The CEO Above My Desk Chapter 180

***Agent Naomi Bennett***

I disliked Avery Quinneth within the first thirty seconds of sitting across from her. Not because she looked terrified. Not because she was bruised. Not even because she’d spent the last two years feeding information into one of the most corrupt political operations I’d seen in a long time.

No.

I disliked her because she still kept trying to soften her involvement every time she spoke. Tiny little pauses. Tiny little hesitations.

Like if she worded things carefully enough, maybe she could convince herself she wasn’t as responsible as she actually was.

Unfortunately for her, I’d been doing this job for fourteen years. And I was very, very tired.

Rain hammered steadily against the conference room windows while the executive floor outside remained in controlled chaos.

Phones ringing. Lawyers pacing. Employees whispering nervously. And through the glass walls, I could still see Violet Ashcroft sitting at her desk while Rowan hovered around her like a man trying very hard not to physically wrap his wife in bulletproof glass.

Interesting dynamic. But not my priority right now.

My priority sat trembling across from me in an expensive office chair trying not to look guilty.

I flipped open the case file slowly. “Avery Quinneth.”

Her eyes immediately dropped toward the table.

*Good.*

Fear usually made people honest eventually.

“You understand you are currently involved in a federal corruption investigation tied to multiple homicides, evidence tampering, political coercion, unlawful surveillance, witness intimidation, and potential conspiracy charges?”

Avery swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“Fantastic.” I leaned back slightly in the chair. “Then let’s stop pretending you were just forwarding emails and start acting like a woman who understands how catastrophic this situation actually is.”

Avery visibly flinched. “I told Rowan everything I know,” she said quietly.

“No,” I corrected calmly. “You told Rowan enough to keep him from throwing you out of the building.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

I let the silence stretch intentionally. People filled silence when they got uncomfortable enough.

Avery cracked first. “Hargrove hired both of us at the same time.”

I stayed quiet.

“Me and Calder.”

I folded my hands calmly together on top of the table. “Explain.”

Avery rubbed shakily at the bruising on her throat before speaking again. “She needed two things.” Her voice grew quieter. “Intimidation and information. Calder handled intimidation.”

Of course he did.

“And you?”

Avery laughed weakly at herself. “Information.”

Outside the conference room, Rowan moved behind Violet’s desk before setting a bottle of water beside her keyboard. The woman looked too exhausted to argue.

I focused back on Avery. “Hargrove specifically targeted Ashcroft Industries?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because Rowan was getting too much public support quietly.” Avery swallowed hard. “People trusted him.”

That tracked with the files. “Hargrove didn’t like that?”

Avery looked at me like I was stupid. “No. She hated it.”

I nodded once slowly. “Continue.”

Avery’s fingers twisted together harder now. “She wanted Violet gone first.”

That immediately got my full attention. “What do you mean gone?”

“Not dead,” Avery said quickly. “At first.”

*At first.* Jesus Christ.

“She wanted Violet scared enough to leave the company.” Avery’s eyes lowered toward the table again. “She thought if Rowan lost Violet, he’d become unstable emotionally.”

“Hargrove thought Violet was grounding him,” I said carefully.

Avery nodded weakly. “She said Rowan Ashcroft was easier to manipulate before Violet Pierce showed up.”

I glanced briefly through the conference room glass again. Rowan’s hand rested lightly against the back of Violet’s chair while speaking quietly to Theo. Protective. Constantly watching her.

I looked back toward Avery. “So how exactly were they planning to scare Violet off?”

Avery looked sick now. “Hargrove hired an ex-con through Calder.”

My expression hardened immediately. “For what purpose?”

“To stalk them.”

Them. Plural.

“Violet and Camille.”

Outside the conference room, Camille laughed loudly at something Theo said while organizing legal files. Completely unaware.

Cold anger settled heavily into my chest. “What kind of stalking?”

Avery hesitated too long.

“Avery.”

“He followed them.” Her voice shook slightly now. “Watched them. Took photos.” She swallowed hard. “I know for a fact he broke into Camille’s house once.”

Jesus Christ.

“He was also behind the threatening phone calls to Violet.”

Outside the conference room, Violet suddenly rubbed tiredly at her forehead before leaning back slightly in her chair. That poor girl looked like she was barely holding herself together. Meanwhile local law enforcement had spent months failing her repeatedly.

Wonderful.

I looked back toward Avery. “What was the long-term objective?”

Avery’s eyes looked glassy now. “Hargrove thought Violet would quit if things escalated enough.” Her voice dropped lower. “Threats. Stalking. Fear.”

“And if that didn’t work?”

Avery visibly stopped breathing for a second. “She wanted Camille next.”

I stayed perfectly still. “What does that mean exactly?”

Avery’s voice cracked. “She thought threatening Camille would break Violet emotionally.”

Jesus Christ. Because of course it would. Violet clearly adored her. And Hargrove knew it.

“She wanted Violet isolated,” Avery whispered. “Alone. Scared. Unstable.”

Cold fury crawled steadily up my spine.

Outside the conference room, Rowan suddenly looked toward the glass wall directly at me. Like he somehow sensed the shift in my expression.

Interesting instincts.

I looked away first. “What changed?” I asked Avery calmly.

“What?”

“You said Hargrove stopped sharing information with you.”

Avery nodded immediately. “About a week ago.”

“Why?”

Avery laughed weakly again, tears gathering in her eyes now. “Because she knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That I didn’t want to do this anymore.”

The room went quiet.

Avery wiped quickly at her face. “She knew I hated what Calder was becoming.” Her voice shook harder now. “And she knew I didn’t agree with the plan involving Violet and Camille.”

Interesting.

“She stopped trusting you.”

Avery nodded miserably.

“And then Calder came after you.”

That made her physically flinch. “He was following me,” she whispered.

“For how long?”

“About a week.”

Jesus Christ.

“I kept seeing him.” Her voice shook harder now. “Outside my apartment. Across parking lots. Sitting in his car.” Avery swallowed visibly. “He wanted me scared.”

Avery rubbed her hands together anxiously. “He knew I was pulling away from Hargrove,” she admitted quietly. “And he thought if he pushed hard enough, I’d fall back in line.”

My expression hardened slightly. “What exactly was he doing?”

“Watching me constantly.” Her voice cracked. “Showing up to places without warning.” She laughed weakly at herself. “Sometimes he’d just stand there staring at me like…” Her breathing hitched slightly. “Like he wanted me to remember what happened to my ex.”

Psychological intimidation. Classic coercive control tactic.

I’d seen it before. Too many times.

“And eventually,” I said carefully, “you decided you were done being afraid.”

Avery’s eyes slowly filled with tears. “Yes.”

I stayed completely still while she unraveled.

“He followed me the night he died,” she whispered.

Outside the conference room, I could see Rowan speaking quietly to Violet while Theo argued with someone from legal near the elevators.

None of them had any idea what was about to come out of Avery’s mouth.

Good. I wanted the full statement first.

“You arranged the meeting intentionally,” I said calmly.

Avery nodded once shakily. “I made it look like I was meeting someone.” Her voice dropped lower. “I knew he’d follow me.”

My jaw tightened slightly. “And the warehouse?”

“There were multiple exits.” Avery wiped quickly at her face now. “Old loading routes. Side doors.” She swallowed hard.

“You planned this.”

Avery immediately shook her head hard. “No.”

Lie. Not fully premeditated maybe. But not impulsive either.

She saw it on my face instantly. “I just…” Her voice cracked sharply now. “I couldn’t do it anymore.”