The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Rowan

1 remain standing for a moment, staring at the closed door, listening to the muffled hum of the office beyond the glass walls. Phones ringing. Voices murmuring. The building reacting to the chaos outside.

Every minute the story spreads.

Every minute the narrative hardens.

And right now the narrative says I am manipulating a frightened woman into destroying a police officer.

Unacceptable.

I pick up my phone and call the one person who will tell me the truth whether I want to hear it or not.

The line rings twice.

“Rowan,” Devin answers.

His voice is calm. Controlled. Already suspicious.

“I need your legal brain turned on,” I say.

“It’s always on.”

“Yes, well turn it toward something useful.”

There is a pause.

“That sounds promising.”

“We’re considering releasing footage of Calder assaulting Violet,” I say,

Silence.

Then Devin exhales slowly.

“Jesus Christ.”

“That’s not a legal opinion.”

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Chapter 107

“That’s the closést thing you’re getting for the first five seconds.”

I walk around the desk, staring out at the skyline.

“The footage shows him following her into the bathroom,” I continue. “We also have phone video from an intern that

captured the moment he grabbed her.”

Another pause.

“And Rowan stepped in,” Devin says carefully.

“Yes.”

“And the bruises.”

“Yes.”

Devin exhales again.

“You want to release this.”

“I want to flip the narrative.”

“That will certainly do that.”

“But?”

There is always a but.

1

Devin shifts into lawyer mode immediately.

“The primary issue is admissibility and investigative interference.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Speak English.”

“I am speaking English.”

“You’re speaking legal.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“No it’s not.”

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He sighs.

“Rowan, if that footage becomes public before Internal Affairs finishes their investigation, it could be argued that you are

attempting to influence witness testimony or public perception of the case.”

“I am attempting to influence public perception.”

“Yes,” he says dryly, “but admitting that out loud is generally frowned upon.”

I start pacing.

“What are the actual risks?”

“Fine,” Devin says. “Here are the risks.”

I hear papers shifting on his end of the line.

“First. Internal Affairs might claim you compromised their investigation.”

“They already think that.”

“Yes.”

“Second,” he continues, “Calder’s defense could argue that the footage release prejudices potential jury pools if criminal charges are filed.”

“Calder is currently missing.”

“Yes,” Devin says. “Which complicates things further.”

I stop pacing.

“How?”

“If he reappears and claims harassment, coercion, or defamation, this footage becomes a battlefield.”

My jaw tightens.

“He assaulted her.”

“I know he did.”

“So why are we pretending that releasing proof is the dangerous move?”

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Chapter 107

“Because courts ‘don’t operate on common sense,” Devin replies calmly. “They operate on procedure.”

I drag a hand down my face.

“This is why people hate lawyers.”

“People hate losing lawsuits more.”

I stop pacing again.

“Devin.”

“Yes.”

“Stop speaking in legal jargon and speak like a fucking human for once.”

There is a beat of silence.

Then Devin laughs.

Not a polite laugh.

A sharp one.

“You want the human version?”

“Yes.”

“The human version is this,” Devin says. “If you release that footage the public will crucify Calder and anyone protecting

him.”

“Good.”

“But,” he continues, his voice sharpening slightly, “it will also make you look exactly like what they’re accusing you of

being.”

I narrow my eyes.

“Explain.”

“You’re a billionaire with power, influence, lawyers, and media reach,” Devin says. “If that footage appears right now it looks like you’re weaponizing it.”

“I am weaponizing it.”

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“Yes,” he snaps. “But the point is you don’t want it to look like you are.”

1 pause.

He continues.

“You want the public to believe the truth revealed itself. Not that you forced it into the light.”

That part is correct.

“So what do you suggest?”

“You create distance.”

“How.”

“Someone else releases it.”

Theo said the same thing.

I nod slowly even though he can’t see me.

“That’s already being considered.”

“Good.”

Devin exhales.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“But here’s the second issue,” he adds.

“There’s always a second issue.”

“The leak.”

My eyes shift toward the hallway again.

“Yes.”

“You still have someone inside your operation feeding information to the press,” Devin says.

“I’m aware.”

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“If you release the footage before identifying the mole, you risk losing control of the narrative again.”

That lands harder.

Because it is true.

“If that person has more footage,” Devin continues, “or partial context, or manipulated clips-”

“They could release it first,” I finish.

“Yes.”

I run a hand along the edge of my desk.

“So we move fast.”

“You move carefully.”

I snort.

“You know I don’t do careful.”

“Yes,” Devin says dryly. “That’s why I bill you so much.”

I stop pacing again.

“Theo is tracking down the intern who filmed the assault.”

“Good.”

“If the footage still exists, we secure it.”

“Good.”

“And then we need someone else to release it.”

Devin pauses.

“You have someone in mind?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

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“Councilman Ricki Merci.”

There is a longer silence this time.

Then Devin laughs again.

“Oh that’s dirty.”

“Yes.”

“But effective.”

“Also yes.”

I lean against the desk.

“He’ll frame it as outrage from the council office,” I say. “Demand accountability. Police reform. Public safety.”

Devin whistles softly.

“Hargrove will explode.”

“That’s the idea.”

“But you realize what that does politically/”

“Yes.”

“You’re openly backing her rival.”

“Yes.”

“And withdrawing funding from her donors.”

“Yes.”

“And humiliating her publicly.”

“Yes.”

Another pause.

Then Devin says quietly,

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Chapter 107

“Rowan?”

“Yes.”

“This will start a war.”

I look out across the skyline again.

The city looks peaceful from this height.

It never is.

“I’m aware.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

I smile faintly.

“I’m not the one who started it.”

Devin sighs.

“You never are.”

“But I do tend to finish them.”

He goes quiet again for a moment.

Then he says,

“Alright.”

“What?”

“Legally speaking,” he says slowly, “this is survivable if the footage is released through a third party and framed as public

interest.”

“Good.”

“But we still need to prepare for backlash.”

“Define backlash.”

“Internal Affairs reopening interviews. The press digging into Violet’s finances. Political retaliation.”

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Chapter 107

“They already froze her accounts.”

“Yes,” Devin says quietly. “Which means someone is pushing very hard behind the scenes.”

I already know who.

“Hargrove.”

“Almost certainly.”

I nod.

“Then we move faster than she does.”

Devin exhales.

“Rowan?”

“Yes.”

“Just once I’d like you to choose the option that doesn’t involve detonating the entire situation.”

“That option stopped existing when they dragged Violet into this.”

Silence fills the line.

Then Devin says quietly,

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

“Yes.” He pauses. “Let’s break some things.”

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I would love to know the relationship between Devin and the Ashcrofts. he seems way too comfortable for simply being a lawyer for them

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The CEO Above My Desk