CHAPTER <b>0013 </b>


    ric’s POV:


    The boardroom was silent.


    Not respectful silent. Not attentive silent. But the kind of silence that came when fear settled over every single person like a second skin.


    Perfect.


    I didn’t tolerate mediocrity, and I sure as hell didn’t reward disloyalty. But today, I was about to do both.


    And it’s all because of what I knew she wanted.


    Meadow Russell. My sweet, innocent doe.


    I hadn’t been able to take my mind off her ever since I felt her touch for the first time six months ago.


    It had been an ident<b>–</b>one that I was sure she didn’t even remember. But she’d been standing just


    outside this building, waiting for that damn bastard, and her hand had brushed against mine.


    It was faint, but I felt it. Meadow’s touch.


    I made it a point to know every single thing about her, though it had been a bit difficult to delve into her


    past. It wasn’t long before I discovered what her twin sister had been doing without her knowledge. And


    from that moment on, I knew it was only a matter of time until she was mine.


    And now–she was. She just didn’t want to ept it yet.


    A sharp feminine voice pulled me out of my thoughts.


    “Last item,” Dana said from my right, flipping the page of her leather folder. “Executive assistant to the


    CEO. Top internal candidate: Tyler Cross.”


    There <b>it </b>was.


    Dana turned the file so I could see, but I didn’t need to even spare a nce at it. I already knew every detail about him–where he lived, how he spoke, how he thought he was clever enough to juggle two women under the guise of screwing one over.


    How he thought he could touch what belonged to me without consequence.


    “He’s led the sales team for thest eighteen months<b>,</b>” Dana continued. “Metrics are solid, projects delivered on time… He’s confident.”


    He was the entire reason this meeting was being held in the first ce. The department heads and advisors just didn’t know it. They thought they were here for employee evaluations.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Which, practically<b>, </b>they were. But not for the same reasons that I had in mind.


    I looked straight ahead, resting one hand against the table.


    “Let him in,” I said, keeping my voice t.


    Exactly one minuteter, the door slid open, and Tyler Cross walked in with that polished, fucking eager look on his face. cks over–pressed, tie knotted tight, smile dialed down to a modest ‘I’m–just–so- grateful–to–be–here‘ curve. But I saw right past all that bullshit.


    I’ve never imed to be a good man, but at least I own up to it. I don’t fucking pretend to be in love with


    someone for two years while I’m fucking the twin behind her back.


    Well, on the plus side, at least I knew that he’d never touched her. Not the way I wanted to touch her.


    And for that… he would live.


    Suffer, but <b>live</b>.


    Like the pathetic fuck he was.


    “Mr. Ashford, sir,” he bowed his head slightly,pletely unaware of the storm he’d just wandered into.


    Completely unaware that the woman he’d humiliated was nowfortably in my home. That I’d watched her fall apart in my arms.


    And that she would sign my name in ink before the week was done–because she was mine.


    I stared at him nkly.


    Tyler straightened, probably mistaking my silence for intimidation. It wasn’t. I was just calcting how long it would take to make him squirm.


    He cleared his throat. <b>“</b>It’s an honor to be considered, sir.”


    Honor.


    I wondered if it had been an honor to fuck Meadow’s sister while she was still sleeping in the apartment they shared. To take her trust and twist it into a fucking game. To leave her feeling hollowed out and small


    Oh, I was going to have so much fun with this one.


    “I’m promoting you,” I said finally “Effective immediately, you’re my executive assistant”


    The boardroom went pindrop silent again–only now, there was less dread, more disbelief.


    Because they all knew.


    L


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    They knew I didn’t do favorites. Promotions weren’t handed out like candy. You either bled for them or you didn’t get them at all.


    And it seemed Tyler Cross had just realized that too.


    His eyes widened. “Sir… Uh, thank you!” he eximed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.


    Meadow never needed someone as weak and cowardly as Tyler Cross.


    “I won’t let you down,” he finished.


    <b>“</b>Oh, I know,” I said.


    I let the silence stretch again. None of them knew the truth–that I wasn’t promoting him to reward him.


    I was promoting him so I could watch him fall from higher ground.


    So I could be the one to strip away everything he built, inch by inch, while he thought he was winning.


    And when Meadow found out?


    When she learned what it meant to be mine?


    She’d be d she kept my ring on her finger.


    “Meeting adjourned,” I said, rising to my feet.


    Tyler smiled as he turned to leave, and I was fairly certain he did a happy kick on his way out.


    I smiled too.


    This was only the beginning.


    I took my phone out of my pocket as everyone else exited the boardroom, ncing at the screen to see a message from my driver, West.


    ‘She’s in,‘ the text read.


    Good.


    I tapped out a reply<b>, </b>exited the message app, and scrolled through the few other apps on my phone until t found what I was searching for.


    And when I opened the app, I sat back down into my seat, a satisfied smile curving the edges of my mouth as I watched Meadow enter the guest suite right after the housekeeper, Mel


    And as I watched her take in her surroundings, surprise and wonder etched in her expression–I could tell, even though the feed was slightly grainy–only one word echoed in my mind.


    Mine.


    Because she was mine.


    Meadow. My doe.