Engaged to my Billionaire Rival

Chapter 2

Present Day…

Alexandra Adkins stared at the numbers on the screen and felt the blood drain slowly from her face. “No,” she said flatly. “Run it again.”

Her Chief Financial Officer swallowed hard across the conference table. “Alex…”

“Run. It. Again.” Her voice was firm, but it wavered slightly.

The room went silent except for the soft hum of the city beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of Adkins Global’s top-floor boardroom. Rain lashed against the glass in silver streaks, turning Manhattan into a blur of steel and storm beyond them.

Her CFO inhaled shakily. “I’ve run it six times.”

Alex’s jaw locked. The spreadsheet remained projected across the screen in brutal, undeniable clarity. Debt obligations. Outstanding loans. Expansion costs. Investor repayment schedules. And at the bottom: Projected insolvency within eight weeks.

Eight. Weeks.

Her entire body went cold. “No,” she repeated, quiet this time. As if saying it differently might somehow change the truth.

She had built this company from a rented office with broken heat and secondhand desks. She had clawed every contract out of men who smiled at her like she was a decorative piece before she opened her mouth.

She had sacrificed relationships, sleep, sanity, pieces of herself she would never get back. And now, a series of over leveraged expansions and one catastrophic market downturn were about to take everything from her.

Her CFO slid a folder toward her carefully, like he was approaching a wild animal. “If we liquidate the Paris branch and halt development on the Singapore launch, we might buy ourselves another month.”

“A month doesn’t fix this.” Alex’s tone was clipped.

“No,” he agreed.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table. No one spoke. No one dared. Because everyone in this room knew the truth.

Adkins Global wasn’t just struggling. It was dying.

And Alex had hidden that fact for so long that saving it now would take a miracle.

Or a monster.

Her assistant, Kayla, burst through the doors before anyone could say another word. “Miss. Adkins, there’s someone here to see you.”

Alex didn’t look. “I’m busy.”

She could hear Kayla begin to speak, but another voice cut in. “He says he doesn’t care.”

It was low, smooth, and familiar in the worst possible way. Every muscle in Alex’s body went rigid. Slowly, she turned.

Callan Ashford stood in the doorway in a charcoal suit tailored so perfectly it looked criminal. His dark coat was draped over one arm, rain still glistening faintly on his shoulders. He looked exactly as he always did. Expensive, composed, and devastatingly handsome.

And entirely too pleased with himself.

Alex’s stomach twisted. She knew that somehow—somehow—he knew.

“Get out,” she snapped immediately.

Callan’s mouth curved. “Hello to you, too, Alexandra.”

Every person in her boardroom suddenly had somewhere else to be, and the seats emptied with startling speed.

Cowards.

Within seconds, it was just the two of them. Callan stepped inside and shut the door behind him. The click echoed.

Alex crossed her arms. “If you’re here to gloat, I suggest making it quick.”

He took his time looking around the boardroom before meeting her gaze again. “I heard you were in trouble.”

“Then hear this clearly, Callan,” she started, her tone sharp. “I would rather burn my company to the ground than sell it to you.”

His smile sharpened dangerously. “Yes,” he murmured. “I assumed that might still be your position.”

She hated how calm he was. He was utterly unbothered. Every inch of him radiated the confidence of a man who knew he held all the leverage.

“Then why are you here?”

Callan stepped forward and placed a leather folder on the table between them. “Because despite your charming personality flaw of never knowing when to stop fighting, I’m offering you salvation.”

Alex stared at the folder, but didn’t touch it. “You are unbelievable.”

“Open it,” he urged.

“No.”

His gaze darkened. “Open it, Alexandra.”

God, she hated it when he used that voice. It was like a command, like he expected obedience from her.

She glared at him for several long seconds before she finally unfolded her arms and snatched the folder off the table. She flipped it open. Her jaw clenched when she saw what sat inside: a merger proposal.

“Ashford Holdings acquires majority stake in Adkins Global.

Ashford Holdings will assume all outstanding debt.

Alexandra Adkins will maintain her position as co-CEO through the restructure.”

Her pulse skyrocketed as she looked at Callan, half-angry, half-shocked. “This is a takeover.”

“It’s survival,” he corrected.

Her bark of laughter was sharp and humorless. “You think I’m stupid enough to sign my company over to you?”

He studied her for a moment before he shook his head. “No.” He stepped closer. “I think you’re desperate enough to consider it.”