"What the hell…"
Kaya Kapoor's voice came out strangled—half disbelief, half personal betrayal—as she stared at the headline glowing on her tablet like a curse.
She read it again, slower this time, as if her brain had simply failed to process English the first time.
ASHER SINCLAIR SECRETLY DATING MAFIA HEIRESS — EXCLUSIVE.
SINCLAIR HOLDINGS TIES TO UNDERWORLD?
WHO IS THE WOMAN WHO 'OWNS' NEW YORK'S MOST DANGEROUS CEO?
Kaya's eyes widened until they physically hurt.
"Asher Sinclair has a girlfriend," she said slowly, like she was explaining a natural disaster, "and she's the daughter of a mafia."
Rowan Sinclair made a sound that belonged somewhere between a laugh and a choking incident.
"No—wait—what?" he sputtered. "Hold on, hold on—Kaya, read that again."
Kaya shoved the tablet toward him without looking away from the screen, because at this point she didn't trust reality to remain stable if she blinked.
Rowan scanned the headline.
Then his face fell into the kind of shocked expression you only saw on people who had just discovered their sibling was secretly a supervillain.
"Oh my God," he whispered. "That's… that's—"
"Nonsense," Asher said.
His voice was sharp enough to cut through both their panic.
Kaya turned to him.
Asher Sinclair stood near his desk, arms crossed, expression impossibly calm—like his name hadn't just been paired with the word mafia in bold font.
The calmness was offensive.
"How can you both trust this trash?"
he demanded, eyes narrowing at them. "This is not journalism. It's desperation wrapped in pixels."
Rowan stared at him like he didn't recognize him. "Asher…"
Asher's gaze snapped to his brother. "No. Don't start."
Kaya slowly raised a hand. "Sir."
Asher's eyes flicked toward her.
She pointed at the article. "It says you're dating a mafia daughter."
"Yes."
She blinked. "Yes… as in yes this is true?"
"As in yes, it says that," he replied coldly.
Rowan leaned in. "Wait—so you're not denying the mafia part? Like… you're denying the girlfriend part—right?"
Asher's jaw clenched. "There is no girlfriend."
Kaya squinted. "So you're telling me the only problem here is that they got the relationship wrong."
Asher's glare could have caused
earthquakes. "Kaya."
She coughed delicately. "Right. Sorry."
Rowan rubbed his face. "Okay—so we agree it's nonsense."
"Yes," Asher said flatly.
"Great," Rowan said, pointing at the screen.
"Then why does it have pictures?"
Kaya clicked the tab.
A blurry photo appeared—Asher in a black suit stepping out of a hotel. A woman beside him in a long dress, face partially covered, her silhouette elegant and dangerous. The caption claimed she was Alessia Moretti, heiress to an infamous crime family.
Kaya gasped.
Rowan whispered, "Oh my God…"
Asher's eyes hardened. "That's not her."
Kaya's voice rose. "But you were with her!"
Asher looked at her like she was the problem.
"I was exiting a hotel. That's called existing in public, Ms. Kapoor."
Kaya inhaled slowly.
Then, because her mouth had no survival instincts, she said, "Ohhh. So this is the reason you didn't fire me."
Rowan turned toward her. "Kaya—"
She continued anyway.
"You kept me alive," Kaya said, nodding dramatically, "so you can ask your mafia in-law to murder me later. Like—'hey darling, could you dispose of my assistant? She annoyed me at a party.'"
Rowan burst out laughing.
Asher didn't.
He glared.
"Kaya," he said, voice lethal, "stop joking."
She blinked innocently. "Sir, I'm terrified. Humor is my coping mechanism."
Asher's jaw tightened. "We don't have time for your coping mechanisms."
He grabbed his phone. "This needs to come down immediately."
Rowan straightened. "Agencies?"
Asher nodded once. "Now."
Kaya stood. "I'll call PR."
"And legal," Rowan added quickly.
"And warn them," Asher said, eyes dark.
"Threaten lawsuits. Make them understand this nonsense will cost them more than their careers."
Kaya nodded, already moving. "Yes, sir."
Within minutes the cabin became a war room.
Phones ringing. Keys clicking. Voices clipped and urgent.
Kaya handled PR like she was born for it—sharp, professional, deadly calm. Rowan handled legal. Asher handled… Asher. He barely spoke, but his presence alone made the air heavier.
The articles began to disappear one by one.
Links removed.
Headlines replaced with 404 Not Found.
By the time the last major outlet pulled the story, it felt like someone had finally unclenched a fist around their throats.
Kaya exhaled shakily. "Okay."
Rowan leaned back on the couch. "Okay… okay… so it's gone."
Asher still looked furious, but less like he was about to set the city on fire.
For a moment, it almost felt normal again.
Almost.
Then Kaya's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
Her stomach dropped.
Rowan's eyes sharpened. Asher's gaze snapped to the phone instantly—like he'd been waiting for it.
Kaya reached for it.
Asher snatched it out of her hand so fast she barely saw the movement.
"Hey!" she protested.
Asher ignored her, pressed a button, and put it on speaker.
Kaya's heart pounded.
Rowan sat forward, suddenly alert.
A voice poured through the speaker—smooth, male, amused.
"Hi, my lady…"
Kaya went still.
Rowan's eyebrows shot up.
Asher's expression turned dangerously blank.
The voice continued, unhurried. "Already done cleaning up the news? I must say, I'm impressed. Sinclair works fast."
Kaya felt her skin crawl. "Who is this?"
Asher didn't answer.
Rowan mouthed silently: Who the hell?
The caller chuckled. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not calling to compliment you."
Asher's fingers tightened around Kaya's phone.
The voice grew colder. "I'm calling to tell you—this was only a step. A mere step. The plan is still moving."
Rowan swallowed. Kaya's breath hitched.
"I will destroy him," the caller said softly, like he was describing the weather. "Piece by piece."
Kaya and Rowan both turned to Asher instinctively.
Asher's eyes were dark.
Dangerously calm.
Rowan whispered, "He's angry."
Kaya nodded slowly, terrified. "Very angry."
Asher finally spoke.
His voice was quiet.
Deadly.
"How dare you," he said.
The caller laughed. "Oh, so now you take me seriously—"
"How dare you," Asher repeated, voice lowering even further, "call my assistant your lady."
Silence.
Kaya blinked. "Wait—what?"
Rowan's mouth fell open. "WHAT?"
Even the caller paused.
"…What?" the voice said.
Asher's gaze sharpened like a blade. "My assistant is not your lady."
There was a moment where all three—Rowan, Kaya, and the caller—reacted in perfect synchronized disbelief.
Rowan and Kaya: "WHATTTT?"
Caller: "WHATTTT?"
The silence that followed was almost sacred.
Then the caller's tone shifted—furious, offended, completely derailed.
"Are you serious right now?" he snapped.
"That's what you're stuck on? That's what offended you? Not the fact I'm going to bury your empire?"
Asher replied calmly, "Correct."
Kaya slapped a hand over her mouth.
Rowan leaned back in disbelief.
"Oh my God."
The caller exploded. "You arrogant—! You pathetic—! I'm going to destroy you and you're acting like—like a jealous husband!"
Kaya's head snapped toward Rowan.
Rowan whispered, "Did he just—"
Kaya whispered back, "Yes."
Asher's jaw tightened slightly.
The caller kept going, now cursing like he'd lost the plot entirely.
"I'll ruin you! I'll break you! I'll—"
Asher's voice cut through like ice. "Tell me your name."
The caller laughed harshly. "Why? So you can beg?"
Asher smiled.
It wasn't a friendly smile.
It was the kind that made oceans freeze.
"No," Asher said quietly. "So I know exactly who to destroy first."
Rowan's expression changed—his legal brain catching up to the danger.
Kaya's pulse spiked. Oh God. He's going to end him.
Asher continued smoothly, "You're using a disguised number, yet you called a recorded corporate line."
The caller went quiet.
Asher's smile deepened. "You think you're anonymous? Interesting."
Rowan whispered, "He's tracking him."
Kaya whispered back,
"He's going to annihilate him."
Asher's tone remained polite—almost conversational.
"I'll strip every asset you own," he said.
"I'll make sure banks don't recognize your name. I'll make sure your partners deny knowing you."
The caller scoffed. "You can't—"
Asher interrupted. "I will also make sure your mother regrets giving birth to you."
Kaya choked.
Rowan coughed like he'd swallowed air wrong.
The caller was silent for a beat.
Then—furious again—he snapped, "You—! You psycho—!"
Asher's voice stayed calm. "And one more thing."
"What?"
"If you ever call my assistant 'your lady' again,"
Asher said softly, "I will personally ensure your funeral is closed-casket."
Rowan whispered,
"That escalated."
Kaya whispered,
"That is not workplace appropriate."
The caller growled, trying to regain control.
"Fine! Fine! Keep your assistant.
Keep your—your precious little secretary. It won't matter. I'll destroy you anyway."
He paused, then added with deliberate spite—
"Bye, my lady."
Kaya froze.
Rowan froze.
Asher's eyes turned pitch black.
Kaya thought she might faint.
Asher leaned forward slightly, voice low and lethal.
"You're dead," he said simply.
The line cut.
For three seconds, nobody spoke.
Rowan stared at Asher like he was witnessing a crime.
Kaya stared at Asher like she'd discovered he wasn't entirely human.
Asher stared at the phone in his hand like it was already a corpse.
Rowan finally whispered, "You're… really mad about the my lady thing."
Asher slowly looked up. "Yes."
Kaya's voice came out faint.
"Sir, with respect… he literally threatened to destroy you."
Asher's gaze slid to her. "And he will regret it."
Rowan watched him carefully. "What are you going to do?"
Asher set Kaya's phone down gently, like the calmest person in the room.
Then he turned to his desk and picked up another phone.
"What are you two staring at?" he asked coolly.
Rowan and Kaya blinked.
Asher's expression hardened into business.
"We execute the plan," he said.
Rowan sat up straighter. "Plan?"
Asher's eyes sharpened. "Identify. Trace. Contain. Ruin."
Kaya swallowed.
"That's… four plans."
Asher's gaze flicked to her.
"And you'll help."
Kaya squeaked internally.
Oh no.
Rowan placed his tablet down with enthusiasm now.
"Finally. Something fun."
Kaya shot him a look. "You're enjoying this?"
Rowan grinned. "It's not my life being threatened."
Asher spoke into the phone. "Security head. Now."
The cabin door opened a second later—but before anyone entered, all three phones vibrated again.
A notification.
Simultaneous.
Kaya's heart sank.
Rowan grabbed his phone first.
Asher glanced at his screen.
Kaya's hands trembled as she opened hers.
A new headline.
New outlets.
Faster circulation.
SINCLAIR HOLDINGS LINKED TO ILLEGAL OPERATIONS — INVESTIGATION SOON?
ASHER SINCLAIR: BUSINESSMAN OR UNDERWORLD PARTNER?
MAFIA CONNECTIONS CONFIRMED?
Kaya's eyes widened until they hurt.
Rowan's voice came out cracked: "What."
Kaya whispered, almost in prayer, "What…"
Rowan turned sharply to Asher. "Asher, this is bad."
Kaya stared at the headlines, then slowly looked at Asher.
Her voice came out stunned.
"Sir," she said, "how do you even work with this kind of drama?"
Asher's expression didn't change.
But the air in the room turned deadly again.
Rowan and Kaya exchanged one identical thought:
This wasn't over.
Not even close.