Bait

Chapter 1

I rushed to stick my hand in the door of the elevator. There was an all hands meeting at 9 this morning with the owner of the company I worked at and I was running late. I worked for a small publishing company iRead and I was one of editors of the fiction department. I loved my job. I got to read books for free and every once in a while I’d discover a new writer before anyone else. That was the best feeling in the world.

Right after college I was hired to worked for one of the big three publishing companies. I had learned a lot, but it was a cut throat environment. After paying my dues for 6 months and learning a lot of hard life lessons in adulting I’d started looking around. A few months after I started my search, my friend Jake let me know there was a position at this smaller company where he was hired after graduation. I’d been here at iRead a few years and had worked my ass off the same as I’d done at the other company. the big difference was I was rewarded with my efforts being recognized and appreciated. Most of their publications were of an online variety and there was a section for hopeful writers to submit their work. It amazed me how many talented writers of every age were out there. Some of the teen writing was better quality than I’d read from a 45 year old with a Phd behind her name.

Getting out on the 6th floor I waved at the receptionist Janie as I rushed to my desk to hang up my coat and pull my tablet out of my oversized purse, tucking the bag under my desk. Coffee and laptop in hand I headed to the conference room to find Ali setting out bagels and fruit platters. I set my coffee and tablet down and started to help her. ‘I thought I was going to be the last one here.’ Traffic was stupid today with the 10 car pile up on the highway, with the highway at a standstill it ended up congesting the side roads. I’d been lucky hearing about the accident before I’d pulled out of my apartment’s parking lot on the local news station so I hadn’t been caught in the snarl. I’d taken back roads as far as I could but still got held up when I attempted to move through downtown. Apparently, everyone else had been delay by it as well. Once all the platters were set out I took a seat and opened my tablet checking for any high priority emails then started scanning through some of the stories that had been load from the amateur writers.

I was engrossed in a thriller when I heard voices making their way towards the conference room so I flagged the story and flipped to the notepad app pulling out my stylus to take some quick notes when needed. I felt a hand run along my shoulder and looked up to smile at Jake. He was a shameless flirt but he was harmless and head over heels in love with my best friend. I’d introduced him our 2nd year of college to Sia my best friend from grade school and they were still going strong 3 years later. ‘How’s it going? You treating my best girl well?’ I asked him with a smile.

His eyes lit up and he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. ‘Do you think she’ll like it?’ I looked down at a beautiful cushion cut diamond with pink, yellow and while gold intwined to create the band. The infinity wedding band nestled beside matched.

I stood up and wrapped my arms around him ‘Like it? It’s perfect’ I heard Jake lowly say thank god when someone forcefully clearing their throat behind us had us pulling a part. I looked at the man and my heart sank at the recognition.

Stone Morgan the step son of my former boss who is married to the owner of Morgan Enterprises. She was a big part of why I left. She was sleeping with my co-worker, giving him further incentive to keep the affair going by crediting him for all my work. I’d spent hours finding scouring FanFic sites and free writing web sites to find new writers. I doubted he recognized me from the one time our paths had crossed. The first time I’d come face to face with him was when I’d been working late and had stopped in the bathroom before I left. As I walked towards the elevators, I could hear yelling. Getting closer, I could tell the shouting was coming from Veronica’s office. I was trying to be quiet but I’d looked in the direction of the voices and seeing he had his hand wrapped around her neck and pinned to the wall. I had stopped walking my mouth hanging open. Just as I got my wits about me and was digging in my purse for my phone I yelled at him to put her down. Being alerted to my presence he dropped her on the floor growling menacingly at her ‘Keep it up and I will end you Roni.’ I could her gasping on the floor as he stormed past me. I’d quickly went to her office and grabbed the water bottle she always kept on her desk and handed it to her.

‘My lovely step son. Let’s hope my husband lives a long time. He’ll destroy the company when he takes full control. He is as evil on the inside as he is beautiful on the outside.’ She said bitterly.

Seeing she was sleeping with someone only a few years younger than him while married to his father I gave him the benefit of the doubt seeing that would’ve pissed me off as well. Veronica was the definition of Gold Digger. I knew her type well and worked around her the best I could. My mother would chew her up and spit her up as unworthy to polish her shoes despite Veronica’s husband being the all powerful Vincent Morgan. She may control my future in the company but she didn’t control my actions or thoughts as I brushed off her comment. I didn’t like the fact he’d been choking her but I wasn’t going to interfere knowing how hush, hush it was in the upper society. She’d lay charges if she decided that’s what she wanted. As for calling him evil, I can’t imagine he would be worse than what was already happening at Morgan Publishing and the only one he’d put in her place was Veronica herself.

I’d seen Stone a few other times since, always with a woman hanging off of him. At the opening of nightclub with a scantily dressed petite girl, at a conference in Vegas with a stunning girl who could be the main fearture at a burlesque show. A girl with piercing green eyes and bright red lipstick one evening when he pulled up beside me at a stop light, the cherry red color of the car had me glancing over. I’d nearly swallowed my tongue when I found him staring at me. Just as I was about to avert my gaze, the girl he was with leaned into him. His head at the perfect angle for me to see her tongue come out to flick his ear lobe. I’d quickly dropped my eyes embarrassed to be caught watching while wishing the light would hurry up and turn green. I’d busied myself fiddling with the radio while keeping one eye on the light and quickly speeding away, turning down a side street so I wouldn’t get caught beside them at any other lights. We ran into each other again at the little hole in the wall Indian restaurant restaurant a block from my apartment I had been eating at every Thursday night since I discovered the place my first week of college. That time he had been with a beautiful girl with skin the color of cafe oh lait and piercing eyes that looked amber from where I was sitting. I didn’t know what it was but each time, no matter how crowded or far we were from each other we’d always lock eyes. Then again, maybe there were other events we’d attended we hadn’t seen each other. The one thing they all had in common that freaked me out was every girl had some shade of red curly hair. With that thought I smoothed over the end of my tight braid which hid my curls. There was nothing I could do to about the dark red color.

I watched as he and the owner of iRead Mr. Franks stood at the front of the room and I knew what was coming. He’d sold the company to the bigger company. I sat there looking around at the familiar faces of my co-workers and saw the moment of realization wash over everyone in the room. Everyone knew who Stone Morgan was, hell even if we weren’t in the publishing business he always made the news as the billionaire bachelor hottie. Even me who didn’t pay attention to anything news or gossip related couldn’t avoid knowing about those headlines. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself as thoughts of our future racing through my head. Are we going to be laid off? Be forced to into the big corporation mentality? What is going to happen to all the writers we had under contract that considered the big 3 selling out?

Mr. Franks voice brought me out of my head. ‘I am handing out a paper for all of you. It is a confidentiality agreement that I’m asking you all to sign. If you aren’t comfortable signing, we ask that you leave the room with no repercussions.’ Ali handed papers and pens to all of us. There was scribbling around the room and I quickly scanned the paper. It was a generic confidentiality agreement and I signed, dated and printed my name where indicated. Once all the papers had been collected Mr. Franks continued ‘I’m sure you all recognize Mr Morgan the CEO of one of the big 3. He came to me with an offer to buy iRead a few weeks ago that I couldn’t refuse. I would like to re-assure you all that I don’t expect much to change around here but I’ll allow Mr Morgan to give more information on that.’

I watched as Stone gave the room a warm smile, a deep dimple winking at the group gathered and hanging on his every movement. ‘The group here is in a unique position and will know something about me that no one else is aware of and I ask that you all respect the CDA you just signed. I am asking that you keep the sale of the company and what I’m about to say quiet until the media has picked up on it and you respect my preference for privacy if asked for an interview.’ There were nods and quiet noises of agreement from those in the room ‘I’m hoping to be married by the end of this weekend. I haven’t gotten her to agree to run off with me yet but this company is a wedding gift to my new wife.’ There were gasps and a few aww’s from the female population seeing the gesture as incredibly romantic and sweet.’ I felt a strange knot in my stomach at the thought of him loving someone so much he’d plan such an elaborate romantic gesture. I pushed the feeling aside which only left me with questions. Why this company? Who was this mystery woman? Was she one of the women I’d seen him with? Did she have a Business or English degree? ‘Mr. Franks will continue in his current position until they feel she is ready to take over the day to day running of the company. I have looked into the employee records, you are an incredible group and I doubt that any of your jobs are in jeopardy so you can sleep easy. In celebration of my upcoming nuptial’s you are being given a long weekend. You are free to start your weekend when you have cleared any pressing matters that you had scheduled for today. Please grab some food on your way out.’

We all stood up, glancing around I could see everyone making mental notes of what they had to deal with today and what could be pushed to Monday. I had a call with a new writer Madison and her mother in just over an hour that I was excited about so there was no way I was rescheduling. Madi as she preferred to be called, had posted her first story last week and I’d stumbled upon it last weekend. Madi was 16 and written a beautiful story full of teenage angst that had brought me both to tears and laughter at different points of the story. It was an incredible piece of work I could see being a bestseller, with the right marketing it had the potential to be made into a blockbuster movie.

I stood up giving big eyes to Jake who returned them and headed out to my office to continue scanning the latest uploads until my call. I hadn’t been in my office more than 30 minutes having flagged a few stories that had potential with some creating editing when my door opened and Mr. Morgan walked into my office closing the door. Taking a seat in front of my desk his head turned from side to side as he took in the framed pictures of book covers I’d gotten published adorning my walls. I took a quick glance at the time, 20 minutes until my call with Madi. ‘What can I do for you Mr Morgan?’

‘Miss Ryan’ he said with a his smooth tone ‘I would like to know what’s going on between you and Mr. Porter.’

I knew my brow furrowed at his words. ‘Well’ I said hesitatingly ‘I’m not sure that’s any of your business seeing the employee policy doesn’t have a fraternization clause that would prevent co-workers from dating.’

‘We both know that the employee contracts could change on Monday. You will answer my question.’ He snapped at me. Shit, I’d made him angry. Not smart seeing he could fire or lay me off with a snap of his fingers.

Taking a deep breath I told him ‘What you saw in the boardroom was Jake getting my opinion on a ring he plans to give my best friend.’

A slow smile crossed his face that put me on edge. ‘That’s good, I would hate to have bought a company for a woman who’d accepted a ring from another man.’

I blinked. What the fuck? ‘Excuse me?’ I squeaked out.

‘We will be married in Vegas tonight. I will need you to sign a prenup but this company will remain yours after we divorce along with any profit from the company from today forward.’ He said with a smug smile.

He was either fucking with me or missed taking his meds ’Are you feeling well Mr Morgan? Is there someone I can call for you?’ I asked him gently.

His brows furrowed and he huffed ‘Listen Aisling’ he started mispronouncing my first name ‘Someone is setting me up. 5 women I’ve been connected to have died in the last 6 months. You’ve seen me with all of them and are a witness to me threatening one of them. It won’t be long before the police start looking at me as a suspect and I know for a fact that other than the restaurant staff you are the only other that could place me with Raina and unless some random person recognized me in the car, no one knew I was with Bethany that night. You are also the only person that heard me that night with Roni. As my wife, you would be exempt from testifying against me.’

I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my throat grow dry the more he spoke. I licked my lips trying to make sense of his words. ‘Ver-Veronica is d-d-dead?’ I finally stuttered out quietly.

He gave me a look that asked me if I lived under a rock ‘She died in a car accident 2 and a half weeks ago. It was all over the news. It seems her breaks were tampered with from the reports that the investigator I hired was able to get his hands on.’

I pulled up a browser on my tablet and searched her name. She was indeed dead. There were pages of articles on the accident and pictures of her funeral. Rubbing my forehead my mind racing I asked ’You said you are being set up. What’s to prevent me from being the next target?’

‘You will have round the clock security. I have the best people working with me. We will find out who is doing this and you will be safe until he or she is safely behind bars.’ He told me. ‘You are probably already on their radar seeing I bought this company and it was immediately put in your name. It will be public record and the media has a way of sniffing these things out. Marrying me is the only way to guarantee your safety at this point Aisling.’

I felt heat crawling up my face as my temper flared. This bastard set me up and knowingly put me in danger. I snapped. ‘It’s pronounced ASH ling. If you are going to fuck with my life the least you could do is say my name right.’ My alarm went off reminding me of my meeting with Madi. Looking down at my phone I clicked on the alarm and unplugged my wireless headset ‘I have to take a call with a potential client. I’ll be half an hour.’ I told him as I put the ear buds in ‘Close your door on the way out.’ I took a few deep cleansing breaths as he left my office.

The call with Madi and her mother went well and we set up another meeting next week to go over the finer details and to give them a contract they could take to their lawyer to review. I had big plans for Madi Brown.

I was cleaning up my notes when Mr Morgan came back in. ‘Ready to go?’

‘You have a copy of the pre-nup I can review Mr. Morgan?’ I asked.

’Stone. It would be strange for my wife to refer to me so formally.’ I gave him a look that said I could think of a few informal names I could easily call him. His lips twitched at that before unlocking his phone and within a minute I heard a ding on my phone indicating I’d received an email.

I navigated to my email on my tablet and saved the document. Grabbing my stuff I followed him out to a waiting car that had pulled up to the front of the building as we walked out the doors.. I opened the document and started reading. It was all pretty standard but was slanted to only protect his assets. Apparently he hadn’t done much looking into me or thought I was an idiot. ‘There isn’t anything here that protects my assets. I won’t sign until that is amended.’ I looked up at him using the indifferent expression I’d perfected growing up.

He blinked then shrugged. I watched as he clicked on a contact bringing his phone to his ear. ’Max. I need you to update the pre-nup. Miss Ryan is insisting that her current assets be protected as well.’ There was a pause before he looked at me. ‘Do you have an issue it is generalized to both parties?’

I worked on contracts frequently and had taken classes in college that were specifically designed to be able to read between the legalize of contracts and knew that would suffice. ‘That would be acceptable.’

‘Max, make the changes. We’ll see you in a few minutes.’ I said nothing at his exasperated tone.

‘He is aware of the nature of this marriage? Or does he think this is a real relationship?’ I asked.

‘Max knows the truth of what’s going.’ He grunted.

We pulled into an underground parking lot of big modern glass building. When the car stopped in front of the elevators we got out and I grimaced this was the same firm that handled my trust fund. My father had come from Ireland to the US to attend MIT and never left. He’d started a small tech company while still in school, growning it into a Fortune 500 company by the time he was 27. When he died at the age of 34 I’d been 5. According to his will 51% of the company was transferred to my name. 25% was owned by his partner Miles. 5% had been gifted to 3 of his top programmers who were also trusted friends, 5% to the CFO at that time, 2% to my grandparents and the last 2% to my Aunt Shannon. He’d also heavily invested in Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Morgan Enterprises and crap load of other companies all that were put in a trust for me until I turn 25. It was enough that I could live in luxury for the rest of my life just off the interest of one year. My mother inherited nothing. My aunt got a quarter of his life insurance policy that had been in the 10’s of millions, the remainder went to me.. The only stipulation to my trust was it would remain intact and could only be accessed to cover my college/university tuition with a small allowance during those years to help cover living expenses. In the event of my death, the liquid funds would be donated to a children’s charity and the company shares would go to my Aunt or someone of my choosing according to my will after the age of 18. All decisions regarding the company were to go through the trust with my Aunt Shannon having the final decision until I was 25.

My Aunt Shannon told me he’d wanted me to grow to follow my own dreams and make my mark on the world in my own way. I respected his decision and in a way it gave me a sense of freedom and pride in making my own way and not relying on money I’d been handed for doing nothing. I’d worked a part time job since I was 15 and through school to afford any extra’s. My tuition had been minimal with the scholarships I’d earned through studying hard to keep my marks in the top 5% of my classes. I’d had to come to this law office to sign the paperwork to get the funds released each semester.

Getting off at the 25th floor I was relieved to not see any familiar faces. Mr. Morgan led us straight through the reception down a hall to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. Opening them, he indicated I should walk ahead of him. I saw an older man sitting behind a big ornate desk with a huge window behind him. ‘Hello Miss Ryan, I’m Max Thomas’ I took the hand offered giving it a firm shake along with a tight smile before sitting in the chair directly to my left. He pushed some papers to me and I quickly scanned the contract and was happy to see that any assets including trusts or inheritance’s were protected by both of us. Any share’s or dividends from said share’s currently held or purchased during our marriage would be be retained by the individual. I looked for any loopholes but seeing it was written to protect him, it automatically protected me. ‘There isn’t a clause in the event of either of our deaths. I want it explicitly stated that my existing will or any will I write in the future to be honoured. The same goes for Mr. Morgan naturally.’

Max gave me an exasperated look ‘Of course. Let me make that change.’

’Do you have the paperwork showing I am the owner of iRead? Seeing that was the carrot you thought to dangle for my agreement in this charade, I may as well verify that it is indeed in my name.’ I watched his face twist in anger that I questioned his word. I lifted an eyebrow at him.

A stack of papers were pulled out of a cabinet and a file folder was placed in front of me. Max started typing and I assumed he was putting in the death clause. I picked up the papers and quickly scanned. The original purchase agreement for iRead was first. I scanned the details and seeing the financials and the purchase price I shook my head. ‘I would have expected you to be a better negotiator. You overpaid by double what the company is worth even considering future earnings.’ I said as I flipped through the pages. I heard a sound come from him that sounded like a growl. Ignoring him I reached the last page I found what I was looking for. The company had been placed in my name as a gift. ‘Can I get a copy of this for my lawyer?’ I asked Max finally looking up. He nodded and I could hear the printer spitting out a few pages.

‘Just give me the name of your lawyer and the address I’ll courier it to them before you even reach Vegas along with the pre-nup.’

I smiled as he handed me to the pages that had been updated to include the death clause. ‘Just send me the digital copies and I will forward them over. You can courier my copies to iRead Monday morning and I’ll make sure they get where they need to be’ He smiled condescendingly. The old fart didn’t think I had a lawyer and was brazing my way through a bluff. I kept my smirk to myself.

I picked up a pen ‘Do you need this notarized or can I go ahead and sign?’ Max picked up the phone and called someone by the name of Marg in. The printer whirled to life spitting out 2 more copies of the contract. A few minutes later a woman in her early 30’s came in her eyes landing on Stone immediately. I watched as her gaze filled with lust as her shoulders rolled back, her stomach being pulled in and her ample bosom jutting out. I mentally rolled my eyes at her blatant interest.

‘Marg, we just need you to witness a few signatures.’ She turned to Max and nodded before turning her attention back to Stone. I quickly initialed and dated at the top of each page and signed the final page. Handing the first copy to Stone then did it again until all three copies had been initialed and signed in triplicate. I waited for Max and Marg to finish signing then I stood up.

‘Thanks for making those changes so quickly. Can I expect the digital scans will be in my email within the next hour?’ I’d stated it as a question but we all knew it was an order. Max took my hand giving it a final shake ensuring me that he’d get my copies to me before I got on the plane. I gave him an appreciative smile and thanked him.

I went straight to the elevators with Stone trailing behind me. We didn’t say anything waiting for the elevator or on the way down to the waiting car. Once we got out from the underground parking lot I pulled my phone out of my purse and texted my lawyer Amelia.

Me: Am I will be sending a few documents your way in the next hour. I’ll have the original’s to you next week. I’ll give you the full details then. Please don’t contact the other party’s legal team until we talk. Xox

Amelia: You’ve got me intrigued. I’ll watch for them. How about we meet for lunch at the regular place? Tuesday?

Me: Sounds like a plan! I’ve asked for my copies be dropped off at the office Monday so that works.

I knew she wouldn’t respond again until she got my email. Amelia or as I liked to call her Am was an intern when I went in to sign for the first instalment of my college funds. She was also a trust fund baby that had turned her back on the lifestyle to go her own way. We’d hit it off immediately and had since become good friends. I’d had since refused to meet with anyone outside of her since that first meeting. She’d asked me how old I was when my parents divorced. I told her my parents were married at the time of his death and she’d wrinkled her nose at me. She’d had to review the terms of my trust and she pointed out a few strange things of the way my trust was setup for a happily married couple. She told me if I wanted, she would pull my dad’s original will and we could meet up for lunch. I’d agreed. When she made associate after passing the Bar I’d put her to work writing my will. I had that thing written iron clad. There had to be a reason that dad kept my mom from accessing any piece of my trust and had left the majority of the company shares to me and his life insurance leaving her nothing. On top of that he’d made it a part of the agreement that if any of the shares gifted were to be sold, they were to be sold back into my trust at the going rate. The fact that if I died without a will all of the trust would go to a charity and my shares to Aunt Shannon or anyone indicated in her will as beneficiary made it very clear, he hadn’t trusted my mother.

Seeing she had married his former business partner Miles less than 6 months after his death, I didn’t fault him in his assessment of her. My mother had virtually ignored my existence until I was 14 when she attempted to turn me into a carbon copy of her. It didn’t take me long to realize she was a shallow manipulative bitch and was trying to set me up with one of her friends sons. I’d played along until I was 18 but once I started college I’d avoided them using school and work as an excuse to be unavailable. I’d still gotten guilted in to attending some functions but by the time I was 21 I’d grown a backbone after she took her attempt to manipulate my life too far and I just refused to see her other than her birthday. Miles was a pretentious ass. He’d despised me in his home and I was shipped to Ireland to spend time with my grandparents and aunt every summer until I was 13 and had learned to stay out of his way. His son Mikey was 5 years older than me and a party boy growing up but he’d always treated me like his baby sister. Mikey is the only one that I had regular contact with. He had moved to California after he graduated and never intended to moved back. He was more like my dad, he preferred the development side of the business where Miles was all about the dollar signs. Mikey would come home a few times a year and we always met away from our parents, him coming a day early and spending a day with me before heading over to see them for what he called his obligatory visits.

The car pulled to a stop and I noticed we were at a private airstrip beside a jet with Morgan Enterprises on the side. There were 3 large men waiting for us. I got out of the car and heard my phone ping. I opened it and saw that it was an email from Max. I opened it and saw there were two attachments. I forwarded them to Am reminding her not to contact anyone until she spoke to me no matter what she read.

I walked over to where Stone was waiting with the 3 men who’d been joined by his driver. ‘This is Abe, Jay, Bill and Ben.’ He said indicating each man as he said each man’s name. ‘They are the security team. There will be two with you at all times. Let’s get on the plane and we can speak more about how you are going to work with them to keep you safe.’ I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before following the men onto the plane.