Page 6 of Twisted Truth

“I won’t do it.”

My father touches my elbow and leans close to me. “You must do the first part of this plan, at the very least. If you can’t marry whatever girl you choose, we’ll figure something out at that point. But the PR team and the board are correct. You need to overhaul your image, and the best way to do that is with positive and exciting media coverage. Nothing will do that like a love story.”

“But that’s all it would be,” I hiss. “A story. I don’t want to live a lie.”

“Who says it has to stay a lie?”

I sigh. “I’m not like you, dad. I wish I was, but I’m not. I’ve never found a woman who can be to me what mom is to you.”

“Then you haven’t looked hard enough. Good women exist, Asher, but you spend all your time chasing the bad ones.”

My father, the romantic. I’ve always admired his optimism. Today, I despise it.

“And if I don’t agree to your terms?” I ask Janet.

“Then you’ll find that in your last negotiation, the additional shares you purchased had conditions on them.”

That gives me pause. I own the largest portion of thecompany because I created a contract that enabled me to buy more than my allotted shares by securing enormous deals. I’d had a deal in mind, and I knew I could secure it, but I also saw other members of the board, and even my extended relatives, floating by on their shares and not doing much to grow the company. I presented the deal to the board, and they were so impressed at the possibility of it that they agreed to let me purchase more shares if the deal went through and remained intact for five years. That was seven years ago. I’ve made this company more money than anyone has before, and yet the board is still trying to order me around like I’m an errant schoolboy.

But for the first time in a long time, I’m worried.

“Conditions on my shares?” I ask, my mouth suddenly dry.

“The extra shares you purchased can be revoked at the discretion of the board,” Janet says. She slides a clipped bundle of paper to me. The contract from seven years ago. I pick it up. The clause she’s referring to is highlighted. “You agree to our terms, and nothing will change. You will remain the largest owner of Langford Holdings. Refuse to cooperate with our terms or with the approved strategy of your new PR team, and we will revoke those additional shares. Which will cost you hundreds of millions of dollars.”

My stomach drops.

“Your morning schedule has been cleared, and you have an immediate meeting with your new PR team. They will go over the pros and cons of each woman on that list. Good luck.”

Holy shit.

I am well and truly fucked.

2

ELLA

ONE HOUR AGO

The minute I log on to work from home my emailpingswith an urgent message from my boss.

Ella,

I am so sorry to do this, but effective immediately, you have been reassigned to a new project. I have been fine with your remote work situation, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, that agreement is no longer an option. The PR and marketing departments had a massive and unexpected overhaul this morning. A quarter of our staff was let go, and everyone else has been shuffled and reassigned within the departments. We’ve also been ordered to create a specialized PR team by the top executives of the company. I know you work primarily with the marketing and content creation side of our operations, but I think your skills will be a necessary and great addition for the sensitive nature of the project of this new team. I need you to report to work by nine a.m. for an urgent meeting.

See you soon,

Emily

My mouth dropsopen as my stomach falls to the floor. I read the last line three more times to be sure I read it correctly. Nope, I read it right. Panicking, I reply to Emily that I’ll be there as soon as I can. But it’s already eight twenty-five, and I have to make it across town. There’s no way I’ll make it on time.

Shit!

What the hell is going on at work?

“Zahra?” I say, knocking on her door, cringing. Zahra works nights at a swanky restaurant as the floor manager, so she doesn’t get home until usually two in the morning. I feel like an ass waking her, but this is an emergency.

When I left Kyle’s apartment a month ago, I was only able to bring one suitcase, and I hadn’t stopped to look at which one I grabbed. By the time I finally ended up at Zahra’s apartment, I realized I had grabbed the suitcase with all of my casual clothes and pajamas. No work attire.