Taming My Sugar Mommy
Chapter 89: Hidden Game

Chapter 89: Hidden Game

Isabella gazed at the Manhattan skyline from her office, the afternoon sun glinting off glass and steel. The board meeting had ended three hours ago, yet the satisfaction of Edwin’s removal still coursed through her veins. She closed her eyes briefly, savoring it—relief, rare and precious in her world of constant vigilance.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Liam: *"Security has confirmed Edwin’s clearances are revoked. His company devices have been wiped."*

Isabella typed back: *"Come up. Bring the Macallan 25."*

Twenty minutes later, Liam entered her office carrying a crystal decanter and two glasses. He set them on the low table near the window where Isabella had relocated, her stilettos discarded beneath a chair, her posture more relaxed than he’d seen in weeks.

"Quite the performance today," he remarked, pouring two fingers of amber liquid into each glass.

Isabella accepted hers with a small smile. "Hardly a performance. Just the culmination of careful planning."

"Planning that worked perfectly," Liam acknowledged, settling into the chair opposite hers. "Edwin never saw it coming."

"People rarely do," Isabella replied. "They underestimate the consequences of betrayal."

She raised her glass. "To Ashworth’s future."

Liam clinked his glass against hers, but his expression remained thoughtful, lacking the triumph she expected. They drank in silence for a moment, the expensive whisky warming their throats.

"Something’s bothering you," Isabella observed, studying his face. "What is it?"

Liam swirled the liquid in his glass. "You really trust Davies?" he asked finally.

Isabella’s eyes narrowed. "I don’t need to. I just need his contract."

"You make it sound simple," Liam said. "From what I’ve heard, Davies is notoriously difficult in negotiations."

"All the better," Isabella replied. "Difficult negotiators reveal their priorities when pressed. I’ll know exactly what he wants by the end of our meeting tomorrow."

Liam nodded, but his expression remained unconvinced. "Jeremy seemed concerned about the financial terms Davies might demand."

"Jeremy is always concerned about financial terms," Isabella countered. "That’s why he’s an excellent CFO. But this partnership is about more than immediate returns."

She leaned back, her guard lowering slightly in the comfortable familiarity of Liam’s presence. "Today was a good day, Liam. We neutralized a threat."

"One threat," he corrected. "The financial documents Seraphina received—"

"Are next on my list," Isabella finished for him. She gestured toward her tablet. "I’ve already scheduled a comprehensive security audit for tomorrow morning, before my meeting with Davies. Every access point, every authorized user."

"And unauthorized users?"

Isabella’s smile turned predatory. "Those too."

Liam set his glass down. "I still think there’s something we’re missing. Edwin wasn’t sophisticated enough to orchestrate this alone."

"I know," Isabella acknowledged. "Which is why I’ve arranged for extra surveillance on Harrington. If he was providing Edwin with support or information, we’ll find out."

Liam fell silent, his expression distant as he gazed out at the cityscape. Isabella watched him, the lines of his profile sharp against the fading daylight. His concern wasn’t unfounded—she knew that. But she couldn’t allow doubt to cloud this moment of victory.

"You’re not happy for my success," she observed, her voice softer than usual.

Liam turned to her, surprise briefly crossing his features. "It’s not that. I just—"

She moved to him in one fluid motion, pressing her lips against his. The kiss was commanding, deliberate—her way of answering the unasked question, of silencing concerns with more immediate sensations. When she pulled away, his eyes had darkened.

"Trust me," she murmured. "I know what I’m doing."

Across the room, the door opened without a knock. Seraphina stood framed in the doorway, elegant as always in a tailored charcoal suit. Her eyes took in the scene—the discarded shoes, the whisky, Isabella standing too close to Liam—and a knowing smile spread across her lips.

"I hope I’m not interrupting," she said, her tone making it clear she knew exactly what she was interrupting.

Isabella stepped back smoothly. "Not at all. We were celebrating."

"As you should," Seraphina agreed, entering the room fully and closing the door behind her. "Edwin’s face when you revealed those communications—priceless."

She settled herself into a chair, uninvited but clearly comfortable in her presumed welcome. "Though I understand he’s already retained counsel. Claims wrongful termination."

"Let him," Isabella said dismissively. "The evidence is irrefutable."

"Evidence you’ve been collecting for some time," Seraphina noted, her gaze moving between Isabella and Liam. "Without mentioning it to me."

A subtle tension entered the room. Isabella returned to her seat, retrieving her glass. "I needed to be certain of my strategy before involving others."

"Others," Seraphina repeated, the single word carrying a weight of unspoken history between them. "I see."

Liam cleared his throat. "I should prepare the materials for tomorrow’s meeting ." He stood, nodding to both women before exiting, tactfully leaving them to address the sudden undercurrent of friction.

When the door closed behind him, Seraphina leaned forward. "You didn’t trust me."

"I was being cautious," Isabella corrected. "Edwin approached you specifically, Sera. I needed to understand why before revealing my hand."

"And do you understand now?"

Isabella sipped her whisky. "He thought you were ambitious enough to be turned against me. He miscalculated."

"As did you," Seraphina replied, her voice cooling. "Ten years of friendship, Bella. I deserved better than to be kept in the dark."

Isabella studied her oldest friend, weighing her next words carefully. "The financial documents that were sent to you—they’re still a concern. Someone with detailed knowledge of Ashworth’s operations created them."

"Someone other than Edwin," Seraphina acknowledged. "I’ve been thinking about that. The timing seems suspicious."

"How so?"

"They arrived the morning after the Magellan documents were placed on the server," Seraphina explained. "Almost as if someone knew about your trap and wanted to complicate it."

Isabella set her glass down, her full attention engaged. "Someone monitoring the executive server activity."

"Exactly." Seraphina crossed her legs, her expression thoughtful. "IT security, perhaps? Or someone with access to the monitoring systems."

"A list that includes Jeremy," Isabella noted.

"And half a dozen others with sufficient clearance," Seraphina added.

The two women fell silent, each calculating possibilities, assessing risks. The easy victory of Edwin’s removal was already fading, replaced by the awareness of a deeper, more complex challenge.

"Speaking of Jeremy," Seraphina said, breaking the silence, "he’s concerned about tomorrow’s meeting with Davies."

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "So Liam mentioned. Why is everyone so worried about this contract?"

"Because Davies is infamous for changing terms at the last minute," Seraphina explained. "And because the tech integration will require significant reconfiguration of Ashworth’s financial systems."

"Systems that Jeremy oversees," Isabella noted.

"Systems that represent vulnerability during transition," Seraphina corrected. "Jeremy’s right to be cautious."

Isabella finished her whisky, setting the empty glass on the table with deliberate care. "The Davies contract is essential for Ashworth’s expansion. I’ll handle the negotiation personally."

---

Over the next two weeks, small changes began manifesting throughout Ashworth Luxury Events. Individually, none were significant enough to raise alarms. Collectively, they formed a pattern that Liam couldn’t ignore.

Three new hires in the finance department, all with impressive credentials but no verifiable references. Budget adjustments that slightly favored international expansion over domestic growth. Minor shifts in vendor relationships, moving away from longstanding partners toward new contracts with marginally better terms.

Standing in Isabella’s office, Liam presented his findings, each observation accompanied by documentation pulled from Ashworth’s systems.

"Anyone of these could be explained as normal business evolution," he concluded. "Together, they suggest a coordinated effort to gradually reposition Ashworth’s resources and priorities."

Isabella studied the data, her expression grave. "Without requiring board approval."

"Each change falls just below the threshold that would trigger oversight," Liam confirmed. "Whoever’s behind this understands our governance structure intimately."

Isabella leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping a rhythm against the armrest. "The security audit showed no unauthorized access. Every decision was approved through proper channels."

"By authorized personnel using legitimate credentials," Liam agreed. "The problem isn’t system security—it’s human loyalty."

Isabella’s phone chimed with a calendar reminder. "The meeting with Davies is in twenty minutes." She stood, gathering her materials with practiced efficiency. "Keep digging. Find out who approved each of these changes. I want to know if there’s a pattern."

As she prepared to leave, Liam touched her arm lightly. "Isabella, your ’win’ against Edwin—I don’t think it was real."

She paused, meeting his eyes. "Explain."

"Edwin was too obvious, too easily caught," Liam said. "What if he was meant to be caught? What if his clumsy power play was designed to distract you while someone else implemented these changes?"

Isabella’s expression hardened. "A sacrificial move."

"In a much larger game," Liam agreed.

Isabella checked her watch, her mind working rapidly."I need to get to this meeting. But afterward, I want complete background checks on everyone who’s touched these decisions—especially the new hires."

"Already started," Liam assured her.

She nodded, appreciating his initiative. Before she could respond further, a young man from the executive floor administrative team appeared at the door, slightly out of breath.

"Ms. Ashworth, Mr. Davies has arrived for your meeting," he announced. "And Ms. Seraphina asked me to inform you that Jeremy will be joining today’s negotiation."

Isabella’s eyebrow raised slightly. "Did she? That’s news to me."

"She said it was arranged with Jeremy directly," the staff member explained, adjusting his glasses nervously. "Something about the financial implications of the contract terms."

Isabella exchanged a loaded glance with Liam. "Thank you. Tell them I’ll be right there."

When the staff member departed, Isabella turned back to Liam. "Jeremy and Seraphina, collaborating on strategy without informing me."

"While we were focused on Edwin and Harrington," Liam noted.

Isabella gathered her tablet and straightened her jacket, her expression settling into the focused intensity that had made her reputation. "It seems the real game is just beginning."

"What’s your move?" Liam asked.

Isabella’s smile was cold and deliberate. "First, I listen. Then I identify exactly who’s playing against me." She moved toward the door, then paused. "And then I remind everyone why challenging me is always a costly mistake."

Across the building, Seraphina watched through the conference room windows as Davies arrived, flanked by his legal team. A knowing smile played at her lips as she observed Jeremy nervously adjusting his tie, preparing for the confrontation to come.

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