Chapter 50
It was both impressive and surprising that a newly incorporated company could surpass established industry giants. Ashton must have seen the potential in Harrison Credit, which was why he chose them.
Recalling what had happened in the garage last time, I made a decisive choice—I removed AC Credit from the list.
I dialed Stacey’s number, and she picked up almost immediately.
“Ms. Stovall!”
“You can inform everyone that Harrison Credit will be conducting Fuller Corporation’s audit.”
There was a brief pause before she hesitantly responded, “Ms. Stovall, if we give the contract to Harrison Credit, AC Credit might cause trouble for us.”
I was well aware of that. The man who had kidnapped me in the parking lot had put on quite a show, making it clear that he wanted me to hold a bidding process. However, he never explicitly stated who the winner should be. I had fulfilled his request by organizing the bid, but I had never intended to follow through with handing over the contract.
I couldn’t let anything happen to Fuller Corporation while I was in charge—not for Ashton’s sake, but as a repayment to George, who had cared for me all these years.
“Just follow my instructions. I’ll handle AC Credit,” I said firmly before ending the call. I sat still for a moment, gathering my thoughts, then mustered the courage to dial a number I had never called before.
After a few rings, a deep baritone voice answered, “It’s been five years.”
A faint echo could be heard in the background. Then, after a brief pause, he added, “I thought you’d never call me again.”
Suppressing the discomfort that crept up my spine, I got straight to the point. “I need a list of failed audits conducted by AC Credit, as well as details on their current financial situation.”
A chuckle echoed on the other end. “Letty, you haven’t called me in so long,” he said smoothly. The unsettling silence in the background made my skin crawl.
I clenched my fist. “John.”
He sneered. “Letty, you shouldn’t call me that.”
Even though we weren’t face-to-face, I could feel the suffocating tension. His coldness was entirely different from Ashton’s—it was sharper, darker, more brutal.
I tried to stay composed. “John.”
“Be good,” he murmured in amusement.
Disgusted, I abruptly ended the call. A wave of fear crashed over me, making my knees buckle as I sank to the floor.
It took a while for me to compose myself. My body felt weak as I dragged myself to the bedroom and crawled into bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around me. The terror from that phone call still lingered. I shouldn’t have contacted him.
By the time Ashton returned to the villa, I had managed to regain some of my composure. When he saw me, I couldn’t tell whether he was surprised or not.
“Have you eaten?” His voice was laced with exhaustion.
I shook my head, realizing that the sky had already turned dark. At that moment, I thought of Macy. I got out of bed and offered, “I’ll make dinner for you.”
Without warning, he pulled me into a back hug, resting his chin on my shoulder. His unshaven stubble grazed my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “Let me rest here for a while,” he murmured, his voice husky with fatigue.
Before I could respond, he led me to the bed and wrapped his arms around me, effectively trapping me in his embrace. His warm breath brushed against my ear, making it impossible for me to move.
I stared at the ceiling, debating whether to bring up Macy’s situation. But I hesitated. Now wasn’t the right time—it might backfire. It would be better to wait until he was more rested.
As exhaustion settled over me, I felt myself drifting off. The stress of the day, coupled with my pregnancy, made me drowsy. Just as I was about to succumb to sleep, my eyes suddenly flew open.
“Ashton,” I grumbled in frustration. “If you want to sleep, then sleep. What are you doing?”
“It’s just a natural reaction,” he murmured, his deep voice laced with drowsiness. “Just ignore it.”
My patience was wearing thin. I tried to shift away, but his firm grip held me in place, pulling me even closer.
“Ashton!” I snapped, my irritation growing. “Can’t you just sleep properly?”
“If you ignore it, it’ll go away,” he teased, pressing my palm against his own.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Damn you.”
He chuckled, clearly amused. But I refused to give him the reaction he wanted. Shutting my eyes, I forced myself to ignore him, willing myself to sleep.
Yet, no matter how much time passed, sleep wouldn’t come. My mind remained restless, filled with thoughts of Macy. I didn’t know how to bring it up to Ashton. But one thing was clear—if he stepped in, solving her problem would be much easier.
After all, money made the world go round.