The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 202

15:55 Wed, Aug 19.

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

Ten Years Later

ZANE

Ten Years Later

The first camera flashed before my shoe touched the pavement.

you fe

By the time I stepped out of the car, the entrance to Ashton Holdings had disappeared behind a wall of reporters, security barriers, and raised cameras. My name came from every direction as security closed around me.

“Zane!”

“Mr. Ashton, over here!”

“Is the acquisition closing today?”

“Any comment on Blackridge?”

I buttoned my jacket and headed for the entrance.

“Mr. Ashton, Forbes named you one of the most influential executives under thirty!”

“Are the hostile takeover rumors true?”

“Zane! Is Blackridge selling?”

None of it was worth stopping for.

Then a woman forced her microphone through the crowd.

“Your competitors are calling the Blackridge acquisition predatory. Did you deliberately wait for their stock to collapse before making another offer?”

I stopped.

Security stopped with me, and the crowd quieted enough for cameras to take over where the shouting had been.

I turned toward her. “Your name?”

“Rachel Cole. Bloomberg.”

“Blackridge rejected our first offer?”

“Yes,”

1 “Our second?”

“Yes.”

“They announced publicly that they could secure better terms elsewhere?”

Rachel hesitated. “Yes.”

“Did they secure them?”

“No

14

19

O

KIKA

G

111

O

15:55 Wed, Aug 19 ·

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

“Then their problem wasn’t predatory business. It was poor judgment.”

Questions erupted around us, but Rachel kept her microphone raised.

“You waited until they had no leverage.”

“I waited until they understood how much they had.”

“And how much was that?”

“None.”

The cameras erupted again, reporters throwing questions after me before Rachel had even lowered her microphone.

I gave them nothing else.

Security closed around me as I turned toward the entrance, and seconds later the glass doors shut behind us, cutting the chaos down to a distant murmur.

Much better.

Inside, Ashton Holdings moved differently around me. Conversations lowered as I crossed the lobby, and people cleared my path without being asked.

“Good morning, Mr. Ashton.”

“Morning, sir.”

A brief nod was enough.

My father had built Ashton Holdings into one of the most powerful companies in the country. I’d spent the last decade making sure powerful wasn’t enough.

My assistant waited beside the private elevators, my coffee in one hand and her tablet in the other.

She held the up out as I approached. “You stopped for them.”

I took the coffee she offered. “I stopped for one reporter

“And gave her enough material for tomorrow’s headline.”

“She already had the headline. I gave her the quote.”

Her expression suggested that distinction wasn’t helping my case.

The elevator arrived before she could argue, and she followed me inside, already pulling up the next item on her tablet.

“Blackridge?” I asked.

“Board vote at nine. Legal has the revised documents ready, and their CEO has called three times since seven thirty.”

I took a drink of coffee. “Let him wait.”

“He’s getting desperate.”

“Good.”

Her thumb moved across the screen as she continued. “Tokyo approved the restructuring overnight, but Singapore wants clarification on the financing terms. Your eleven o’clock has been pushed to eleven thirty, and Finance sent the revised

25

19

6

KIKA G

15.55 wed, Aug 19

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

projections for approval.”

“Send them to me.”

“Already in your inbox.”

I glanced at her, but she had already moved on to the next item.

65 voucher

7

Four years working for me had taught her to stay ahead of what I needed, which was probably the only reason she’d survived working for me.

She scrolled to the next item. “Your father called twice. He asked me to tell you it’s important.”

“Don’t put him through.”

She gave me a brief look before marking something on the tablet. “Okay.”

A notification appeared near the top of her screen, and she read it before looking at me.

“The Forbes article is live.”

“The crowd outside made that difficult to miss.”

“They’ve named you one of America’s most eligible bachelors again.”

I took another drink of coffee. “I’m sure the shareholders will be thrilled.”

That almost got a smile out of her.

“Communications has already received interview requests from Forbes, GQ, Bloomberg, and two morning shows.”

“Decline them.”

“Every one?”

The look I gave her answered that.

“Right,” she murmured, tapping the screen. “Every one.”

The elevator opened onto the executive floor, and we stepped into the quieter corridor.

“There are also several requests concerning your personal life,” she continued as we passed reception.

“Decline those too.”

“You don’t even know what they’re asking.”

“I don’t care what they’re asking.”

“Good morning. Mr. Ashton,” the receptionist greeted as we passed.

I acknowledged her with a nod while my assistant continued beside me.

“There’s also a woman downstairs asking to see you.”

That made me look at her. “Who?”

“She says she was at your penthouse last night.”

NEW, Muy 13 MU

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

Dark hair against my sheets surfaced first. The name took a few seconds longer.

“Caroline?”

My assistant glanced sideways at me. “Catherine.”

Close enough.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify