It was the stuff of fairy tales rather than real life, and God knew he had enough knowledge of what real life was like. Enough hard-won experience of how trusting people was terrible, and believing people cared had only opened him to pain. Not just with Chase Woodward, but with his own mother. Sixteen years on, and she still wasn’t talking to him. Still blamed him for Roberto, just as he blamed himself.
Another reason not to forgive. He might let go of his idea of revenge, but that didn’t mean he was going to let a Woodward into his life. Ashley might not remember the way she’d turned away from him, but that one moment, if it had played out differently, could have changed his life…and saved his brother’s.
Ashley came out of his bedroom dressed in her evening dress, carrying her heels in one hand. To Nico’s dismay, he saw she was still limping a little. ‘Is your ankle still bothering you…?’ he began, and she shook her head.
‘I’m fine. I’ve called an Uber.’
‘I can have you taken in my car.’
‘Let’s keep this professional, all right? No favours.’ She gave him a steely smile. ‘And, after today, we don’t need to see each other ever again, which I imagine will suit you admirably, since you can’t want to involve yourself with a Woodward any more than necessary.’
She was saying the right things, Nico acknowledged, and falling in with the plan he’d come up with early that morning, when he’d slipped away from their bed and stared out at the chilly grey dawn, trying to figure out a way forward that kept his own sanity intact. So why didn’t he like her saying them?
‘Very well,’ he replied after a moment. ‘Since you’ll be showing me around, why don’t you set the itinerary? You can text it to my driver.’ He held up his phone. ‘I’ll give you his contact.’
‘Perfect.’ She stared at him for a moment longer, her green eyes going glassy, her hair tumbled about her shoulders, and for a heart-stopping moment Nico wanted to close the space between them, take her in his arms, and tell thembothto stop being so ridiculous. Yes, Ashley was a Woodward, but she wasn’t her father. And, yes, she’d turned away from him in his greatest moment of need, but she’d been young and afraid.
He could forget all that, he could forgive it… But for what purpose? What future did they have? What future did hewant? He wasn’t remotely ready or willing to let anyone into his life, his heart, never mind a Woodward. And, no matter how practical Ashley was trying to be about the so-called protocols, he could tell from the way her lips had trembled, and her voice had shaken that she wanted more than he would ever have it in him to give.
It was better this way. It had to be.
Chapter Fourteen
ON THE WAYback to her apartment, Ashley gave herself a very stern talking-to. She wasnotgoing to come over all hurt and needy today the way, cringingly, she had this morning. She’d fallen right back into her old patterns—seeking to please, wilting at criticism, being desperate for praise. She’d promised herself never again, and she’d meant it. No more.
Today Nico would be nothing more than a business acquaintance. She’d be friendly, professional, pragmatic, optimistic and just that little bit distant. And she’d try to forget last night had ever happened. She’d obviously forgotten a lot of things in her life. She could forget this, too.
Ashley was just stepping into her apartment when Ruth Boxall called.
‘Ashley.’ Her friend’s tone was full of relief. ‘I’m glad to catch you. I was worried, after hearing about last night.’
‘What did you hear about last night?’ Ashley asked as she nudged the door closed with one foot before kicking off her heels with a sigh of relief.
‘Just that Galletti created some sort of scene at a charity event, practically manhandling you from the room.’ Ruth sounded both disdainful and concerned, and Ashley sighed.
‘Oh. That,’ she said. Was everyone talking about that little scene? ‘Well, we’ve worked it out,’ she told Ruth briskly. ‘In fact, I’m spending the day with him today so the world can be reassured Infinite Innovations is experiencing a glorious new age of innovation and development.’ She couldn’t keep a slightly mocking tone from her voice, though she’d meant it. At least, she’d meant to mean it. ‘Get Jim writing a press release,’ she added.
‘Really?’ Ruth sounded seriously sceptical. ‘I thought Galletti wanted to destroy the company.’ Her tone turned cautious. ‘Because of what happened before, although I don’t know if…’
‘I thought you must have known about that.’ Yesterday, Ashley had suspected Ruth had more intel about Galletti than she’d shared with her. It looked as though she’d been right. ‘The arrest at the ball, I mean,’ she clarified, in case there was anything else, ‘And the fact that my father framed him for embezzling millions?’ She still felt as if Nico had held something back from her…but what could it possibly be?
‘Yes,’ Ruth admitted. ‘Once I saw him, I realised. I didn’t know it was him, though, until he came to the office. Back then, he went by the last name Rossi.’
Rossi.The name rang like a bell in the back of Ashley’s mind, a faint echo of memory reverberating through her.
I’ve never been to something like this before. So I’m not bored yet. And certainly not when I’m not talking to you…
For a second she felt as if she were tumbling through time: she was leaning against a pillar, her head tilted upward, wearing this very dress, her stomach full of butterflies and her heart full of hope…
‘Ashley?’ Ruth asked, and she blinked, the memory vanishing like morning mist.
‘Yes, I’m here,’ she said, her voice only slightly unsteady, the memories still teasing her like the whisper of a ghost. ‘I think Nico realised that revenge wasn’t a good look for his company,’ she explained, ‘So he’s decided to keep some form of Infinite Innovations on. Not me, which is probably just as well, but the rest of you.’
Ruth was silent for a moment. ‘Did something happen between you two?’ she finally asked, and in her shock Ashley nearly dropped the phone.
‘Something happen?’ she dismissed, her voice rising to a revealing squeak. ‘No, of course not. We just came to…an understanding. Now, I’m afraid I need to go, to get ready for a big day of photo ops.’ She said goodbye and ended the call without waiting for Ruth’s response. The last thing she needed was her friend guessing what had happened between Nico and her last night.
That needed to stay a secret from everyone…even herself.
