Chapter 43 Asher #2
“Because they didn’t have the grounds to retake the shares without provocation.
There was a clause in the contract about giving the opportunity of reparation or something.
Basically, they couldn’t take back the shares without giving you a sort of due process to fix the situation.
So, they have given you that, but what if they don’t actually want you to succeed?
Maybe they’re playing the outraged board member while secretly hoping you fail.
Because if you do fail, they ultimately win.
I know in the short term, the story with Charlotte was a headache and had our subsidiaries and the media up in arms, but that blew over quickly.
Even without Ella pulling focus, that story probably wouldn’t have stained the company for too long.
So, why was the board so upset about it?
Just because it was Henry’s wife? Maybe.
But there’s two people in an affair and there’s no way she didn’t know what she was doing, so the blame lies as much with her as it does with you, and yet you’re the only one who took any heat.
I don’t know, the way they’re acting just doesn’t add up. Something just feels off about it.”
I mull over his words. Honestly, they don’t surprise me.
I wouldn’t be shocked if they saw the article about me and Charlotte as an opportunity to cut me down.
It’s no secret they hate the amount of power I hold.
Their hands have been mostly tied about that, but this presented them with an opportunity to do something about it.
I can’t blame them for it, but I sure as shit can keep them from succeeding.
“How does the board determine whether or not their little farce has succeeded?” I ask. I’m aware this is something I should have probably asked before I signed the contract to date Ella, but everything happened so fast, the question didn’t even occur to me.
“It comes down to metrics, I believe,” Emily says.
“Part of my role in this is to calculate as best I can the positive versus negative media attention. At the end of the ninety days, if there is more positive media attention, and the story of Charlotte is basically dead, then you’ve done your job.
But if there’s more negative attention than positive, and if Charlotte’s story is still relevant, then you’ve failed. ”
“And what about after the ninety days? Can they just keep bringing up the shares as leverage in the future? What’s to stop them from doing this over and over again?”
“I believe the cap on it is ten years,” Matthew says.
“You signed that deal seven years ago, and the conditions were that the deal had to remain in place for five years and your shares were under condition for ten. So, for the next three years they can fuck with you, but only if you’re affecting Langford Holdings in a negative way. ”
So, I have to keep my nose clean for the next three years.
“Unfortunately, the negative attention doesn’t start and end with you,” Emily says.
“Any attention Ella gets is a direct reflection of you, therefore it’s counted in your metrics.
So, we need to get this timeline straightened, and we need to counter Kyle’s story.
That should get us sympathy for Ella as the victim in this case, and that will hopefully swing public opinion back into her favor.
“But . . . circling back to the earlier point with the email, I agree that something feels off. Why was it leaked to the executives? I understand leaking it to the PR team, but why the executives? There’s no reason for that unless RTZ somehow knows the board is invested in Asher and Ella’s relationship, which would mean they know it’s a PR stunt. ”
I still, processing her words. “Fuck, do you think it’s possible that they know?”
She sighs. “Between the PR team, the Langford family, and the board, at least two dozen people know the truth about this. Everyone has signed NDAs, but that doesn’t always keep people’s mouths shut. And if that’s the case we’re in much bigger trouble than a timeline issue.”
“But if they knew about the relationship being a PR stunt, they’d print about that,” Matthew says. “That is a much more salacious story than an ex-boyfriend’s tell-all.”
I run my hand over my jaw as I mull over all the information. It’s all just too convenient. And if Matthew’s theory is correct, then it makes perfect sense.
“I think Matthew is right on both counts,” I say, as things click into place.
“I’m already suspicious that someone on the board is out for blood because of another issue.
” I give Matthew a pointed look and his eyes light in understanding.
He knows about Declan’s theory that a board member is working to sabotage Greenspan.
“I think someone on the board wants me to fail, and they could be feeding RTZ information, and then making sure the bad press they write gets back to the board members because they are the ones who have the power to bring me down.”
Anger burns through me. First Greenspan, now Ella.
Whoever this is they’ve gone too far. And they’re a fucking coward.
They know they can’t hurt me straight on, so they’re using other people as cannon fodder to get to me.
When I figure out exactly who it is, they’ll wish they were never born.
Hurting and threatening my employees is bad enough, but hurting Ella?
Un-fucking-acceptable.