The CEO Above My Desk Chapter 194

***Rowan***

I stood near the kitchen counter gripping my phone tightly while Devin continued pacing somewhere on the other end of the call.

“I’m serious, Rowan,” Devin snapped. “This opens the city up to federal conspiracy investigations now.”

“I know.”

“No, I don’t think you do.”

His voice sounded genuinely furious now.

“Do you realize what this means for every development project you’ve touched in the last four years?” Papers shuffled violently over the line. “Every blocked permit. Every denied zoning request. Every delayed housing approval.” Another pause. “They were feeding her your legal strategy before we even filed half this shit.”

My jaw tightened harder.

Because that was the part making me feel physically sick.

Not just the betrayal.

The wasted time.

How many people could’ve already been housed by now if they hadn’t sabotaged everything?

How many families?

How many kids?

Jesus Christ.

I rubbed one hand slowly over my face while Violet watched me quietly from the kitchen island.

Theo leaned against the kitchen counter nearby while Camille continued muttering baby names under her breath like none of us were currently involved in federal-level political corruption.

Devin exhaled heavily through the phone.

“There’s more.”

Of course there was.

I closed my eyes briefly.

“What now?”

“The construction team called me about ten minutes ago.”

That got my attention immediately.

“The garage rebuild?”

“Yes.”

I waited.

Devin sounded exhausted when he continued.

“They need a week.”

Silence filled the kitchen instantly.

“A week?” I repeated flatly.

“The structural damage underneath was worse than expected,” Devin explained. “Electrical systems too.” More paper shuffling. “Insurance approved emergency repairs already but they’re saying minimum six to seven days.”

Normally that news would’ve sent me directly into a twelve-hour stress spiral.

Instead…

I looked toward Violet.

Toward the exhaustion sitting beneath her eyes.

Toward Camille half asleep against Theo’s shoulder.

Toward the fact that all of us looked emotionally destroyed.

And suddenly…

A week away from the office sounded less like an inconvenience and more like divine intervention.

I exhaled slowly. “Fine.”

Devin paused. “…Fine?”

“Let everyone know they have the week off.”

That immediately got everybody’s attention.

Theo blinked once.

Camille looked thrilled instantly.

Even Violet looked surprised.

Devin sounded genuinely confused. “You’re voluntarily shutting down executive operations for a week?”

“We’re not shutting down,” I corrected calmly. “Legal still functions remotely. Accounting still functions remotely.” I glanced toward Violet briefly. “But nobody’s physically going into that building until reconstruction is complete.”

“And interviews?” Devin asked carefully.

“We’ll start next week.”

The second those words left my mouth, Violet narrowed her eyes immediately from across the kitchen island.

I pretended not to notice.

Self preservation.

Devin was quiet for a second before finally sighing.

“You know,” he muttered tiredly, “I think the apocalypse may actually be happening.”

“Why?”

“You just voluntarily approved employee rest. I’ll notify everyone,” Devin continued. “And Rowan?”

“Yeah.”

His voice softened slightly. “Take the week.”

That one surprised me enough I paused. Then quietly, “I intend to.”

Devin snorted softly like he didn’t believe me whatsoever before ending the call.

The kitchen fell quiet afterward.

The television still replayed footage of Hargrove being loaded into the federal SUV while reporters screamed questions across the screen.

Theo muted it fully this time.

Good.

I was tired of seeing her face.

I slipped my phone onto the counter before finally turning toward Violet fully.

She looked back at me carefully.

Still worried.

Still reading me too well.

I stepped toward her automatically before resting one hand lightly against the side of her neck.

Warm skin.

Steady pulse.

Safe.

The anger inside me eased slightly instantly.

God.

Dangerous woman.

“I was thinking—”

My phone rang again.

I frowned immediately before grabbing it back off the counter.

My stomach tightened instantly when the caller ID fully registered.

Mayor Delaney.

Well. That couldn’t possibly be a good sign.

The entire kitchen went still the second they saw my expression shift.

Theo straightened immediately.

Camille looked between me and the phone nervously.

Even Violet’s posture changed beside me.

I stared at the screen for one long second before finally answering.

“Mr. Mayor.”

The silence on the other end lasted just long enough to feel heavy.

Then finally, “Rowan…”

Jesus Christ.

The man sounded exhausted. Not political exhausted. Personally exhausted.

“I just found out about Asher.”

“And?” The word came out colder than intended.

Right now I genuinely didn’t know how much of this man I could trust anymore.

Years.

Years of meetings.

Funding discussions.

Housing proposals.

City planning.

And the entire time his attorney was apparently sleeping beside the woman actively sabotaging everything I was trying to build.

The mayor exhaled heavily through the phone. “You think I knew.”

It wasn’t a question.

I stayed quiet.

I didn’t know what to think anymore.

“That’s fair,” Delaney admitted quietly after a second. “Jesus Christ, Rowan… I’d think the same thing.”

And suddenly… I realized something terrifying.

If the mayor was telling the truth… Then Hargrove hadn’t just infiltrated city politics.

She’d practically hijacked them.

Theo finally spoke quietly from the kitchen behind me. “This is insane.”

The mayor heard him faintly through the phone. “Is Theo there?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” His voice softened slightly. “Means you’re not alone right now.”

That one surprised me.

The kitchen seemed to notice too because Camille stopped fidgeting beside Theo.

The mayor exhaled slowly again.

“What happens now?” I finally asked.

That was the question. What the hell happened now?

Delaney went quiet for a second before answering carefully. “City hall is going to implode.The FBI will tear through every department tied to Hargrove and West.” His voice darkened slightly. “And once the media gets hold of the financials…” Another pause. “There’s probably going to be resignations.”

Plural.

Jesus Christ.

“The council’s already panicking,” he admitted quietly. “Half of them are terrified Bennett’s gonna drag them into questioning too.”

Probably.

The mayor’s voice lowered slightly now. “But Rowan… there’s something else.”

My stomach tightened instantly.

“What?”

“I think Asher’s gone.”

The kitchen went completely still.

“What?”

“He left his condo sometime after the arrest.” Papers shuffled again. “Federal investigators arrived twenty minutes ago and it was empty.”

Oh no.

No no no.

The mayor continued quickly. “His assistant says he cleared most of his personal files sometime during the night.”

Jesus Christ.

“He knew,” Violet whispered quietly from behind me.

Yes.

Yes he did.

I stared out toward the city skyline while cold anger settled slowly into my chest again.

Because suddenly this wasn’t over. Not even close.

Asher West running meant one thing. He was scared.

And scared men with powerful secrets became dangerous very quickly.