The CEO Above My Desk Chapter 134

***Rowan***

The door had barely shut behind us when my phone started vibrating.

Once.

Twice.

Then continuously.

Marcus.

Of course.

I glance at Violet where she’s standing near the bed, still flushed, still wrapped in that towel, still looking at me like I’m the only thing in the room worth paying attention to.

“What?”

No greeting.

No patience.

Marcus doesn’t waste time either.

“We found Calder.”

The room changes instantly.

Every muscle in my body goes still.

“Alive?” I ask.

There’s a pause.

Too long.

“No.”

Violet’s face shifts immediately.

She can hear enough from my side to know something’s wrong.

I turn slightly away from her.

“How?”

“Single gunshot wound to the back of the head,” Marcus says. “Execution style. He was found in his vehicle parked outside an abandoned warehouse near the docks.”

My jaw tightens.

Then he adds the part designed to ruin my night.

“Two blocks from where they found Drew.”

Violet makes a small sound behind me.

Sharp.

Broken.

I close my eyes for half a second.

Someone is cleaning house.

And fast.

“When?”

“Likely within the last few hours. ME is still narrowing it down.”

“Who found him?”

“Patrol call from a transient in the area.”

Meaning messy.

Meaning witnesses.

Meaning headlines.

Meaning problems.

Marcus exhales through the line.

“And before you ask, yes. I know what this looks like.”

I say nothing.

Because I know too.

Councilwoman tied to corruption.

Dead CI’s.

Dead detective.

Dead suspect.

And me... the billionaire with motive, reach, money, and enough enemies to make any theory believable.

Then Marcus says the next thing I expected and still hate.

“Legally, I have to bring you in as a suspect and clear your alibi.”

Violet pales.

I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“You know I didn’t kill him.”

“I know a lot of things,” Marcus replies. “I also know procedures, warrants, chain of custody, and what happens if I skip steps for a friend.”

Fair.

Still irritating.

“How long until you’re here?”

“I’m already downstairs.”

Of course he is.

I hang up.

No goodbye.

No point.

When I turn around, Violet is already moving.

The towel is gone.

She’s digging through shopping bags with frantic hands, pulling out clothes, her breathing too fast.

“Violet.”

“Don’t,” she snaps. “Don’t tell me to calm down right now.”

Interesting.

I almost smile.

Almost.

“They’re bringing you in?”

“For questioning.”

“That’s the same thing!”

She yanks on underwear like it personally offended her, then grabs a blouse.

Her hands are shaking.

I cross the room and catch her wrists gently.

“Look at me.”

She resists for one second before finally looking up.

“I didn’t kill him.”

“I know.”

The answer is immediate. No hesitation.

That lands somewhere deep in my chest.

Good girl.

I release her.

“Then why are you so calm?” she demands.

“Because panic is for people without options.”

I turn and open the door. The penthouse is already in motion.

Devin sits at the dining table with two laptops open, a tablet in one hand, phone pinned between shoulder and ear.

“Yes, I want every document from the active case file transferred now. I don’t care who’s asleep, wake them up.” Pause. “No, Karen, this is not optional.”

He types rapidly with one hand while muttering legal codes under his breath.

Useful man.

Theo is pacing near the windows like a caged animal. “This is insane,” he says the second he sees me. “This is insane. They kill Calder and now you’re the suspect?”

“Yes.”

“That was rhetorical!”

Camille sits curled on the couch, watching everything with narrowed eyes. Smarter than the rest of them at the moment.

Violet steps out behind me fully dressed now, hair still damp, face pale but composed.

My wife learns quickly.

Devin looks up.

“Timeline?”

“Marcus found Calder dead,” I say. “Docks. Gunshot to the back of the head. We’re doing the song and dance.”

Theo throws his hands up. “Song and dance? They’re trying to pin a murder on you!”

“No,” Devin says coolly, eyes on screen. “They’re doing due diligence before someone else tries to pin a murder on him.”

He points at Theo without looking.

“Difference matters.”

Theo glares.

Devin ignores it.

He taps his earpiece again. “I need security footage from the courthouse, boutique, parking garage, and building lobby. Time stamped. Full chain. Get me receipts, GPS logs, and credit card pings.”

Then to me:

“Where were you between noon and now?”

“With Violet.”

Camille coughs into her hand.

Theo closes his eyes. “Not helpful.”

“In the courthouse,” Violet says quickly. “Then the store. Then the drive here.”

Devin nods.

“Better.”

He types faster.

“Any witnesses?”

“The judge,” Violet says. “Store employees. Security downstairs.”

“Excellent.”

He points at her.

“Stay sharp. You’re gold right now.”

She blinks. “I’m what?”

“A credible timeline witness.”

“Oh.”

Theo mutters, “That sounded less weird in your head, didn’t it?”

Devin ignores him once more.

My phone buzzes again.

Marcus.

“I’m coming up,” he says.

“Doorman knows.”

“I know.”

Click.

Theo stops pacing.

“What if they arrest you?”

“They won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because if they intended to arrest me, Marcus wouldn’t call first.”

That quiets him.

Mostly.

Violet walks toward me slower this time.

No panic.

Just tension.

“What if someone wanted this?” she asks quietly. “Wanted Calder dead and you blamed?”

Now we’re asking intelligent questions.

“Yes,” I say. “And who would do that?”

I look at her. Then at Devin. Then at the city beyond the glass.

“Hargrove,” Theo says.

“Maybe,” Devin replies.

“Or someone above her.” I add.

That gets everyone’s attention.

I nod once.

Exactly.

The elevator dings. No one moves. The penthouse suddenly feels smaller. Heavier.

The doors slide open. Marcus Vale steps out with two agents behind him, expression unreadable.

He takes one look at the room, at Devin’s war table, at Theo’s pacing, at Violet beside me.

Then he sighs. “You people are exhausting.”

I straighten. “Good evening to you too.”

Marcus holds up a folder. “Rowan Ashcroft, I need your statement.”