Chapter 5 #2
“Perfect.” I glanced at my watch. Everything was coming together quickly, just how I liked it.
Even with the traffic, we got to Teterboro in record time and within minutes, we were up in the air, headed toward Dulles.
As we landed, I checked the time and I had just under two hours before my dinner meeting with Howard.
Plenty of time to check into the hotel, review my approach, and arrive early enough to make him squirm once his eyes landed on me.
My checking into the hotel was uneventful and after a quick shower and change into a new suit, I was on my way to 1789 Restaurant.
My driver pulled up to the restaurant at precisely 7:45.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk and buttoned my jacket, taking a moment to survey the establishment.
My assistant had chosen well. The restaurant was upscale without being ostentatious, old-school enough to suggest permanence but not so dated as to seem irrelevant. Much like Howard himself.
I entered the restaurant with the confidence of someone who’d never been denied entry anywhere. Before I could introduce myself, the hostess recognized me immediately. “Mr. Ashcroft, welcome. Your private room is ready, and Mr. Prescott has not yet arrived.”
Excellent. I couldn’t have asked for anything else because I got exactly what I wanted.
I nodded and followed her through the main dining area.
I was also pleased with how the layout offered privacy without isolation.
A strategic location that allowed me to see Howard’s entrance while remaining partially obscured until the moment I chose to be seen.
“Will you be having wine this evening?” the hostess asked.
“A bottle of the Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2022,” I replied. “Have it opened and breathing when Mr. Prescott arrives.”
She nodded and left me alone in the room.
I took a seat facing the door and placed my briefcase beside me on the floor.
The folder with Gary Nast’s photos was tucked inside, ready to be used if necessary.
I preferred not to use such direct leverage, but I never entered a negotiation without multiple paths to victory.
At exactly 8:03, I saw Howard Prescott enter the restaurant. Even from a distance, I could read the tension in his shoulders and that was to be expected. The hostess greeted him and gestured toward the private room.
“Cain,” he said, extending his hand as he entered. “I wasn’t expecting you personally. I thought this was a general update meeting with your team.”
I stood and shook his hand. “Some matters require personal attention, Howard. Please, sit.”
He settled across from me just as a server arrived with the wine. I watched Howard’s eyes widen slightly at the label. It was an expensive bottle of wine that was meant to make a statement. The message was clear: this wasn’t just dinner.
“To continued partnership,” I said after our glasses were filled, raising mine slightly.
Howard lifted his glass with a forced smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Partnership.”
I took a sip and watched as Howard shifted uncomfortably, reaching for his water glass instead of the wine.
“Your heart,” I observed. “Doctor’s orders about the alcohol?”
His surprise was obvious. “Yes, actually. How did you—”
“I make it my business to know the people I do business with.” I set my glass down. “Speaking of which, I understand there’s some hesitation about our agreement.”
Howard’s eyes shift from looking at me to looking away. “There are… concerns among certain board members.”
“Concerns that weren’t present when we spoke several days ago.” I kept my voice neutral to not give anything I was thinking away.
“I’m sure you’re aware that major acquisitions naturally involve second thoughts,” Howard said, reaching for his water glass again. “The board is just doing their due diligence.”
“Of course.” I leaned forward slightly. “Though timing is curious, wouldn’t you say?”
Howard shifted in his chair as the server returned to take our orders. I watched him carefully as he requested the salmon, noticing how his fingers drummed nervously against the tablecloth. After ordering steak, I waited until we were alone again before continuing.
“You built something remarkable with Prescott Vantage,” I said. “A legacy worth protecting.”
“That’s precisely my concern,” Howard replied. “The legacy. What I’m leaving behind long after I’m gone.”
“Which is exactly what our acquisition secures.” I took another sip of wine, giving my words an opportunity to land. “Your company remains intact, your name stays on the door, and your vision expands through Ashcroft Group’s resources.”
“And my daughter?”
Ah. There it was. Sutton Prescott. The unexpected variable I’d been waiting to surface.
“What about her?” I asked, though I knew where this was going.
“Sutton has invested her entire career in this company. She’s brilliant, Cain. I need assurances that she’ll have a place in whatever structure emerges after the acquisition.”
I studied him for a moment. His concern seemed genuine, which was both predictable and potentially useful. “Howard, talent like Sutton’s doesn’t go unrecognized in my organization. She would be an asset.” In more ways than one.
“Asset is corporate speak for ‘disposable when convenient.’ I need more than that, Cain.”
I smiled. “Sutton would have considerable autonomy within the Ashcroft structure. Her department would remain intact, reporting directly to me. I value her… particular skills.”
Our food arrived, giving Howard a moment to process my words.
I cut into my steak, the knife slicing through with minimal resistance.
I took a bite while watching Howard push his salmon around the plate.
This was taking longer than I wanted it to, so it was time to kick things up a notch.
I wiped my mouth with the napkin and bent down to grab the folder containing Gary Nast’s photos and placed it on the table between us.
I tapped the folder with my fingertips as I stared Howard down.
“What is this?”
“Insurance,” I said simply. “Against poor decisions.”
I slid the folder toward him. Howard hesitated before opening it and I watched his face as he took in the first photograph, then the second. The blood drained from his complexion as he flipped through the images.
“My God,” he whispered, closing the folder quickly. “What have you done?”
“I haven’t done anything, Howard.” I took another sip of wine. “But I do solve problems when they arise. Gary Nast thought he could get one over on me. He was mistaken.”
Howard pushed the folder back toward me like it was radioactive. “This is… this is… what the fuck?” He seemed surprised by the fact that he could cuss.
“This is business at its most fundamental level. Resources flow where they’re valued. Obstacles are removed.” I returned the folder to my briefcase. “I prefer cooperation, Howard. But I prepare for all contingencies.”
“Are you threatening me?” His voice had dropped to a whisper.
“I’m offering clarity about the stakes.” I signaled for the check. “You will call a board meeting and they will vote to accept my offer. You’ll recommend they do so, enthusiastically.”
“You can’t just—”
“I can and I will,” I said, my voice remaining measured and calm. “The question is whether you’d prefer to be on the winning side of this transaction. Your legacy preserved, your daughter’s career advanced, your retirement comfortable. The alternative is… less appealing.”
The server returned with the check, which I signed without looking at the total. Howard hadn’t touched his salmon, but I wasn’t concerned with wasted food. The meal had served its purpose.
“I need your answer now, Howard,” I continued once we were alone again. “Will you be making that recommendation to your board, or do I need to explore other avenues?”
Howard nodded slowly. “I’ll call the meeting for tomorrow morning.”
“Excellent.” I stood, buttoning my jacket. “I’ll expect confirmation by noon.”
“Cain…” Howard looked up at me, something like pity in his eyes. “This isn’t going to work the way you think. Sutton won’t just fall in line.”
I smiled, genuinely amused by his misplaced concern. “I’m counting on it, Howard.”
I left him sitting there, a broken man who’d just signed away his life’s work to protect his daughter from a threat I didn’t even make. The irony was that Sutton Prescott was likely the only person at his company with the spine to stand against me, which made breaking her all the more necessary.
My driver was waiting outside, the car door opening as I approached. As I settled into the back seat, I took out my phone and sent a brief message to my team:
Prescott confirmed. Proceed with documentation. Announcement forthcoming.
I put my phone away and sat back in my seat with a grin that could light up Las Vegas.
Sutton Prescott had no idea what was coming. By the time she realized she was trapped, the only choice left would be surrender or destruction. Either way, I would win. Because I always did.