Page 1

1

ASHER

“ A sher,” Lauren, my assistant, says from the doorway.

“No good morning or hello?” I blink up at her.

“Why waste time on pleasantries when I don’t care?” she replies, entering.

I’ve known her since I was a kid because she first worked as an executive assistant at my father’s financial corporation. When I expanded this marketing firm, I offered Lauren a higher salary, more paid vacation, and a yearly bonus to join me. She put in her two-week notice and dropped my dad without hesitation. After her twenty years of loyal service, no one blamed her, not even my father.

I tell myself I didn’t hire her to be nice. She’s a bulldog, and no one gets past her, which I need more than a daily ass-kissing. I get that everywhere I go.

Lauren is proof that no one gives a shit about my feelings and that the world is cruel. Her sharp tongue serves as a reminder that I have to be tough.

She clears her throat. “I wanted to remind you about your appointment at Bellamore. Seven sharp.”

“I haven’ t forgotten.”

This meeting has been on my mind since Harper Alexander, one of the partners at Bellamore, set up an emergency one-on-one meeting with me.

I lean back in my chair, wishing I could fast-forward to Saturday. That night, I’m attending an award ceremony, where I’ve been nominated for the Cityscape Award. It’s prestigious and one of the greatest honors a CEO can receive.

I refocus on the blinking cursor.

To Whom It May Concern:

“You have twenty minutes,” Lauren urges. “Ms. Calloway already wants you dead. Arrive late, and you will be.”

I remove my fingers from the keys, knowing everyone is aware that Billie Calloway and I have always been at each other’s throat. Our college rivalry started at eighteen and lasted throughout our entire twenties. Now we’re in our thirties, and the dislike is the only constant between us.

I breathe out and return my glare to Lauren. “Bellamore is directly across the street. If I finish this email in the next three minutes, I can be in the ice queen’s office with ten minutes to spare.

“Remember who used to change your diapers when your father was too busy,” she reminds me. “Also, helping them is your personal choice. Bellamore isn’t on your agenda this year. And let me remind you, little boy , you don’t have time for anything extra . Your schedule is already too full. You are only one person, and you’ll burn out if you keep this up. Having no work-life balance destroyed your parents’ marriage.”

“Luckily, I’m not married,” I state. “And just know that I’d rather swallow my fucking tongue than speak to Billie Calloway this morning, but my hands are tied. I have no choice. Understood?”

She nods.

“Now, anything else?” I pick up my cup of coffee and take a sip.

“That’s all,” she says, moving toward the door .

A second later, it clicks closed, and I watch her cross in front of the glass-windowed wall that separates my office from the pit—the area of cubicles that houses many high-level PR reps and illustrators.

I close my blinds so my employees cannot see me. Gone are the days when I could be alone at the office early. Since Bellamore moved into this building two years ago, someone is always here. It’s why security stays on-site around the clock.

Lauren is right about one thing: I am on the verge of burnout, and it fucking sucks. There is no stopping now because when the ball drops, only I can catch it. The success of this business is on my shoulders, and I can’t let it fail. I won’t. It’s my sister’s legacy.

I pace several steps behind my desk and stop in front of the wall of windows. The sun has barely risen, and the city is still waking. Directly in front of me is the ice queen’s office. Hers faces mine, and it was one of the few reasons I purchased this building. Twenty-six months have passed since I moved the headquarters here, and I’ve never once witnessed her glance my way.

I might as well be invisible. It’s for the absolute best.

Right now, Billie is standing at her desk, wearing her favorite color—soulless black. She’s using her hands as she speaks, but her jet-black bob remains in place.

Her fashion company, Bellamore—the one she dreamed up while we were in college together—is located in the building most known as the Crystal Palace. It’s nicknamed that because of its clear blue windows and castle-like architecture. The inside looks like it fell from a fairy tale. Bellamore really exploded a year ago, and neither Billie nor Harper, her business partner and best friend, are experienced enough to handle it. They need me. However, Billie is too stubborn to accept my help, solely because it’s me.

If Bellamore files for bankruptcy, I’ll buy the building and move my firm there. Knowing how much Billie will despise that makes me so fucking happy.

I’ll even choose her office as my own since it’s twice the size of my current one and she has a fancy conference room tucked in the corner. A devilish smile spreads across my face as I think about it, and I return to my keyboard.

I quickly write and send the unavoidable email I’ve tried to put together for almost a month.

After locking my screen, I grab my phone and leave the security my office provides.

“Please let me know when you return,” Lauren says as I pass the reception desk. “You have a conference call at eight with a high-profile client that I did not reschedule, per your instructions.”

“Don’t worry. This won’t last longer than ten minutes.”

She gives me a pointed look.

I hold up my hand. “Trust me, the Ice Queen’s enormous Calloway ego won’t handle me being the only person who can save her ass. So, we’ll play games until she’s so utterly desperate that she’ll crawl and beg for my help.”

Lauren isn’t amused. “This isn’t a game.”

“I wonder how long it’ll take her.” I smirk, thinking about it. “Billie will complicate this. It’s her MO with everything she does. She’s intelligent but an overthinker and overanalyzer. It gets her into trouble and creates executive dysfunction.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have a crush,” Lauren says, narrowing her eyes at me.

“On the Wednesday Addams of the fashion world? Fuck no. We’re just basically the same person. It’s how I can predict her moves.” Sarcastic laughter escapes me, and I’m offended she’d assume something so ridiculous. “Also, you know I don’t date bitches. Especially ones who don’t know how to smile.”

“Oh, you only hire them then?” Lauren lifts a brow and playfully smiles.

“Good one,” I tell her as I enter the elevator with a chuckle. “Bitches get things done and rule the world. Don’t get it twisted; I’ve got mad respect.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” she says .

I do know what I’m missing—constant attitude and brat behavior. I’ve known Billie Calloway for over a decade, and I’ve never seen her genuinely smile. When we met in college, I learned that the valedictorian—the real-life Hermione Granger—must be the most intelligent person in the room, or she’d lose it. I get it; I’ve lived in the shadows of my highly successful siblings, too, but she overcompensates, to the point of annoyance.

Billie was so used to receiving praise for her brains and beauty that she expected everyone to bow down to her, the diamond princess. When we met, she received zero free passes from me. I knew she was an ice queen the first time we crashed into one another and I looked into her light-blue eyes.

Ruthless. Intelligent. Bitch.

The female version of Weston and Easton Calloway, all wrapped into one. They were my heroes, and she was unlike any woman I’d ever fucking met, even to this day. So, I pushed her to her limit, and she pushed me to mine. Purposely.

Now we hate each other, and she avoids me like the plague, which is great. I prefer not to be around her. It’s better if she keeps her distance.

As soon as I enter Bellamore, I’m greeted by security and given credentials. The building is stunning; the bottom floor is an atrium with beautiful trees that stretch up to forty feet high. A botanical garden and waterfall flow as sunlight streams through the clear windows. Classical music drifts throughout the space where the boutique is located. Shoppers can buy directly from the showroom floor; some pieces are thousands of dollars. Taking a picture in front of the window has become a viral phenomenon. One thing Billie is great at is building community without trying.

It’s heaven down here. Hell and Satan are located on the forty-second floor.

I suck in a deep breath, knowing I thrive in the uncomfortable. I settle into it, make peace with it. I become friends with my demons and rule them instead of the other way around. Nothing scares or intimidates me. I laugh at most challenges. But this woman makes me feel it all and stirs something deeply primal inside of me.

Billie is aware of what many call me—the Boogeyman of Business. I can give success and take it away with one marketing campaign. She doesn’t care. Nothing impresses her.

I take the elevator, and as soon as I step off, I’m greeted by a cute woman sitting at a moon-shaped desk. The phone rings, and she answers. As I move closer, her brown eyes travel from my head down to my toes. After she finishes eye-fucking me, she grins.

“Good morning,” she purrs, covering the mouthpiece.

“Morning. Still determining if it’s good or not.” I glance at the nameplate sitting on the edge of her desk. “Hannah, I have an appointment with Ms. Alexander and Ms. Calloway at seven.”

“Are you the Asher Banks?” She blushes.

I nod, realizing my reputation may precede me.

“The pics don’t do you justice, Mr. Banks.”

“Uh, thanks.”

Wonder if Billie and Harper know their secretary is five seconds from asking for my number.

Hannah finishes the phone call, then stands and sashays to Billie’s office. She knocks on the door and then cracks it open.

“Your seven o’clock meeting has arrived,” Hannah says.

Everything in this waiting area is a distraction and a complete waste of money. From the $200,000 pristine white sofa with claw feet to the gaudy chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It might be made from diamonds, considering she’s the heiress of Calloway Diamonds. In the center of the room are oddly shaped vases on museum-like tables with lights pointing down on them.

I roll my eyes, knowing I couldn’t be friends with someone who decorated their office like this. She’s a perfect example of the type of woman I avoid—one who flaunts her wealth because she can.

“Send them in,” Billie harshly commands.

She must wake up rude .

I remind myself that I cannot go back and forth with her today, even if she tries to pull me into an argument.

It never fails; our conversation always grows heated, and then, somehow, we’re full-blown pissed at one another. The two of us are never on the same page. If I say the sky is blue, she’ll say it’s purple, even if she knows she’s wrong, just to aggravate me more. It’s like she gets off on being under my skin, rotting away my flesh. She’s like bacteria, and I want to rid myself of wanting her. She’s a curse to all men. None have ever survived her.

Hannah returns to me and escorts me inside. Billie’s light-blue eyes pierce through me, and her signature grimace remains firmly in place.

A smirk touches my lips as she silently rages. I see the fire behind her eyes as the blood boils in her veins. I shouldn’t love having this power over her, but I do. It’s a reaction that’s so personal. It’s one of her tells, and it shows me that I’m buried deep under her skin too—just a single glance from me sets her off. That must be the real reason she hates me so much; she can’t seem to control herself around me. It’s why I hate her.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she hisses under her breath, as if she can read my thoughts. The words barely escape her lips, but I hear them loud and clear. “No. No way. Hell will have to freeze over.”

I want to tell her it has—that’s why I’m here—but I’m trying my best to be cordial and professional. It’s what my sister, Eden, would have wanted me to do.

“Harper,” I say, nodding. “Billie.” Her name slips from my mouth like a curse.

A low growl escapes her throat. It’s hot .

I glare at Harper, knowing this meeting is already over. “Harper, can I speak with you outside?”

My jaw clenches tight. She promised me Billie would be open to having this discussion. I should’ve known better. I don’t wait for her to stand before I move toward the door .

“Give me one minute,” Harper says to Billie.

“Harp”—frustration seeps through Billie’s tone—“this is low.”

Ah, she’s really mad. Good. I’m glad I could ruin her day, like she’s currently ruining mine. When she’s out of sight, it’s easy for me to forget she exists. It’s why I’ve forced myself to be around her lately. It’s my own personal hell—a shock therapy of sorts. Eventually, I’ll be immune, and she won’t be able to frustrate me any longer.

I wait in the hallway for Harper, and a few seconds later, she joins me. Harper blinks up at me with kind blue eyes. Her hair is pulled half up, and she looks so much like her older brother, Zane, that it’s uncanny.

“You said she’d be aware,” I say, lowering my voice.

“I had no other choice. I apologize,” Harper states, her voice urgent and tinged with desperation.

“I should go.” I glance at the elevator.

“Please, Asher. I know you two don’t like each other?—”

“It’s not about that, Harper. You should never blindside someone if it can be prevented, especially given the dire situation. You’re right; I don’t like her. She’s stubborn and cocky, and she deserves to fail so she can be humbled. However, if my business partner did to me what you did to her, I’d be furious. This is not how progress is made, and she will never be open to a corporate intervention if you continue to approach your issues like this. Communication is key. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, but you and I both know she would never agree to see you.”

“Why?” I ask.

“You tell me,” she says. “I don’t know what happened between you two. No one does.”

“She doesn’t like that I won’t kiss her ass,” I tell her.

Harper exhales. “And she won’t kiss yours. So, we’re at a standstill. Please reconsider. I will owe you big time,” she whispers. “Billie will never ask for your help, but it’s not beneath me to beg. I know you’re the best—there’s no doubt about that—and we need you, Ash. Pretty please. It honestly makes you the bigger person for offering.”

“I will not waste my time, so know that when she pushes me out that door again, it will be much harder to ever have me return,” I state matter-of-factly. “I’m very busy.”

“I respect that. Thank you,” Harper says, meeting my eyes. “Thank you so much. I promise it will be worth your while in the end.”

“Damn. You owe me big, Harp,” I hiss, and I can already predict how this meeting will continue. I can foresee Billie’s moves—moves she doesn’t even know she’ll make.

I glance down at my watch, taking note of the time.

“You’re going to earn all the good karma points for this,” Harper says, much happier than she should be.

We enter, and I sit in front of Billie.

Over her shoulder is a direct view of my office. The screen saver jumps around on my computer screen. I smirk, knowing it must annoy her, having me as her shadow while she’s working. Like at Stanford, I’m always close, watching everything she does.

I meet Billie’s gaze, and the tension thickens. She narrows her eyes, and her nostrils flare.

“Why are you still here?” she barks.

“Because you need me,” I say, cocky as hell, ready to challenge her. I’ve been waiting all week for this very moment, knowing exactly what I’ll say to her next.

“I need you?” She scoffs, rolling her eyes.

“Badly,” I confirm, checking my watch. Two minutes have passed since I arrived. “And I won’t help until you ask me.”

“You can leave.” She points toward the door.

I think the scowl might be permanently etched on her pretty face.

Of course, she refuses the easy option, as I knew she would. I stare at the ice queen, fully aware of how badly she needs me. If she wants to play, we’ll go to the extreme. I love strategy games, and she’s my favorite one.

“Perfect.” I grin widely. “You’ll have to beg for my help next time.”

This gets under her skin because Billie Calloway begs for no one. However, she will beg for me.

“We can find someone else.” She glances at Harper, as if searching for reassurance.

There is no one else but me. I’m the corporate Grim Reaper. When I help one business, it usually destroys another. With death comes new life and a fresh start.

I lean back slightly in my chair, licking my lips, knowing this is option three. “You’ll beg on your knees.”

Sarcastic laughter—that I’ve heard on many occasions—escapes her pouty red lips. “Goodbye, Banks.”

With brows raised, I stand and adjust my tie. “I’ll have the last laugh, Calloway.”

“Asher,” Harper whispers urgently, but I don’t wait for her this time.

I shut the door and head straight to the elevator. It’s too early for the chaos Billie Calloway creates.

When I arrive at the firm, Lauren’s brows lift when she sees me. “You’re already back?”

“Told you so. It went exactly how I’d predicted.”

“What’s your next move?” she asks.

I tap my fingers on top of her desk. “Can you have someone deliver one of those thick rolls of paper we use for mapping quarterly marketing strategies?”

“The banner-sized paper?” she asks.

“That’s right, and a lot of black markers.”

“I’ll get right on it.” She picks up the phone. “What are you up to?”

“You’ll see.” I enter my office, moving to my windows to see what the ice queen is up to .

As I approach, I notice Billie staring back at me. I’m shocked, considering this is the first time we’ve ever acknowledged one another this way. The silent conversation flows between us, and I know she’s cursing me under her breath.

What will it be, Ice Queen? What’s your next move?

I give her a wave, twinkling my fingers. I see the real her, and she doesn’t like that. She flips me off and storms out of her office, her hips swinging.

I can only imagine what’s racing through her mind.

If the roles were reversed and she were the only person on the planet who could save my company, would I accept her help? I would because I’d do anything for the success of my firm and my employees.

Billie Calloway will beg, or she’ll go bankrupt. Right now, she has everything to lose.