ONE DOWN CHAPTER 46- ONE DOWN LARRY'S POV I reached the office and pulled up at the garage . Laura was already outside , pacing like she'd been waiting forever .. " Sir ... " she started the second I stepped out . I walked straight past her without slowing down . " Sir , please , it's about the board ... " her heels clicked behind me . She warned but none of it landed . My head was still back at that café , still stuck on Victor's words , still hearing : Have you really seen the news ? Everywhere I turned , eyes followed me . Conversations dipped into silence the second I passed . Some people had the decency to pretend to be busy ; others didn't bother hiding their stares . But guess what ? I didn't care . It's my fucking company ... and I could fire any asshole anytime I want to . I couldn't care less about that by the way ... what I really cared about was why the board had called me . I hadn't even stepped into the boardroom yet , and I was already pissed as hell . By the time I reached there , my patience was already hanging by a single thread . I didn't even knock ... I just shoved the door open , letting it slam against the wall . The table fell quiet . Eleven pairs of eyes locked on me immediately , I'm sure I must've startled everybody ... but hey , if they can't handle a little drama , they shouldn't have invited me in the first place . " Mr Jonathan , " the chairman said , adjusting his glasses like that might somehow soften what was coming . " We have a problem . A ... significant one . " I pulled out a chair and sat , leaning back . " Then stop circling it and say it . ' " It's Marvin . " Of course it was . " What about him ? " I asked . " He's in the hospital , " the chairman continued , " and the media ... well , the media's decided you put him there . " I gave a short , humorless laugh . " Me ? And what , I shot him in broad daylight while livestreaming it ? " " Jonathan , this isn't funny . Every major outlet is running with the story . Our PR team can't keep up . Investors are panicking , clients are freezing accounts- " " Clients can be replaced , " I cut in . " Not if the brand is toxic . We're hemorrhaging trust faster than we can manage . Calls are coming in nonstop , " someone else cut in sharply , and I shot her the kind of death stare that could end bloodlines . One of them slid a tablet toward me . " You need to see this . " I reluctantly looked down at the tablet , my own reflection glaring back at me from the dark , glassy surface , I stared for a second before I tapped the screen . And then ... I froze . The headline glared at me like it had been waiting all morning for my eyes to land on it . ' CEO Rival Linked to Shooting .' 1/3 ONE DOWN +25 BONUS There was a photo of Marvin's car . It glass was scattered across the asphalt like someone had smashed the night itself into pieces . My stomach knotted , and twisted ... and did some kind of Olympic - level gymnastics I didn't have a name for . The comments section was a wildfire ... The first comment was a stranger telling me to rot in hell . The second shredding into my name like vultures on roadkill . They were all tearing me apart in real time , hashtags screaming for my resignation , stories piecing together half - truths with complete confidence . My own face was plastered between clips of news anchors speculating about guilt like it was a sport . " What the hell is this ? " I asked , though the answer was already burning in the pit of my stomach . " It's already viral , " the chairman said grimly . I set the tablet down gently , almost carefully , like if I moved too fast it might explode . The board was still talking ... about stock drops , about clients walking but it all came through like muffled noise underwater . I could literally hear my pulse pounding in my ears . My lungs didn't feel like they worked ... it was ... what's the word again ? Ah , right . Suffocating . " Mr Jonathan , if we don't address this head - on , the board will have no choice but to ... " I cut him off . " You finish that sentence and I walk you out of here for good . " " Don't threaten us , " one of the older directors snapped . " You think you're untouchable ? Right now , you're radioactive . You need to make a public statement , deny involvement ... " " And look guilty while doing it ? No. I'm not dancing to their tune , " I shot back . " You don't have a choice , " the chairman said . " The stock has already dropped fourteen percent since the first post went live . By tomorrow , we could be looking at twenty - five . " I pushed the chair back and stood . " Fix it , " I said , already walking for the door . " That's why you're here . Fix it . " I didn't hear their responses . I didn't want to . By the time I reached the garage , my hands were shaking . I slid into the driver's seat , shut the door , and just ... sat there . The screen of my phone was already glowing with the same post . I scrolled , and scrolled , and scrolled ... every swipe cutting a little deeper . People who'd smiled in my face last week were liking comments calling me a murderer . The PR statements from competitors . The fake screenshots of " evidence . " I don't know how long I stayed like that . Minutes . Hours maybe . Watching my world unravel through filters and captions . Eventually , I drove home . The house was quiet except for the faint clatter of pans from the kitchen . Brandy looked over when I walked in , her face softening . " I made dinner . " I nodded but kept moving . My appetite had died hours ago . I went straight to the bathroom , turned on the water , and sank into the tub without even undressing all the way . The water was warm , but it did nothing to stop the cold clawing at my chest . The company was crumbling . My life was crumbling . And yet , the only person I could think about ... was her . BRANDY'S POV The kitchen smelled like heaven ... my heaven , not Larry's . I'd just made coffee , pancakes , and a little cinnamon buns because I knew he liked it ... not that he'd ever admit it . 2/3 ONE DOWN +25 BONUS He sat across from me , eyes glued to his phone ... and just then , the TV cut in ... oh , sweet timing . Hearing what happened to poor Marvin almost shocked me ... almost . But I couldn't help the little curl of a smile tugging at my lips . Like Mummy always said , " When your enemy trips , don't rush to help ... grab a chair and watch the show . Larry ? I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the smile from breaking free . Oh , honey ... you have no idea . I didn't need to look at him to know his whole body went rigid . Coz of Marvin ?! Please . Turns out Larry's all bark and no bite . He blinked like an owl caught in daylight . " What the hell ? " His voice had that edge ... confusion with a pinch of fear . I found it really cute though I stayed quiet , letting the silence do the work . Sometimes , the best way to keep suspicion off yourself is to act like you're just as lost as they are . Besides , I was enjoying the little storm brewing behind his eyes . He slammed his phone down . I jumped a little , for effect . You have to keep the act consistent ... startled , but not too startled . He shot up with an , " I ... I have to go , " but please - not on my watch . 1 " Wait , " I said , letting my voice hook him mid - step . I closed the space , pressed my lips to his ... sweet enough to linger , and harp enough to sting . Pulling back , I met his eyes . " Be careful , " I breathed , sugar - coated words with a bite he'd never taste ... yet . He nodded , left without another word . Good boy . Good , yeah ! Everything was good ... well , apart from the day that went by like a bad wig in the wind . Larry came home late , buzzing with that dangerous , restless frustration I'd learned to spot . Something had happened at work ... or maybe everything had happened . He didn't even look at the food I'd made . Fine by me . I was getting tired of watching him pretend to have an appetite for anything I served . He disappeared into the bathroom , shutting the door like he needed the whole world to stay out . I waited until the water started running before I padded down the hall , to his bathroom . The door was cracked just enough for me to see him slump into the tub , still half - dressed . He looked like life had chewed him up and was debating whether to spit him out . I leaned against the wall , my reflection in the hall mirror smirking back at me . " Be careful , " I murmured again to myself ... but not for him ... for her . One down ... one still dumb enough to think they're safe . REGRETS +25 BONUS REGRETS