My crisis manager instinct kicks in.“This is a temporary situation.Engagement is already dropping, and we’ll have a comprehensive strategy by end of day.”
“And you are?”
“Karina Peters.Marketing Director.”
His smile grows sly.“Ah.The mastermind.”
“She’s resolving it,” Callum says quickly.“The acquisition proceeds as planned.”
“We’ll see,” Duncan says.“Board meets in six weeks.”He tips an invisible hat.“The tartan suits you, Abernathy.”
As the door shuts behind him, the silence is deafening.
“That,” I say, “was very not good.”
“No,” Callum agrees, sinking into his chair.“He’ll either use this to lower the price or kill the deal entirely.”
“This was supposed to be your clean slate,” I say quietly.“After Richard.”
His jaw clenches.
“I’ll fix this,” I say before I can stop myself.
He looks up.“How?”
“I don’t know.Yet.But I will.We’ll change the narrative.Find the real culprit.Make it all disappear before the board meeting.”
He studies me, eyes unreadable.
“And why should I trust you?You’re still the prime suspect.”
“Because I need this job.Because my mom’s medical bills won’t vanish on their own.Because I’m not letting another Abernathy man wreck what I’ve built.”
Something shifts in his gaze.Not softening—recalculating.
“You’ve got six weeks,” he says.“Fix it.”
“I will.But I need my own office.My team.My?—”
“Not a chance.”His smile is all teeth.“Where you go, I go.Consider us joined at the hip.”
That phrase sends a wholly inappropriate shiver down my spine.
“Fine,” I say.“But fair warning—there’ll be more gifts.More chaos.More...bagpipes.”
“I can handle it.”
The universe hears him—and laughs.
Alana pokes her head in.“Delivery from KiltFlicks?They’re a streaming service.Want to discuss a limited series?—”
“Thank you, Alana,” we both say.
As the door clicks shut, our eyes meet.And for one heartbeat, my boss, my CEO—and my ex-almost fiancé’s brother—almost smiles.
Maybe we’ll survive this PR nightmare.
Or maybe we’ll kill each other trying.
