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“Questions?” I asked, knowing there would be many but doubting anyone would voice them out loud. As expected, the room remained silent. “Good. Howard and I will be making the public announcement shortly. Until then, please continue with your regular duties.”

I stood, signaling the end of the meeting. People began to rise, gathering the things they’d brought with them while murmuring quietly to each other. I noticed Erica Bennington, Sutton’s assistant according to my briefing, leaning toward her and whispering something to her. Sutton shook her head slightly in response.

As the room emptied, I made my way around the table toward Sutton, who was still seated and putting the things she brought with her together so she could carry them back to her desk.

“Ms. Prescott,” I said as I approached her. “A word?”

She looked up, her expression revealing nothing. “Of course, Mr. Ashcroft.”

“Cain,” I corrected her again, enjoying the slight narrowing of her eyes at the reminder of our previous encounter. It was time to clue her in on the fact that I did remember what we spoke about a couple of weeks ago.

Before she could respond, Howard stepped forward. “Cain, I wanted to introduce you to some of the senior team members before the announcement.”

I watched Sutton’s expression shift momentarily and I wondered if it was irritation at her father’s interruption or if it was relief. Either way, it was fascinating to witness how quickly she controlled it. Howard’s timing couldn’t have been worse, but I supposed that was the point. Protective fathers were predictable in that regard, but I’d never got the feeling they were particularly close so that was an interesting data point to add to my mental bank.

“Of course,” I said, turning to Howard while keeping Sutton in my peripheral vision. She remained seated, her hands now perfectly still on the table instead of gathering things. “Though I’d prefer a private word with your daughter first.”

Howard hesitated, his gaze darting between Sutton and me. “I’m afraid that will have to wait,” Howard said, straightening his shoulders in an attempt to reclaim some authority that he no longer had. “The announcement is in twenty minutes, and⁠—”

“Dad,” Sutton cut him off. “It’s fine. I can spare a few minutes.”

I suppressed a smile. Interesting. She wasn’t hiding behind daddy after all.

Howard looked as if he wanted to protest but thought better of it. “Very well. I’ll be just outside.” The warning in his tone was obvious but I didn’t give a fuck.

As he left the room, I turned my full attention to Sutton. Up close, I could see the faint shadows under her eyes. She hadn’t slept well. Good.

“You look surprised to see me,” I said, leaning against the conference table. “Though I suspect you’ve known about this acquisition for at least a few days.”

“Twenty-four hours,” she corrected. “My father has an interesting definition of keeping me informed.”

“Ah.” I nodded. “Family businesses. So many… complications.”

Sutton crossed her arms. “Is that why you’re here personally? To observe the complications?”

“I’m here because I make it a point to understand what I’ve acquired.” I moved closer, enjoying how she refused to step back despite the discomfort I could read in the tension around her eyes. “Not just the assets on paper, but the people who make them valuable.”

“And which category do I fall into, Mr. Ashcroft? Asset or person?”

“Cain,” I reminded her for the third time. “And that depends entirely on you.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What exactly does that mean?”

I studied her for a moment, making sure to take my time so she would catch me looking her over. “It means I recognize talent when I see it. Your client retention rate is almost 100 percent.”

“You’ve been studying us.” Not a question.

“Thoroughly,” I confirmed. “Ashcroft Group doesn’t make uninformed investments.”

“And what exactly are you investing in?” she asked. “Because from where I stand, this looks less like an investment and more like some sort of power play.”

I smiled at her directness. “Interesting choice of words. A power play would suggest I’m interested in domination for its own sake.”

Sutton didn’t flinch. “Aren’t you?”

“I prefer to think of it as recognizing potential that’s been… constrained.” I moved closer, deliberately invading her personal space. “Prescott Vantage has been operating well below its capacity for years. Your father built something solid but lacked the vision to take it further.”

A flash of anger crossed her face before she controlled it. “My father built this company from nothing.”