Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 86

Chapter 86 A Takeover Before Dawn

“I bought a choke point, I corrected. “Ashcroft Holdings controls the premier retail real estate in the historic district. The Johnston

Group relies on those locations to move their high-end subsidiary products. By tomorrow morning, I will terminate every Johnston

contract in those thirty-two stores. I will evict the Whitmore lines. I will replace their inventory with Aegis products.”

Silence fell over the line. Alexander processed the strategy.

“The Johnston subsidiaries will lose millions in premium visibility,” I continued, pressing the advantage. “They win scramble to und

new retail partners. Their logistics grid will fracture. I am not running a vanity project, Alexander. I bought a fortress in the center

of their territory. I am dismantling their monopoly from the inside.”

“You risk everything on a single aggressive push,” Alexander noted. “If the Ashcroft board fights the transition, you will bleed out in

legal fees.”

“They will not fight.” I promised.

I ended the call.

I stood up from the glass table. I smoothed the lapels of my white suit.

“Prepare the transition team,” I instructed Diego. “Draft the termination notices for the Whitmore and Johnston distribution

contracts. I want the paperwork ready to execute by noon.”

“Understated, Miss Hayes, Diego replied. “Where are you going?”

‘I am going to meet my new employees.”

Marcus and Leo escorted me down to the lobby. The black town car waited at the curb. We drove away from the sleek glass and steel of the financial district. We entered the historic sector of the capital.

The architecture shifted. The buildings here featured carved limestone facades, heavy brass doors, and decades of entrenched wealth. This sector belonged to the legacy families. They operated behind closed doors, trading favors and protecting their

bloodlines.

The town car pulled to a stop in front of the Ashcroft Boutique Holdings headquarters.

The building projected old-money arrogance. A massive stone archway framed the entrance. A brass plaque bore the family crest.

I stepped out of the vehicle. The autumn wind caught the fabric of my white suit. I did not look like I belonged in this district. I

looked like an invading force.

I walked through the brass doors.

The lobby smelled of expensive wood polish and stale tradition. Dark mahogany paneled the walls. Antique rugs covered the marble

DOG

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Chapter 86 A Takeover Before Dawn

floor.

A receptionist sat behind a massive curved desk. She wore a conservative gray dress. She possessed a pinched, disapproving

expression. She looked up from her computer monitor as I approached.

“Vendor deliveries go to the loading dock in the rear alley,” the receptionist stated. She did not bother to hide her disdain. She saw a

young woman without a male escort and assumed I lacked importance.

“I am not a vendor,” I said. I stopped at the edge of the desk.

“Do you possess an appointment?” she asked with a heavy sigh.

“I possess the deed to the building,” I corrected.

The receptionist froze. Her eyes widened. The disdain vanished. She stared at the crisp white suit. She registered the presence of Marcus and Leo standing a few feet behind my shoulders. The realization dawned on her.

I did not wait for her to formulate an apology. I walked toward the private executive elevators.

I pressed the call button. The polished brass doors slid open. We stepped inside.

“Top floor,” I told Leo.

The elevator crawled up the shaft. The slow mechanical hum matched the steady rhythm of my pulse. I thought about the stack of legal documents Frederick Langley placed on my desk. I thought about his threat to take Elias. The Johnston family believed their wealth made them gods. They believed they could dictate my life.

The elevator chimed. The brass doors opened.

We stepped out into the executive suite. The corridor featured thick, sound-absorbing carpet and oil paintings of dead patriarchs.

At the far end of the hall stood a set of heavy oak double doors. The boardroom.

I walked down the corridor.

As I neared the doors, the muffled sound of male voices drifted through the heavy wood. I stopped a few feet away. I listened.

“The buyout funds cleared an hour ago,” a deep, arrogant voice stated. I recognized the tone from the industry profiles. Richard Ashcroft. The CEO. ‘Fifty million. The buyer used a blind shell corporation. We took the cash and kept our seats. It is a flawless

victory.”

A chorus of chuckles echoed in the room.

“The market is full of naive tech money,” another older man added. “They buy the shares, but they lack the pedigree to run the operation. We retain operational control. We continue business as usual. The Whitmore charity lines will receive the prime window

displays for the holiday season.”

THU

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