felt like a personal attack.
When she spotted me hovering in the doorway, her anger shifted like a laser, and she lunged in my direction, eyes blazing.
"This is your fault!" she screamed, acid in every word. "You told him to do it, you gold-digging bitch! You’re the reason he’s like this! I will never accept you!"
I backed away instinctively, my heart pounding.
Simone was out of control, and for a moment, I thought she might actually hit me.
But before she could reach me, Colson’s moved and his arm shot out, grabbing her by the wrist. He yanked her back, dragging her into his office, and slammed the door shut with a finality that left me standing there, frozen.
Vaughn was right behind me. I barely registered his presence until I stumbled into him. This time, he didn’t move away. Instead, he loomed over me, his presence oppressive, his eyes filled with accusation.
"You see what you’re causing," he hissed, his breath hot against my ear.
I tried to walk away, but he followed, pushing me into my office and closing the door behind us. The air in the room felt stifling, suffocating.
"I didn’t invite you in here," I snapped, trying to mask the trembling in my voice. "You have nothing constructive to offer me. Do you think I chose this?"
The tears I’d been holding back threatened to spill over, but I blinked them away, refusing to break in front of him. Vaughn’s hand cupped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. He stepped closer, his cologne—a heady mix of cedar and pine enveloping me.
"I can protect you," he murmured, his voice softer now, almost gentle.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. "You can’t. No one can. Not without everything in my life being in jeopardy."
His eyes searched mine, a flicker of something—pity, maybe—passing through them. "What did he offer you?" he whispered, his breath ghosting over my skin. "What did he promise to make you agree to this?"
"I can’t tell you," I whispered back, my voice barely audible. "But our marriage will happen."
Vaughn’s lips brushed against my own, a feather-light touch that sent a shiver down my spine. He pulled back, pressing a kiss to my cheek, lingering just long enough to make my heart race.
"You’re just an asset to him," he said, his voice low and full of warning. "And when you become a liability, he’ll forget you. We all eventually become his liabilities."
With that, Vaughn turned and walked out of my office, leaving the door wide open.
I stood there, my breath coming in shallow gasps, my stomach twisting in knots.
The monitor on the wall flashed the latest financial news, but the words blurred together.
I had five minutes to meet Logan for lunch, but the thought of facing anyone right now made me feel sick.
I decided to take the stairs down to the forty-third floor, avoiding the main elevators where I might run into Vaughn, Simone, or even Colson.
As I pushed open the door to the stairwell, a sudden force from behind sent me tumbling forward.
I was wearing heels, my balance already precarious, and there was no way to stop my fall.
The last thing I felt was the cold metal of the railing as my head slammed into it, and then everything went dark.