The CEO Above My Desk Chapter 167

***Violet***

The second we step inside Ashcroft Industries, the atmosphere changes completely.

Outside had been loud. Chaotic. Camera flashes exploding every three seconds while reporters practically climbed over each other trying to get close enough to Rowan to smell his expensive cologne.

Inside though?

Inside feels haunted.

The lobby smells faintly like smoke and melted plastic, and half the downstairs area is blocked off with caution tape and temporary barriers while workers move through the damaged sections near the underground garage. One wall is blackened. Chunks of marble flooring have been ripped up near the elevators. There’s shattered glass still stuck in some of the decorative plants near the entrance, glittering under the lobby lights like somebody detonated a disco ball.

Honestly?

It looks like the world’s richest supervillain survived an assassination attempt.

Employees glance up the second Rowan walks through the doors with the rest of us following behind him. Conversations immediately stop. Phones lower. Everybody suddenly becomes extremely interested in their computer screens.

The tension is so thick I could probably spread it on toast.

Nobody says a word during the ride upstairs. Even the security guards seem emotionally uncomfortable.

The second the elevator doors open onto the executive floor, Rowan immediately starts moving. Fast. Sharp. Dangerous.

“Office. Now.”

Well.

Someone’s about three seconds away from a stress-induced homicide.

Camille mutters under her breath, “If he has another aneurysm today, I’m not helping.”

By the time we step into Rowan’s office, the tension somehow gets worse. Today it feels like a war room.

Rowan starts pacing behind his desk while loosening his tie hard enough it looks like he wants to strangle somebody with it.

Potentially all of us.

Finally he turns toward us, and wow. The man looks furious. Not cold furious either. Not corporate furious. Personal furious.

“What the fuck happened last night? You disappeared,” he snaps. “In the middle of an active investigation involving corrupt officials, federal agents, a bombing, and at least one possible murder.”

“Well when you say it like that,” Camille mutters, “it does sound bad.”

Theo snorts.

Rowan shoots him a look sharp enough to qualify as attempted murder.

I cross my arms slowly. “Did you even bother looking through those emails?”

His jaw tightens immediately. “What?”

“The files,” I say flatly. “On the tablet. Did you go through them?”

Silence.

And suddenly Theo looks real interested in the ceiling.

Oh my God.

I stare at both of them in disbelief.

“You didn’t.”

Rowan exhales slowly. “We reviewed some of it.”

“That’s a no.”

Theo rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “We got distracted.”

I blink at him. “Distracted?”

Theo gestures vaguely around us. “There was an explosion, Violet.”

“Yes,” I say slowly. “And somehow me and Camille still found time to uncover a city-wide conspiracy between your ex-assistant, corrupt politicians, a dead detective, and a murdered photographer who just happens to be my brother.”

That shuts the room up real fast.

Camille suddenly holds up a hand.

“Nope,” she says immediately. “Absolutely not. I need coffee before this conversation continues.”

Theo blinks at her. “There’s coffee in the breakroom.”

Camille slowly turns toward him like he personally offended her ancestors.

“That canned battery acid you people drink in this building is not coffee.”

She’s already pulling her phone out before anyone can argue.

“I’m ordering actual coffee,” she mutters while typing aggressively. “Like real coffee. The expensive kind. The emotionally supportive kind.”

Theo watches her carefully. “You’re stress-ordering caffeine.”

“I’m pregnant, emotionally unstable, and currently uncovering government corruption.” Camille points toward him without looking up from her phone. “Nobody at this company gets to judge me right now.”

“That’s fair,” Theo admits quietly.

Meanwhile Rowan is still staring at me. Hard.

“What exactly did you find?”

I walk toward his desk, grab the tablet, and reopen the files.

“Thousands of emails,” I say. “Not just updates either. Avery was feeding Hargrove everything. Meetings. Schedules. Contracts. Development plans. Permit delays. Council discussions.”

I scroll through another chain.

“She knew about the housing initiative almost from the beginning. Every time you got close to approval, something mysteriously stalled.”

Rowan’s expression darkens instantly.

“She was tracking your movements,” I continue. “Theo’s. Devin’s. Marcus’. Everyone.”

Theo swears quietly under his breath.

Then Rowan’s eyes snap back toward me.

“And Leah Frank?”

There it is.

I cross my arms immediately. “We went to her.”

Theo groans softly like his spirit just left his body.

Rowan’s eyes narrow dangerously. “You went to the press?”

“Yes.”

“Violet—”

“No.” I cut him off instantly. “Because if we brought this to you first, you would’ve handed it over to Marcus.”

Rowan’s jaw tightens.

“And look how that turned out last time.”

That lands exactly the way I intended it to.

“The public needs to know,” I continue firmly. “Not every detail. Not yet. But enough.”

Rowan runs a hand down his face slowly. “You should have come to me.”

“And done what?” I ask sharply. “Wait quietly while this city keeps burying bodies?”

Silence.

Camille finally walks back over beside me. “Leah already shifted the narrative this morning.”

That gets Rowan’s attention.

“She’s going after Hargrove publicly now,” I continue. “Questions. Interviews. Pressure. She’s digging into the permit delays and the housing initiative.”

Theo leans back against the couch heavily. “So we accidentally started a political war.”

“No,” I correct flatly. “Hargrove started a political war.” I glance around the office slowly. “We’re just finally fighting back.”

Rowan stares at me for a long moment. Angry. Concerned. Impressed. All at once.

Then finally he says quietly, “And the files?”

I hold his gaze evenly. “You can hand everything over to Marcus now if you want.” My voice hardens slightly. “But Leah already has everything she needs.”

Something dangerous flickers across Rowan’s face at that. Not anger exactly. Realization.

I pick my briefcase up from beside the chair. “Now,” I say calmly, “if you’ll excuse me…” I look directly at Rowan. “My boss can be kind of a prick when things aren’t done correctly.”

Theo immediately chokes on a laugh.

Even Camille snorts.

Rowan just stares at me in disbelief while I turn and walk toward the office door.

And honestly?

It feels good leaving him speechless for once.