Murmurs break out around me, and a line of security walk into the frame, escalating the confusion in both myself and my coworkers. My heart trips over itself again, but for a different reason now.
“Althoughthey were recently instated as co-CEO’s, with Chadwick here as CFO, there have been some changes behind the scenes in the last couple days. It appears that some of PNCG’s board members may have been bribed, some even threatened, into cooperating with the Walton’s demands.”
A gasp ripples through the crowd, both inside the office and out on the steps.
At this, Estelle grabs Asher’s arm and attempts to pull him away from the podium. Her nails dig into his biceps and a growl rumbles from my throat, startling Alex and Kendall next to me.
“Sorry,” I whisper, clearing my throat as a flush creeps up my cheeks. My emotions have gone haywire, and I have no idea what’s going on anymore.
Asher removes her grip from his arm and continues speaking, even as both she and Claude try to talk over him. Their arms flail in an attempt to regain control, but security officers step up and form a barricade, sectioning the Walton’s off from Asher and everyone else.
They restrain a raging Chadwick when he throws a punch at one officer in an attempt to get to Asher. When he starts yelling obscenities, security locks their arms around him and forcibly escorts him out of frame.
I breathe a touch easier with him out of the picture, but the rest of me hasn’t settled one bit. Asher ignores the drama unfolding behind him as he continues.
“I have personal experience with the corrupt nature of the Walton family, therefore, I felt it was my personal duty to step up and ensure this corruption did not find a foothold in PNCG. I, Asher Sullivan, have purchased a majority share of holdings and have relieved all board members who were bribed from their positions. I will endeavor to replace them with more worthy candidates, but in the meantime, the Walton’s are also relieved of their positions at PNCG.”
At this, he turns to Claude and Estelle, both of whom are fuming behind him. I gasp, my hands flying up to cover my mouth.
“Claude, Estelle. You are no longer welcome on this premises.”
Claude’s face is nearly purple with rage, but he doesn’t say a word as security forces him to the side. Estelle freezes, her features slack with shock, but recovers only a moment later.
“You can’t do this,” she yells. “You’re one of us!”
“No, I am not,” Asher says, his voice carrying the hardness of steel and the coldness of death. “I amnothinglike you. I have not been a part of your family for a decade, and I never will be again. I reject everything you are, and everything you stand for.”
Estelle’s eyes look like they could shoot fire, or ice. Maybe even both at the same time, they are so full of venom and rage and hatred.
“You will pay for this,” she screams as security hauls her down the steps.
The camera pans to follow both her and Claude as they’re escorted away from the building, and she continues to yell threats at Asher. I tap my fingers in an anxious beat, needing eyes on him again as my thoughts swirl. The camera swings back to the podium when he speaks again.
“I will release a formal statement with additional information on the new board members in the coming weeks after they have settled in. That’s all I have to say for now. I won’t be taking questions at this time.”
I’m already up and out of my seat, sprinting down the hall to the elevator as his last words ring from the speakers behind me.
I can’t believe he did that. He went up against his parents, inpublic, and took back everything they were trying to steal from him. From us.
My heart pounds and my body trembles with adrenaline as I pace the tiny elevator. I swear, it’s moving more slowly than normal as the numbers blink down.
As soon as the doors slide open, I’m running again. I can see Asher through the front doors conversing with two of the security team, nodding and then glancing up. I see the exact moment he sees me coming, as he raises a hand between the two officers and they part, making way for him to step through and meet me.
I shove through the glass doors and fling myself into his arms. He catches me against him and whirls around, blocking the cameras and sea of reporters with his body so they can’t see me. Everything this man does is thoughtful, and I truly have no idea how such a beautiful person came from such an ugly family.
I tremble in his arms, overwhelmed with the noise of reporters firing questions, yelling at him to look at them, security shouting orders and talking into radios. All the while, he holds me steady against him until my legs feel more stable and my heart rate has started to slow.
“Sunshine,” he murmurs into my hair. “Let’s go back inside. I have a lot to tell you.”
I nod, sliding my hand into his and turning back toward the doors behind me.
43
DEATH BY SUNSHINE
ASHER
The momentI spotted Raya running through the lobby, my mind completely blanked. I’ve been wavering on this decision, this plan of action, for the last week, but I knew if she had any inkling of what was coming, she’d be an anxious mess. I was fairly certain I could pull it off, but not if anyone suspected anything of me.
