Ashes of Ambition

CHAPTER4

As the evening progressed, she became aware of elements that others may have overlooked. A tall, elegant woman with a diamond necklace that sparkled in the light froze when James placed his hand on her shoulder and briefly hesitated before smoothing it back out into a smile.

At the bar, Mary noticed two executives speaking in hushed whispers.

"She's the new girl," one of them said.

"She won't last," replied the other. "I mean, they never do!"

When they saw Mary look their way, both men smiled wide and their speech faded behind an air of polite laughter.

By the time the speeches began, Mary was sitting at James's table, smiling at the right time and clapping along with the crowd.But her mind was stuck replaying the look in the woman's eyes, the whispers. It reminded her of the warning look Susan had shot her.

After their dinner, James took her away from the crowd.

"You did admirably tonight," he remarked, his voice dipping lower, the warmth gone. "You were composed, you were controlled. And that is what counts."

"Thank you," she replied softly.

he said softly, “I want you to meet someone."

Mary's heart raced. Something about the way he said it calmly and deliberately made her blood run cold.

He started to hesitate.

James gave a small smile. "Trust me, Mary. You'll find this... enlightening."

He opened the door. The light cascaded out. Mary froze at the sight she beheld.

A woman perched on the edge of a velvet armchair, a glass of champagne held gracefully in her hand. Her gown sparkled silver in the light, her hair perfectly styled, each strand flawless. She was lovely, yet the smile she made to James was brittle;

Mary, "James said as he stepped in, comfortably as someone who was at home. "This is Lana, one of my most trusted Dependents."

Lana smoothly stood up, presenting her soft hand. Her hand was cool, though.

"I've heard of you," Lana said, quiet.

Mary forced a calm smile. "Good things, I hope."

“James said with a chuckle, Always. Lana has been with me for a long time. She knows what you have to do to succeed here, and what true loyalty looks like."

As he said this, he did not look Lana, he looked at Mary. His eyes were locked on her as if noting her reaction.

"Please, sit," Lana said, taking her own chair beside James. Mary did as she was told, while James served three cups of Vodka.

"To ambition and loyalty," he said raising the glass.

They clinked, and Mary sipped. The Vodka burned all the way down and it was a sharp smoky flavor.

Lana smiled faintly, looking at Mary for a moment a heavy glance that conveyed an entire dialogue.

The evening stretched on, heavy with James's voice, talking about vision, talking about power, and the price of greatness. His words captured Mary like a net, each word he spoke rich, persuasive, woven with promises. He praised Lana's dedication, how she had rose even above everyone's expectations, and how her devotion had secured a future most don't even dream of.

Lana nodded, lips curved, lightly in agreement, but her eyes were wrong.

Mary had so many questions to ask about what she sacrificed to get to that night, what James meant when he said "devotion." But she held her tongue, knowing too well James' eyes were fixed on her now.

He leaned back in his chair,smiled. "Mary, do you know what the difference is between the strong and the weak in life?"

She shook her head slightly. "What?

"To make the ultimate sacrifice." His tone dropped to a whisper, intimate like he was sharing a secret. "Family, Your comfort, Your reputation. All of it can be used as currency if only you have the smarts to spend it."

Her stomach turned. He shouldn't know that family was a sore spot for her, but she remembered the way he had looked at her phone during his meeting.

"Okay," she made an effort to breathe and asked, " and if you sacrifice everything... matter of fact, what remains?"

James' smile faltered for the first time. Not much more than a little, but enough.

What's left, he said slowly, "is the ability to shape the world. And that is more valuable than any attachment."

Silence settled in the space between them. Lana took a drink with her eyes downcast.

Eventually, James' phone rang, to which he walked to the patio to answer, changing the entire vibe. The minute the glass door locked behind him, Lana's toupee cracked. She leaned in.

Her voice barely escaped from her lips, “You do not belong here.”

Mary blinked. I...

"Listen to me." Lana's eyes were burning with a kind of fierce urgency and desperate call about it. "You need to leave tonight. Do not consider coming back here tomorrow."

"Don't answer his calls. Just go."

Mary's heart pulsed wildly in her ears. "Why are you......"

"Because I saw what happens if you stay. You think you're strong enough to resist him? I thought the same thing too. And now......" Her words came out trailing off, glancing at the balcony.Her painted smile twitched. "Now, I don't even remember who I was before him."

Mary's throat had gone dry.

"You still have a chance," Lana whispered fiercely. "Take it before he owns you too."

The balcony door swung open. Lana's features relaxed right away, her lips lifting once again into her perfect, vacuous smile.

James walked in, putting his phone into his pocket. Mary’s stiff posture, Lana’s smile frozen, and she wondered for a minute if he understood everything.

He just placed his bottle down, and said, “Shall we?”

The rest of the evening had turned into a haze for Mary. She remembered the ballroom again, the endless laughter, the applause, Marcus’s hand at the small of her back when he guided her through the room. She remembered respectful exchanges with strangers whose eyes glided toward James.

The driver dropped Mary off at her apartment. It was already past 1am. The street was dark.

She climbed the stairs, fatigue pulling at her body. When she stepped inside she found Wilson asleep on the couch again. She smiled faintly as she pulled a blanket over him before she crept to her room.

Her phone vibrated.

Initially, she believed it was yet another notification about an overdue bill. But upon opening her banking app, her breath momentarily halted.

The rent had been fully payed.

Additionally, her balance displayed a deposit more money than she had experienced in years.

There was no name attached to the transaction, nor an explanation. Just "Anonymous Transfer."

Mary sat at the edge of her bed, gazing at the numbers until they became indistinct. A surge of relief washed through her quickly followed by some form of dread.

Because she knew. A name didn’t need to provide the introduction.

James had crossed into her life.

He knew her flaw, and now possessed it.

She fought to remain awake through the night, Lana’s words barely above a whisper replaying in her mind. Leave, while you still can.

But now, how could she even think about leaving, when James had bound her tighter than chains already?

And worse part of her, her memory which recalled the hunger James spoke of, whispered back. Maybe this is the price of winning.