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Cain studied me for a moment. “I want you to continue leading Prescott Vantage, but with expanded responsibilities and direct reporting to me.”

I did lead Prescott Vantage but it was still kept under the guise of my father being the more public figurehead. I shouldn’t be surprised that he knew this given everything else, but here we were. “And what exactly would those expanded responsibilities entail?” I asked carefully.

“Integration of Prescott Vantage’s client relationships with Ashcroft Group’s broader strategy. A seat at my leadership table.”

I took a sip of my coffee, using the moment to collect my thoughts. It sounded amazing, but with Cain there was always a catch.

“Why me?” I finally asked. “You could bring in anyone to manage the transition.”

“Because you built it,” he said simply. “Not your father. You.”

I sucked in a deep breath and hated the way he made me feel in that moment. It was validation I’d been seeking for years, now coming from the most unexpected source. I cleared my throat before I spoke again. “And what happens if I decline?”

Cain’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes hardened. “Then I’ll find someone else who understands the value of what I’m offering.”

“Someone more compliant, you mean.”

His lips curved slightly. “Someone who recognizes an opportunity when it presents itself.”

“And what if I don’t see it as an opportunity?” I countered, holding his gaze without flinching.

It gave me a small spark of satisfaction when I noticed that his blue eyes grew even colder for a split second. I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been studying him so closely.

“Then you’re not as intelligent as I thought you were.” He leaned back, putting distance between us. “And that would be… disappointing.”

I’d spent my career reading between lines, decoding what powerful men actually meant when they spoke. He was offering me everything I’d worked for including recognition, authority, direct access to decision-making while simultaneously making it clear that refusing would have consequences.

“I helped build Prescott Vantage into what it is today,” I said carefully. “But I did it within a culture and value system that I believe in.”

“And you think Ashcroft Group lacks those values?”

“I think our definitions might differ. Your reputation precedes you.”

Cain smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Reputations are stories people tell when they don’t understand how power actually works.”

“And how does it work, according to you?” I asked, genuinely curious despite myself.

He stood suddenly, moving toward one of the windows. “It’s not taken or given, Sutton. It’s recognized. Some people have it naturally in that they have the ability to command attention and make things happen. Others spend their lives trying to acquire it through titles or wealth or connections.”

“And which am I?”

He turned back to me and his eyes scanned my face to the point where I wanted to sink into the armchair and disappear. “You have it naturally. But you’ve been operating in a system designed to keep you from fully wielding it.”

I hated how his words resonated with something deep inside me. The frustration of watching my father take credit for my strategies, of being introduced as “Howard’s daughter” at industry events where I’d done the actual work.

“My father built⁠—”

“A foundation,” Cain interrupted. “You built the house. And now I’m offering you the chance to build a skyscraper.”

I stood up, needing to be on equal footing with him. “With you controlling the blueprints.”

“With collaboration,” he corrected, taking a step toward me. “I don’t micromanage talent, Sutton. I create conditions for it to flourish.”

The space between us had shrunk to where we were in touching distance. “And what happens when our visions don’t align?” I asked, refusing to step back despite how his proximity affected me.

“Then we have a conversation,” he said. “Like adults who respect each other’s intelligence.”

“This isn’t just about business for you,” I said, the realization dawning as I spoke the words.