Chapter 172: Work Together
That night, long after midnight had passed, the world seemed divided into two completely different scenes.
While Luca enjoyed the warmth and comfort of his private life, the atmosphere hundreds of miles away was cold, tense, and filled with unease.
Near the border between the Everglades and a neighboring nation, Ashley Johnson sat alone inside a parked vehicle, staring at his phone.
For hours, he had been waiting.
To carry out Gordon’s instructions, he had arranged for his wife and daughter to leave the country ahead of schedule. As long as they arrived safely in the United Kingdom, he could focus on completing the rest of the plan.
When the familiar number finally appeared on his screen, he felt a small measure of relief.
He answered immediately.
"Hey? Honey, your daughter and I have arrived in London. When are you coming over?"
His wife’s cheerful voice came through the speaker, accompanied by faint laughter from their daughter in the background.
Normally, hearing those voices would have brought him comfort.
Instead, the color drained from his face.
The hand holding the phone trembled violently.
Cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
His wife, of course, couldn’t see any of it.
"Hehe..."
Ashley forced out a dry laugh.
Taking a deep breath, he asked carefully, "You’re in London now?"
"Of course. Didn’t you arrange everything? Someone picked us up right after we landed. We’re already in the city."
A final sliver of hope vanished.
He had indeed arranged transportation.
But not to London.
His people were supposed to take them to Birmingham.
The cities weren’t particularly far apart, but that wasn’t the point.
Wrong was wrong.
And now there was only one explanation.
Ashley slowly closed his eyes.
The reality he’d been refusing to accept had finally caught up to him.
Keeping his voice calm, he said gently, "Honey, can you pass the phone to the person who picked you up? I need to discuss something with him."
"Sure."
A few moments later, the sounds in the background disappeared.
Silence filled the line.
No one spoke.
Yet Ashley knew someone was listening.
The only sounds remaining were his own heartbeat and shallow breathing.
After several seconds, he finally asked,
"Who are you?"
A chuckle came through the speaker.
"Mr. Johnson, you’re a smart man. Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"
The accent wasn’t perfect, but the meaning couldn’t have been clearer.
Ashley gripped the phone tighter.
"What do you want in exchange for releasing my wife and daughter?"
"Please don’t worry."
The voice remained calm.
"We’ll take very good care of them."
A brief pause followed.
"As long as you do your job properly."
Before Ashley could continue, the call ended.
The busy tone echoed in his ear.
His body immediately lost all strength.
He slid down against the vehicle and collapsed onto the ground.
There was no need to ask further.
He already knew.
These people belonged to Luca.
What truly terrified him wasn’t that they had found his family.
It was how easily they had done it.
They had intercepted his wife and daughter before they even left the airport.
That meant they had known everything in advance.
The thought alone sent chills through his entire body.
Just how much power did Luca actually possess?
At that moment, any lingering thoughts of betraying him disappeared completely.
The man had found the one weakness Ashley could never ignore.
After sitting in silence for nearly a minute, he suddenly shouted into the darkness.
"Come out!"
"People sent by Luca Hale, come out!"
His voice echoed across the empty wilderness.
He knew they were nearby.
If they could find his family, following him would be effortless.
As expected, engines roared to life in the distance.
Several powerful beams of light cut through the darkness.
Three black SUVs emerged from the shadows and rapidly approached.
The headlights illuminated the entire area.
Ashley instinctively shielded his eyes.
When his vision adjusted, more than ten men had already surrounded him.
"Haha."
A middle-aged man stepped forward.
He adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly.
"We’ve been following you for quite a while, Mr. Johnson. It’s been a long journey."
He looked like a university professor.
Refined.
Polite.
Approachable.
The towering men standing behind him, however, told a completely different story.
"What do you want me to do?"
Ashley didn’t waste time.
There was no point.
His family was already in their hands.
The middle-aged man smiled.
"Simple."
"We’ll continue following Gordon Luiz’s plan."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Whether we follow it exactly or make a few adjustments..."
"That depends on you."
The meaning was obvious.
The weapon Gordon intended to use would remain the same.
Only the hand controlling it would change.
Ashley lowered his head.
"I understand."
After a brief silence, he asked,
"If I cooperate, can I join my wife and daughter in the United Kingdom afterward?"
The man laughed softly.
"Mr. Johnson."
"Greed is not a good habit."
Ashley gave a bitter smile.
He had expected that answer.
The request had only been wishful thinking.
After all, once everything was over, he knew he would become a liability.
Still, he asked one final question.
"Can you guarantee their safety?"
The man considered for a moment.
"Today?"
"Yes."
"The future?"
"I can’t promise."
Ashley nodded slowly.
"That’s enough."
At least his family would survive.
That was all that mattered now.
The middle-aged man patted him lightly on the shoulder.
"Good."
"You’re an intelligent man."
"You know exactly what needs to be done."
Soon afterward, Ashley climbed into a vehicle alongside two of Luca’s men.
The convoy disappeared into the darkness.
---
Two days later.
Deep inside a forest across the border.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above.
Ashley stood quietly beneath the trees.
His expression was calm.
Almost peaceful.
"I hope your boss keeps his word."
"My wife and daughter have nothing to do with any of this."
One of the large men standing nearby nodded.
"You did your job."
"Our boss doesn’t break promises."
Ashley looked westward.
Beyond the horizon lay everything he cared about.
His family.
His home.
His final regrets.
Then he smiled faintly.
"That’s enough."
The man behind him asked,
"Any final words?"
Ashley shook his head.
"No."
"Let’s begin."
A gunshot shattered the silence.
Birds erupted from the trees in every direction.
Moments later, the forest became quiet again.
Ashley Johnson lay motionless on the ground.
---
Two hours later.
President’s Office.
Hale-Viv Conglomerate.
Luca listened quietly as Rico delivered the report.
"Boss, it’s done."
"What about the people Ashley arranged?" Luca asked.
"They’ve crossed the border."
Luca thought for a few moments.
"Leave them alone."
"Pull our people back."
"And preserve every piece of evidence connecting Gordon Luiz to the operation."
The board was finally becoming clear.
Every move had to remain clean.
The safest strategy was always letting others take the blame for their own actions.
"Understood."
Rico nodded.
He didn’t fully understand all the layers behind the decision.
He didn’t need to.
Following orders was enough.
After a moment, he asked,
"What about Ashley’s wife and daughter?"
"Leave them with Dawson Capital Group."
Luca leaned back in his chair.
"They don’t know anything."
"Let them continue living their lives."
He wasn’t a saint.
But neither woman had done anything wrong.
Punishing innocent people served no purpose.
Half an hour later, Rico left to handle the arrangements.
The office finally became quiet again.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
Cecelia entered carrying a stack of documents.
Luca stared at the pile.
Then at her.
Then back at the pile.
Finally, he sighed dramatically.
"Secretary Cecelia."
"Why do I have more work now than before I hired you?"
She placed the documents neatly on his desk.
"President Hale, perhaps you should reflect on your work ethic."
"Most company presidents work."
"You avoid it like it’s contagious."
Luca pinched the bridge of his nose.
Originally, he’d thought hiring a personal secretary would finally allow him to enjoy a peaceful life.
Instead, this woman seemed determined to drag him back into corporate reality.
"You know..."
He looked at her seriously.
"There’s a saying."
"When there’s work, the secretary handles it."
"When there’s no work..."
His smile slowly widened.
"The secretary handles it too."
Cecelia rolled her eyes.
By now she knew exactly what kind of person she was dealing with.
Trying to reform him was nearly impossible.
So she compromised.
"Fine."
"I’ll help."
"We’ll work together."
"It’ll go much faster."
The moment she finished speaking, Luca’s eyes lit up.
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"You’re right."
He rubbed his hands together.
"Working together sounds like an excellent idea."
Something about his expression immediately made Cecelia regret her choice of words.
Soon, Cecelia’s voice, filled with shame and anger, came from inside the office.
"Luca! What are you doing? I asked you to do it with me... why are you putting your arm around my waist!?"
"Hehe, didn’t we agree to ’work together’?" Luca stood behind her, pulling down her skirt.
"Hurry up and sign the documents. I need to start too..."
She felt his arm tighten around her waist, the heat of his chest pressing against her back as he leaned over the desk with her. Papers scattered under her palms. Luca’s breath brushed her ear.
"Focus on the signatures," he murmured, voice low and amused. "I’ll handle the rest."
His free hand slid down, fingers curling under the hem of her skirt and dragging it higher. Cool air kissed the backs of her thighs. She sucked in a sharp breath when his palm cupped her through her panties, already damp.
"Luca—!"
"Shh." He nipped the side of her neck, grinding the heel of his hand against her in slow, deliberate circles. "You said we’d work together. I’m just... assisting."
Two fingers slipped beneath the thin fabric, finding her slick and swollen. He stroked her once, twice, then pushed inside without warning. Cecelia’s hips jerked; a broken sound escaped her throat as he curled those fingers and began to thrust, steady and deep.
He worked her open until she was dripping, then hooked his arm under one of her thighs and lifted it high, spreading her wider against the edge of the desk.