His Secret Addiction

Chapter Fifteen

Damien's POV

My phone rang at six in the morning. Marcus first, then Sophie, then four board members in succession.

"Emergency meeting," Richard Sterling's voicemail said. "Today. Noon. Non-negotiable."

Alex was already awake when I came back to the bedroom. He'd seen the article on his phone.

"Person of interest," he said.

"It'll be corrected."

"When? After the board votes you out? After I lose my job?" He set the phone face down. "Reeves got that information from somewhere, Damien. Someone fed it to him."

"I know."

"Who benefits from my name being in that article?"

I sat on the edge of the bed. "Jordan Li submitted a formal complaint to the board yesterday. He claims you've been receiving preferential treatment on the rebranding campaign. That your relationship with me compromised the professional integrity of the project."

Alex was quiet for a moment. "How long have you known?"

"Sophie told me last night. I didn't want to add to everything else."

"So Jordan went to the board, someone leaked to Reeves, and now I'm a person of interest in a money laundering case in every business publication in New York." He got up. "Great. That's great."

He wasn't angry at me. I could tell the difference now. He was angry at the situation and working out where to put it.

"The board meeting is at noon," I said. "I need you there."

He turned around. "Why?"

"Because they're going to try to use you as leverage to remove me. And I'm not going to let them do that without you in the room."

***************

Sophie had prepared a full briefing by ten. Chen had sent over a preliminary clearance letter confirming Alex was not a target of the investigation, only a witness. It wasn't the full exoneration we needed, but it was enough for now.

Marcus met us outside the boardroom.

"Sterling has four votes," he said quietly. "Henderson and Park are undecided. If you walk in there without a strategy, you'll lose the room."

"What's the strategy?" Alex asked.

"You two stop pretending." Marcus looked at us both. "The relationship is already implied in Jordan's complaint and in half the article's subtext. Trying to deny it now makes you look dishonest. Own it, show them it didn't compromise anything, and let the numbers speak."

"The rebranding campaign is forty percent ahead of projection," Alex said. "I have the analytics."

"Then lead with that."

We went in.

Sterling sat at the head of the table like he'd already won. Jordan was there too, which surprised me. Sophie had arranged it, apparently. If he was making accusations, he could make them directly.

"Damien." Sterling didn't stand. "Given the circumstances, we felt it necessary to discuss the stability of leadership at Cross Industries."

"Ross Industries," I corrected. "And the circumstances are that our Head of HR was arrested for running a criminal network she built before she ever worked here. That's not a leadership failure. That's a law enforcement success."

"One of your employees is named in a national news story alongside a money laundering investigation."

"As a witness. Chen's letter is in your packets." I sat down. "Page three."

Sterling flipped through it. His expression didn't change, but he slowed down on page three.

"The more pressing matter," he continued, "is the nature of your relationship with Mr. Carter, and whether it compromised the rebranding project."

"It didn't," Alex said. He pulled up the campaign analytics on the room's screen without asking permission. "Fourteen weeks ahead of the original timeline. Engagement metrics up thirty-eight percent. Three major clients renewed contracts specifically citing the new brand direction. If this is what compromise looks like, we should do it more often."

Someone at the table laughed. Not Sterling.

"The relationship itself is a liability," Sterling said. "The optics….."

"The optics are that the CEO is in a relationship with a senior executive who is exceptional at his job," Marcus cut in. "Sophie has drafted a disclosure and conflict-of-interest policy that both Damien and Alex have already signed. Everything is above board and documented."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point, Richard?" I kept my voice level. "Because from where I'm sitting, you've been looking for a reason to push for new leadership since my grandmother died. Jordan's complaint gave you an opening. But the numbers don't support removal, the legal situation doesn't support removal, and the policy documentation doesn't support it either." I looked around the table. "So if you want to call a vote, call it. But make sure you're ready to explain to shareholders why you forced out the CEO of a company that just posted its best quarterly results in six years."

Silence.

Henderson spoke first. "I'd like to table the leadership discussion pending the full investigation outcome."

Park nodded. "Agreed."

Sterling looked at Jordan, who had said nothing for the last ten minutes. Jordan gathered his papers and stood.

"For the record," Jordan said, "my complaint was about process, not personal. The campaign results speak for themselves." He looked at Alex. "Good numbers."

"Thanks," Alex said.

Jordan left. Sterling stayed, but he'd lost the room and he knew it.

The vote to table was five to two. Outside the boardroom, Alex exhaled slowly against the wall.

"That was either brilliant or insane," he said.

"Usually both with us." I stood in front of him. "You okay?"

"Jordan complimented my numbers in the middle of trying to get us fired. So I genuinely don't know how to feel."

"He respects you. He just shows it badly."

Alex looked at me. "What happens now?"

"The investigation wraps. The article gets corrected. We will rebuild." I paused. "Together, if that's still what you want. Publicly this time. No more pretending."

He held my gaze for a long moment.

"No more pretending," he said.

Marcus walked past us toward the elevator. "Get a room," he said without looking back.