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That made me chuckle and it was very much needed.

Sounds great. See you then.

I set the phone down, happy to have something to look forward to this evening. Whatever version of events I’d share with Cassie would require careful editing, but she might be able to help me figure whatever this was out. I spent the rest of the day working and thinking about what I was going to tell her in between meetings and emails. The office had emptied by seven, but I remained at my desk because I wanted to wrap up a few things to make my life easier for the rest of the week. My team had filtered out one by one, and if someone mentioned that I should have a good night, I told them goodbye without looking up from my screen. Now the fourteenth floor was completely silent outside of the sounds of me typing on my keyboard and the soft music I was playing for background noise.

I was pulled out of my concentration bubble when my phone buzzed against my desk. I glanced at the screen and found an unknown number with a New York area code. I stared at it for several seconds because my first thought immediately jumped to it being Cain. Then again, it wouldn’t make sense for him to be calling from an unknown number.

I picked up. “Sutton Prescott.”

“Ms. Prescott, I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time. My name is Dana Liu. I’m a financial correspondent with Metropolitan Business Journal.”

Not Cain, but I remember the last time I saw her was at fundraiser, the same one where he and I spoke for the first time. “What can I do for you, Ms. Liu?”

“I’m working on a piece examining Ashcroft Group’s acquisition patterns in the D.C. metro area. Given your position with Prescott Vantage, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about the acquisition process and your role going forward.”

Every word came out practiced and rehearsed. I’d received dozens of similar calls over the years. Journalists fishing for quotes, hoping to catch an executive off guard or naive enough to provide ammunition for whatever narrative they’d already constructed.

“I appreciate the call,” I said. “But I’m not authorized to speak on behalf of Ashcroft Group’s acquisition strategy. You’ll want to contact their corporate communications team.”

“Of course, I understand,” Dana replied smoothly. “Though I should mention—this piece focuses specifically on how Ashcroft Group identifies and integrates leadership talent during acquisitions. Your retention was unusual enough to warrant specific mention.”

That made me pause. “Unusual how?”

I heard papers rustling on her end. “Most private equity acquisitions in your industry result in leadership turnover within eighteen months. Ashcroft Group specifically structured the Prescott Vantage deal to retain you, not just the broader team. The terms were actually quite generous.”

“I’m good at what I do,” I said, keeping my voice neutral even though her words triggered something in my brain. “It makes sense they’d want to retain proven talent.”

“But there are dozens of qualified leaders in firms like yours,” Dana pressed. “What made you different?”

I glanced at my watch, calculating how much longer I could stay if I still wanted time to prepare for Cassie’s visit. “I’m afraid speculation about Cain Ashcroft’s motivations isn’t particularly productive.”

“Cain?” Dana repeated. “Not Mr. Ashcroft?”

I mentally kicked myself for the slip. “Mr. Ashcroft,” I corrected, trying to keep my voice even. “As I said, I’m not the right person for your article.”

“Actually, I think you might be exactly the right person,” Dana continued, clearly undeterred. “My sources indicate that you were specifically named in acquisition documents months before the deal was announced.”

My stomach dropped. “That’s not possible.”

“I have three independent confirmations that Ashcroft Group began positioning for this acquisition over two years ago.” The rustling of papers continued. “Your name appears in their initial assessment documents.”

The timeline didn’t make sense. First, I doubted those documents were public. Second, two years ago, I was still fighting to be recognized within my father’s company. Ashcroft Group couldn’t have been tracking me that far back.

“Ms. Liu, I’m not comfortable continuing this conversation,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “If you have specific questions about Prescott Vantage’s operations post-acquisition, you can submit them through our communications department. Have a good rest of your evening.”

I hung up abruptly, my hand shaking as I set the phone down. How did she have access to acquisition documents that weren’t public? And more importantly, what did she mean that I had been named specifically in assessments from two years ago?

Unless…

My mind flashed back to all of the run-ins I’d had with Cain so far. The way it seemed as if he’d been prepared for me before we even met. The dress that fit perfectly as if he’d had my exact measurements. The way he seemed to anticipate my reactions. The coffee prepared exactly how I liked it without my having to tell him.

I pulled up my calendar from two years ago, searching for any potential crossing of paths with Cain or Ashcroft Group. There was nothing obvious, but that didn’t mean anything given how powerful I knew he was. The thought sent a chill down my spine.

I checked the time and realized how late it was getting. If Cassie was coming over at eight-thirty, I needed to leave now. I shut down my computer and gathered my things, trying to quiet the alarm bells ringing in my head. What I did know was that I needed to get out of here and fast because there was no way I would ever be able to unknow what I’d just been told.

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