"What the hell?!"
Kaya and Rowan yelled in perfect unity, like their souls had synchronized purely for the purpose of suffering.
They stood in Asher's cabin—one clutching a tablet like it was a weapon, the other clutching his sanity like it was slipping—and stared at the fresh wave of headlines circulating across every screen that mattered.
Kaya's phone buzzed again.
Rowan's tablet refreshed again.
Asher's expression did not change at all.
That was the most disturbing part.
Kaya turned sharply toward him, eyes wide. "Okay—listen. I know you look like a mafia."
Asher's gaze flicked toward her like a warning.
She held up a hand quickly. "I mean that respectfully."
Rowan coughed into his fist. "There's no respectful way to say that."
Kaya continued anyway, because today had clearly been designed to push her to insanity.
"You look like the type of man who could take someone's life just by blinking," she said, gesturing toward his face as if it was evidence in court. "Like… one glare and people start planning their funerals."
Rowan nodded solemnly. "Accurate."
Kaya pointed at the screen again. "But I am pretty damn sure you're not the kind of person who kills people and sells their organs on the black market!"
She paused, then added thoughtfully, "At least not without proper paperwork."
Rowan burst into a laugh and immediately tried to cover it with a cough.
Asher's jaw tightened.
"Stop," he said slowly, the word heavier than it should've been, "testing my patience."
Kaya swallowed.
Rowan straightened instantly,
professionalism switching on like a survival mechanism.
Asher continued, eyes cold. "At least you two could pretend to be useful right now."
Kaya blinked. "Sir, I am always useful."
"As comedic relief," he shot back.
Rowan muttered, "He's not wrong."
Kaya glared at him.
Then she inhaled and forced herself back into work mode, because if they didn't fix this, the company's reputation would collapse in real time.
"I'll handle this news too," Kaya declared, already scrolling through the sources. "I'll contact PR again, legal again, and if needed I'll personally hack the internet and delete journalism."
Rowan raised a finger. "That's illegal."
Kaya smiled without humor. "So is accusing my boss of underworld involvement based on blurry pictures and someone's imagination."
Asher didn't comment. He simply leaned back against his desk, eyes narrowing as he scanned the headlines again. His calm looked unnerving now—not relaxed calm, but the kind of calm that came before storms tore through cities.
Then the cabin phone rang.
Not Kaya's phone.
Not Asher's mobile.
The cabin phone—reserved for internal emergency communication.
Kaya stopped mid-scroll.
Rowan paused mid-breath.
Asher picked it up in one smooth motion. "Sinclair."
The receptionist's voice came through, tense and lowered. "Sir… there's police here."
A beat.
"They want to meet you."
Kaya's blood turned cold.
Rowan's brows shot up.
Asher's expression didn't move. "Send them."
The line disconnected.
For a few seconds, the cabin was silent except for Kaya's heartbeat punching against her ribs like it wanted escape.
Rowan spoke first, disbelief creeping into his tone. "Police? This fast?"
Kaya whispered, "This is insane."
Asher placed the receiver down slowly. His eyes lifted to them.
"Police are here," he said simply. "For me."
Kaya's mouth went dry. "Sir… they can't just—"
Rowan cut her off, mind already racing. "They can if someone powerful is pushing it."
Kaya's gaze snapped toward Rowan. "You think this is connected?"
Rowan looked at the headlines again. "Kaya, they don't investigate billionaires in two hours because of gossip."
Asher's eyes narrowed slightly.
Rowan continued, voice firm. "This isn't random. Someone wants a public spectacle."
Kaya's stomach twisted.
"So… the caller from earlier—he isn't the only one?" she whispered.
Rowan shook his head. "No way. That man sounded like a pawn who thinks he's the king."
Asher's jaw clenched.
Kaya looked at Asher cautiously. "Sir…"
His gaze turned razor-sharp. "Let them come."
Rowan blinked. "Asher—"
Asher's tone darkened. "I'll handle the police first."
He stepped forward slightly, voice dropping.
"Then I'll handle the bastards behind this."
The air in the room shifted.
Cold.
Predatory.
Asher's eyes narrowed further. "And after that—"
He paused just enough to make their spines tense.
"I'll personally take care of that stranger who called my office."
Kaya and Rowan exchanged a look.
Rowan whispered, "This man is unbelievable."
Kaya whispered back, "Unbelievable is not the word. He's… a villain in a suit."
Rowan nodded. "A very legal villain."
The cabin door opened.
Two police officers stepped in first, followed by a third man who clearly wasn't just a random officer—his posture was stricter, eyes sharper, the kind of presence that said authority with power behind it.
Kaya instantly straightened. Rowan stepped forward slightly, protective by instinct.
Asher didn't move.
He only lifted his chin in calm acknowledgment.
The lead officer spoke. "Mr. Sinclair."
"Asher Sinclair," Asher replied coolly. "What can I do for you?"
The officer didn't smile. "We'd like to ask you some questions regarding allegations being circulated online."
Kaya felt fury rise in her throat. Allegations? Circulated online? They had turned gossip into action.
Rowan stepped in, voice calm and controlled. "On what basis?"
"Multiple sources," the officer replied.
"Reports suggesting Mr. Sinclair has connections to illegal operations, and potentially involvement through—"
He glanced down at his file.
"—a relationship with Alessia Moretti."
Kaya's jaw dropped.
Rowan's face sharpened. "That is baseless."
"As far as we know," the officer continued, ignoring Rowan, "the Moretti name is linked to ongoing investigations."
Kaya wanted to laugh hysterically.
Sure. And I'm the Queen of England.
Rowan spoke again, measured but firm.
"Officer, I'm Rowan Sinclair. Legal executive of Sinclair Holdings."
The officer's gaze flicked to him. "We know."
Rowan nodded. "Then you'll understand the severity of accusing a public figure based on gossip."
The officer's expression didn't change.
"We're not accusing. We're investigating."
Rowan gestured toward the articles. "Those articles are fabricated. We've already had most of them taken down."
"Yet they keep returning," the officer said sharply.
Kaya's phone buzzed again.
Her stomach dropped.
She glanced at her screen and swore internally.
More notifications.
More reposts.
More viral circulation.
She stepped closer to Asher and whispered urgently, "Sir—shares."
Asher didn't turn his head. "What about them?"
Kaya's voice lowered. "Company shares are falling. Rapidly."
Rowan's eyes widened, but he kept his tone steady. "This is market manipulation."
The officer's gaze sharpened. "Are you saying this is staged?"
Rowan didn't hesitate. "Yes. Someone is behind it."
The officer folded his arms. "Or you're covering."
Asher finally spoke again.
His voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. "I am not dating anyone."
The officer raised a brow. "Then explain the photographs."
Asher's gaze narrowed. "I walked out of a hotel. That is not evidence."
The officer leaned forward slightly. "Mr. Sinclair, the allegations are serious."
Rowan stepped forward, voice rising slightly now—not angry, but forceful. "So is defamation."
The officer didn't flinch. "We have to follow procedure."
Rowan's jaw tightened. "Procedure would require actual evidence."
The room grew tense.
Kaya stood frozen, watching Rowan fight like a lawyer born for war. He wasn't just defending Asher—he was dismantling the accusation itself, word by word, logic by logic.
But the officers didn't soften.
Their faces remained skeptical.
Unmoved.
Kaya could feel it now.
This wasn't about truth.
This was about pressure.
Public pressure.
Forced narrative.
Someone wanted the world to believe Asher Sinclair was connected to crime—whether it was true or not.
The lead officer spoke again. "Mr. Sinclair, are you willing to cooperate?"
Asher's gaze was cold. "I am cooperating by standing here. In my office. In my company. While you waste time chasing fantasy."
The officer's eyes narrowed. "That's not cooperation."
Rowan exhaled, trying again. "Officer, let's be rational. This is clearly an orchestrated attack—"
"Or it's exposure," the officer interrupted.
The air turned heavier.
Rowan's voice sharpened. "This is not exposure. It's sabotage."
The officer didn't respond.
Kaya's phone buzzed again.
She felt nauseous.
Then—
A new voice echoed through the cabin, cutting through everything like a blade.
"I am engaged."
Silence.
Absolute.
Total.
Kaya's fingers loosened instantly.
Her tablet slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a dull thud.
She did not react.
She did not blink.
She did not move.
Her entire body turned into stone.
Rowan did react.
His head snapped toward Asher so fast it was almost painful to watch.
His eyes widened.
His mouth fell open.
His whole face screamed one single thing:
WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?
The officers stared.
The room held its breath.
And Asher Sinclair remained calm.
Like he hadn't just detonated reality.