Love's Ashes, CEO's Rise

t life. The sleek, modern lobby, the quiet hum of productivity-I had helped design thi

utive Vice President, framing it as a wonderful development. The fawni

or, Lisa, the senior administrative assistant, rushed over. H

you back!" she exclaimed, gi

e back, Lisa,"

She was loyal and competent, but I knew sh

a dress that was a little too tight, a little too short for the office, and her blonde hair was perfectly styled. She stopped

ce sugary sweet. "We weren't exp

licking down to the coffee tray and then to

quickly. She took a step to block the path to his offic

alked out. It was a man from a high-end jewelry store downtown, the kind

y. The second coffee was for

onal matter. Ben is free now." She placed the coffee tray on Lisa's desk, her

so strange for you, coming back after all this time. The

telling me I was from the p

e, Ashley. Others, like ownership and authority, remain very muc

ively on the polished floor. I heard Lisa stifle a small laugh behind

fice. He was standing by the windo

ught you were

was my old office, but he had changed it. My comfortable armchair wa

reating a barrier between us. He looked nervous, cornered. My

e it changed back tomorrow. I

. Ashley is still using it as a temporar

er clear it out immedia

is mistress, I had reasserted my power, and he was too reliant on m

for the keys to his sedan, claiming my own car was low on gas. He hesitated for a fraction of a secon

a few blocks away. The private investigator I' d hired was w

g?" I asked, getting

ey've been on three trips together in the last six months, all billed to a corporate credit card under 'cl

remained a mask of stone.

nsurance purposes. But he also had a secondary, internal camera installed a few months ago. It records aud

rive. "It's all on there

ouldn't bear to be in the home I shared with Ben.

brow furrowed with concern. "Ch

o his computer, plugged in the USB drive,

he day before. Our anniversary. Ben was in the driver's seat, a

for your anniversary?" Ashley's voic

m him in years. "A stupidly expensive bracelet. It' s what she expect

on Ashley's pregnant belly. "Ho

to kiss him. The kiss was long and passionat

fter the divorce. They mocked me, my "sad little life," my inability to "get over" the miscar

The silence in the

as a mask of cold fury. He had always been protective of me, hi

hispered, his voice shaking with rag

n voice eerfedr-off

e'll ruin him. We'll take back the company, we'll expose him for the fra

time in two years, I didn't feel alone. The pain was still there, a h

. I want to dismantle his entire world, piece by piece. I want him to watch as every

the new hardness in my eyes, the steel in my spine

ht, Chloe. Whatever you

I finally had my first

-