Game of Love and Deception: The Billionaire's Ex Wife
Chapter 109: Criminal

Chapter 109: Criminal

Lorenzo dropped Ashley off at her office, then headed straight to his penthouse to check on Roseline’s son, just like she’d asked.

They’d barely gotten out of each other’s arms—another intense make out in the bathroom had made them finally decided they were going to take the day off. But then Ashley’s secretary called. Lorenzo didn’t know what it was about, not yet, but he planned to find out when they were back home.

At least he was certain of one thing—Ashley wouldn’t be able to shake off the thought of him until he returned to pick her.

He was proud of her. Proud of everything she’d achieved, and everything she was fast becoming. As CEO of Grey Group, he could see the progress of every company partnered under them. And Ashley? She was doing exceptionally well. Deep down, he knew that even without the partnership with his company, she still would’ve thrived. She’d always had that fire in her, that boldness to command the world to her feet.

A smile tugged at his lips as he replayed the last few hours in his head. If he had known things would go so smoothly, he would’ve told her everything much sooner.

But then, his thoughts drifted. Back to his call with Rafael.

The smile disappeared.

He’d promised himself he would protect Jamie’s family—no matter what. But now that Raphael had suddenly put him in charge of the search, how was he supposed to keep that promise? His grip tightened around the steering wheel. He had to figure it out. First, he needed to get them safely out of Rose City. But how, when he hadn’t even spoken to the woman about her husband’s death?

He reached for his phone to call the men guarding them. He needed to let the cat out soon.

********

Ashley stood in her office with Claire, discussing the impromptu meeting with board members and shareholders. She had seen this coming. She’d expected it. In fact, she already had a good guess about what they wanted to bring up—but this time, she wasn’t going to bend under pressure. She wouldn’t even entertain it.

As her thoughts raced, Lorenzo’s face flashed in her mind, and her heart gave a little skip. He’d dropped her off only moments ago, yet she already missed him. When had she become this wrapped up in him?

About twenty minutes later, she stepped into the boardroom—and paused.

Everyone was already seated.

Was she the last to be informed?

She took her seat, her eyes scanning the room. She looked for Patricia, but her gaze landed instead on Raphael Flynn, sitting in the second row across from her. He was here today in place of his son. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Marcus in a while—but that was fine by her. The distance was a relief.

Raphael’s lips curved into a small smile. Not kind. Not warm. Just... wary. Ashley didn’t trust it. She never had. He’d never liked her, and today, her instincts told her he was about to be a bigger problem than ever.

She also spotted Vincent Morgen—seated among the smallest shareholders. A flicker of satisfaction stirred inside her. He didn’t look happy, but she didn’t care. He should be grateful she even let him back.

The meeting started shortly after, and it didn’t take long before irritation prickled at her.

"How can the heiress be seen with a criminal? Do you know how damaging that is to the company’s image?" one shareholder asked. Ashley recognized him. He’d been loud during the last meeting—strongly against her.

"What’s your name?" she asked, her voice sharp and calm. A stunned silence fell over the room. Her tone had shifted the air. When the man hesitated, she gave a dismissive wave. "Never mind. Please, continue."

The brown-haired man sat back down, his face red with humiliation. But Ashley didn’t give him a second thought. The meeting continued, and it only got worse—some of them now suggesting she publicly break up with Lorenzo, just so the press could see it.

"And if I refuse?" she asked, leaning back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, tone nonchalant.

"Miss Flynn," a board member said, "we would be left with no choice but to strip you of the CEO position and appoint a temporary replacement until the manager returns from his trip."

Her jaw tightened.

"And who exactly do you think can handle it better?" she asked, locking eyes with him.

He flinched, then answered, "Your uncle has been with this company longer than you. He knows how it works."

Her eyes shifted to Raphael Flynn, who still sat with that same smug little smile. Of course. It was him. That smile had always warned her.

So that was it.

He didn’t hate her just because she existed—he hated her because she was sitting in the chair he thought was his.

"Is that what you want, Uncle?" she asked. "To take this company from me while my grandfather—your own brother—isn’t here?"

Raphael finally spoke. "That position should never have been yours in the first place, child." His voice was calm, too calm, but his eyes held something darker. "My brother made a mistake giving it to a stranger."

Stranger.

That word hit harder than she wanted to admit. It always did. Like no matter what she did, he’d never see her as family.

And child. God, she hated his tone when he called her that. Like she wasn’t a grown woman sitting in front of them, running a company they were too afraid to lose control of.

Still, she didn’t let it show.

She turned back to the board member. "You won’t do it," she said simply, her voice steady. His jaw clenched, but he didn’t reply.

"I might have been handed this role at the start, but I’ve earned my place here. I’ve brought in more partnerships than anyone has in years. I even brought back old partners who walked away," she said, casting a pointed glance at Vincent, who shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "You won’t take that from me and hand it to some old man just because I won’t let you all control my personal life."

"Watch your tone, child," Raphael said, his voice low and tight.

She swallowed but didn’t back down. "Stop calling me that. I’m not a child."

Her eyes locked with his, and for a moment, something cold passed between them. His fist clenched on his knee.

"You act like you know so much," Raphael said with a click of his tongue, "but the company’s money was being stolen right under your nose. Or maybe you’re part of it."

Ashley’s breath caught. How did he know about the embezzlement?

The room went silent, eyes turning toward her with suspicion.

"That’s right, Miss Flynn," the same board member said. "This embezzlement scandal is very suspicious. Nothing like this happened before you came."

Ashley’s jaw tightened. "Really? It started months before I became CEO. Am I responsible for that too?"

Some of the eyes turned toward the man speaking, the doubt now shifting.

"But... it got worse under you," he said, fumbling, "and you didn’t stop it immediately."

Ashley scoffed. "But eventually I did. I’m the one who found out about it and fired the person responsible. Or did you all forget that part?"

He fell silent, his face red with frustration.

Ashley stood, her movements calm, ignoring how their eyes followed her. She reached for her bag, letting her eyes sweep across the board. Her voice cut through the air, sharp and clear.

"If I catch even the faintest whiff of sabotage after this meeting, I won’t think twice before reaching out to every partner who came in through me. And when they pull out, my uncle can have the company all to himself. He can explain to my grandfather how he managed to lose even the Grey Group while he was away."

With that, she turned and walked out, heels clicking against the floor, leaving silence and stunned faces behind her.

Ashley was furious as she drove. Her jaw was tight, hands gripping the wheel. The nerve of them to expect her to end her relationship just because they didn’t approve. She had wanted to defend Lorenzo, to tell them he wasn’t the same person anymore—but she didn’t. She owed them nothing. This wouldn’t even be happening if it wasn’t for her foolish ex-husband, she thought. She was glad karma finally caught up with the idiot.

Again, she relived the shocked looks on most of the shareholders’ faces, and a smile crept onto her lips. They’d probably expected her to still be that girl from the last meeting—scared, desperate to prove herself. Clearly, they were disappointed. But the satisfaction didn’t last long. A thought kept gnawing at her. How did Raphael know about the embezzlement? Had someone on the board told him? Or... had he been working with the former financial manager all along? She needed to find out.

When she pulled into the company’s parking lot, her anger melted the moment she saw Lorenzo, leaning against a car, arms folded, waiting.

A real smile instantly lit up her face.

She parked, got out, and walked quickly toward him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

He felt like home. And right now, that was all she needed.

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