Chapter 17
SUTTON
Stepping into my office in the early-morning hours as the incoming leader of Prescott Vantage was a wild feeling.
I’d decided to keep my office as of now because the last thing I wanted to deal with during this whole transition was moving spaces.
The client files were still stacked on the corner of my desk in order of priority.
My coffee mug sat clean and inverted on its saucer.
Everything in its place, orderly and controlled—the opposite of what my life had become over the weekend.
I set my bag down and powered on my desktop instead of my laptop. I immediately noticed the changes. New software prompts appeared, asking me to log in through the Ashcroft Group portal. I had to deal with updated password requirements. I navigated through each prompt, but the feeling was surreal.
When I finished jumping through those hoops, I found my files intact but reorganized under a new folder structure.
Someone from the transition team had been through apparently and had no issue with reading my personal work files.
The reorganization of my office files felt like yet another invasion of privacy, though I shouldn’t have been surprised.
Ashcroft Group had demonstrated repeatedly that boundaries meant nothing to them and I’m sure it was a direct order from their CEO.
Next, I opened the organizational chart and studied the updated reporting lines.
My name sat at the top of Prescott Vantage’s division, with a direct line to Cain’s office at Ashcroft Group headquarters in New York.
I wasn’t surprised to see that there were no intermediaries between us although, given the circumstances, I wish there were.
I printed the chart and pinned it to the wall beside my desk as a reminder to myself until things were more settled.
I continued to familiarize myself with where the things on my computer now were and made a mental note to send Cain a rather harsh message about how this was unnecessary and was taking up way too much time that could be used to do more productive things.
About two hours later, I heard a soft knock on my office door.
When the door opened, Erica appeared in my doorway with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.
“Good morning, Sutton. You look like you’ve been here for hours already. ”
“I have. Some habits don’t change even when leadership does,” I replied, accepting the coffee gratefully. “What’s my schedule looking like today?”
“Staff meeting at nine, a client call at ten, lunch with the transition team at noon.” She hesitated before adding, “And Mr. Ashcroft has requested a video conference later this week.”
Damnit. It had been so nice not having to deal with him temporarily. “Did he specify what about?”
“No, he didn’t. It came through his assistant Nancy about fifteen minutes ago.”
Another power move to keep me guessing, I was sure. That seemed to be Cain’s MO and for now, I was willing to play along. “I’ll fit it into my schedule. Double-check my Thursday afternoon and if it looks good, let Nancy know I’m available Thursday after two.”
“Will do.” Erica lingered in the doorway for a moment before she spoke again. “Sutton, is everything alright? You seem… tense.”
I forced a smile. “Just adjusting to the new normal as we navigate this transition. There’s a lot to process.
” I couldn’t tell if Erica saw through my facade, but I wasn’t about to confide in her about what had happened in New York.
“It’s nothing that a strong cup of coffee can’t fix,” I said, gesturing to the cup she’d brought me. “Thanks for this, by the way.”
She nodded but didn’t look entirely convinced. “The team is nervous about the all-hands meeting. Rumors are flying about potential layoffs.”
“Tell them I’ll address that directly,” I replied. I was grateful for the shift to business concerns versus the other things running through my mind. “I negotiated staff retention for at least eighteen months as part of my agreement with Ashcroft Group.”
Erica’s eyebrows shot up. “You did? That’s… wonderful!”
“It was non-negotiable.” I turned back to my computer screen, signaling that our conversation needed to wrap up. “I’ll see you at the staff meeting.”
As soon as Erica closed my office door behind her, I let my body slump forward to relieve the tension in it.
The weight of everything that had happened over the last several weeks, especially the New York City events, pressed down on me.
I’d spent the entire flight back to D.C.
sitting as far from Cain as possible in his private jet, pretending to work while my mind replayed Saturday night on a loop.
Thoughts about whether I should quit this job and run as far as I could away from Cain were a part of that loop, but would take more time to execute because there was no doubt in my mind he would come after me.
I shook my head, trying to forget all of the other bullshit and just focus on work. That was the only way forward as of right now.
I pulled up the client list and began reviewing accounts that might need immediate attention during the transition. Halfway through, my phone vibrated. I hesitated before picking it up because I was afraid it might be Cain.
Thankfully it wasn’t.
Cassie
Lunch this week? Need to hear ALL about NYC.
I stared at Cassie’s text and while I was happy to have the momentary distraction from the chaos my life had become, the thought of explaining any part of what happened in New York made my stomach flip out.
What would I even say? “Hey, Cassie, guess what? My new boss murdered someone in front of me, then we had sex against a wall while a man bled out three feet away. Oh, and the coffee’s great at The Pierre. ”
What if you come over to my place tonight? We can debrief over a bottle of wine.
I stared at the screen, wondering how much I should tell my best friend. Despite telling myself I was being paranoid, after everything that had happened I didn’t think anyone would blame me.
Perfect. I’ll bring the good stuff. 8:30pm? That gives you some time because we know you never leave the office when normal people do.
That made me chuckle and it was very much needed.
Sounds great. See you then.
I set the phone down, happy to have something to look forward to this evening.
Whatever version of events I’d share with Cassie would require careful editing, but she might be able to help me figure whatever this was out.
I spent the rest of the day working and thinking about what I was going to tell her in between meetings and emails.
The office had emptied by seven, but I remained at my desk because I wanted to wrap up a few things to make my life easier for the rest of the week.
My team had filtered out one by one, and if someone mentioned that I should have a good night, I told them goodbye without looking up from my screen.
Now the fourteenth floor was completely silent outside of the sounds of me typing on my keyboard and the soft music I was playing for background noise.
I was pulled out of my concentration bubble when my phone buzzed against my desk.
I glanced at the screen and found an unknown number with a New York area code.
I stared at it for several seconds because my first thought immediately jumped to it being Cain.
Then again, it wouldn’t make sense for him to be calling from an unknown number.
I picked up. “Sutton Prescott.”
“Ms. Prescott, I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time. My name is Dana Liu. I’m a financial correspondent with Metropolitan Business Journal.”
Not Cain, but I remember the last time I saw her was at fundraiser, the same one where he and I spoke for the first time. “What can I do for you, Ms. Liu?”
“I’m working on a piece examining Ashcroft Group’s acquisition patterns in the D.C. metro area. Given your position with Prescott Vantage, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about the acquisition process and your role going forward.”
Every word came out practiced and rehearsed. I’d received dozens of similar calls over the years. Journalists fishing for quotes, hoping to catch an executive off guard or naive enough to provide ammunition for whatever narrative they’d already constructed.
“I appreciate the call,” I said. “But I’m not authorized to speak on behalf of Ashcroft Group’s acquisition strategy. You’ll want to contact their corporate communications team.”
“Of course, I understand,” Dana replied smoothly. “Though I should mention—this piece focuses specifically on how Ashcroft Group identifies and integrates leadership talent during acquisitions. Your retention was unusual enough to warrant specific mention.”
That made me pause. “Unusual how?”
I heard papers rustling on her end. “Most private equity acquisitions in your industry result in leadership turnover within eighteen months. Ashcroft Group specifically structured the Prescott Vantage deal to retain you, not just the broader team. The terms were actually quite generous.”
“I’m good at what I do,” I said, keeping my voice neutral even though her words triggered something in my brain. “It makes sense they’d want to retain proven talent.”
“But there are dozens of qualified leaders in firms like yours,” Dana pressed. “What made you different?”
I glanced at my watch, calculating how much longer I could stay if I still wanted time to prepare for Cassie’s visit. “I’m afraid speculation about Cain Ashcroft’s motivations isn’t particularly productive.”
“Cain?” Dana repeated. “Not Mr. Ashcroft?”
I mentally kicked myself for the slip. “Mr. Ashcroft,” I corrected, trying to keep my voice even. “As I said, I’m not the right person for your article.”
“Actually, I think you might be exactly the right person,” Dana continued, clearly undeterred. “My sources indicate that you were specifically named in acquisition documents months before the deal was announced.”
My stomach dropped. “That’s not possible.”
“I have three independent confirmations that Ashcroft Group began positioning for this acquisition over two years ago.” The rustling of papers continued. “Your name appears in their initial assessment documents.”
The timeline didn’t make sense. First, I doubted those documents were public. Second, two years ago, I was still fighting to be recognized within my father’s company. Ashcroft Group couldn’t have been tracking me that far back.
“Ms. Liu, I’m not comfortable continuing this conversation,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “If you have specific questions about Prescott Vantage’s operations post-acquisition, you can submit them through our communications department. Have a good rest of your evening.”
I hung up abruptly, my hand shaking as I set the phone down. How did she have access to acquisition documents that weren’t public? And more importantly, what did she mean that I had been named specifically in assessments from two years ago?
Unless…
My mind flashed back to all of the run-ins I’d had with Cain so far.
The way it seemed as if he’d been prepared for me before we even met.
The dress that fit perfectly as if he’d had my exact measurements.
The way he seemed to anticipate my reactions.
The coffee prepared exactly how I liked it without my having to tell him.
I pulled up my calendar from two years ago, searching for any potential crossing of paths with Cain or Ashcroft Group. There was nothing obvious, but that didn’t mean anything given how powerful I knew he was. The thought sent a chill down my spine.
I checked the time and realized how late it was getting.
If Cassie was coming over at eight-thirty, I needed to leave now.
I shut down my computer and gathered my things, trying to quiet the alarm bells ringing in my head.
What I did know was that I needed to get out of here and fast because there was no way I would ever be able to unknow what I’d just been told.