The CEO Above My Desk (Mckenzie Shinabery) novel Chapter 237

Chapter 237

Rowan

By the time we stepped out of Dr. Pua’s office, my brain still felt like it was trying to catch up with everything that had just happened.

somehow in the span of twenty minutes, she had gone from staring at the doctor in complete confusion to panicking about growing bones and tiny fingers and sneezing too aggressively.

I still wasn’t entirely sure how I became responsible for calming down a woman spiraling over aggressive sneezes, but apparently this was my

life now.

I wasn’t complaining.

My hand stayed against the small of Violet’s back while we walked slowly down the hallway. She leaned into me slightly without even thinking about it and I found myself automatically pulling her closer.

Protective instinct. Automatic now.

The waiting room came into view a few seconds later.

And immediately something felt off.

Theo and Camille were sitting beside each other near the windows.

Waiting.

Neither one of them looked relaxed.

Neither one of them were talking.

Theo’s elbows rested on his knees while his hands were folded together tightly enough that his knuckles had gone white. Camille sat beside him clutching paperwork in both hands while staring down at it.

No phones. No arguing. No dramatic reactions. Nothing.

My entire body immediately tensed.

Beside me, Violet noticed too. Her hand wrapped around my arm tighter.

What’s wrong?”

Both of them looked up at the same time. Theo looked at Camille. Camille looked at Theo.

Then Camille looked back at us.

And immediately her eyes started watering. Oh no.

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Chapter 237

No. Absolutely not.

Violet’s face immediately dropped. “Camille?”

Camille swallowed hard before pointing dramatically toward Violet. “You were right.”

Silence.

Violet blinked. “…About what?”

Camille just stared at her. Then slowly held up four fingers.

For a second my brain didn’t process it. Then it did. Then I wished it hadn’t.

No.

No way.

“…Four?” I asked slowly.

Theo looked like he physically couldn’t say the words himself.

Camille nodded. “Four months.”

The room went completely silent.

Even the receptionist looked up briefly.

Violet stared at Camille. Then at her stomach. Then back at Camille again. Then her mouth slowly dropped open. “…FOUR?”

Camille nodded harder now. “FOUR.”

Theo let out a long shaky breath before dropping his face into both hands.

Violet immediately sat down beside Camille like her legs suddenly stopped working.

“No no no no no.” She looked between both of them rapidly. “How?”

Camille looked equally overwhelmed. “I guess having bleeding during early pregnancy can happen sometimes.” She wiped quickly under her eyes. “Dr. Mahina said it isn’t super common but it happens enough that some women don’t realize right away.”

Theo slowly lifted his head. His eyes looked distant. Very distant. “We have five months.”

Everyone looked at him.

Theo looked back at all of us and repeated, “We have five months.”

Camille gave a weak little nod. “We have live months.”

10:30 am P P P P

Chapter 237

Theo stood up immediately. Actually shot out of his chair. “No.”

Camille blinked. “…No?”

“No.” He started pacing immediately.

Fast. Hands in his hair. Eyes wide. “No absolutely not.”

Violet looked alarmed. “Theo-”

“We have FIVE MONTHS.”

People in the waiting room were definitely staring now.

Theo didn’t care. At all. “We don’t have furniture.”

Camille stared at him.

He started to ramble then, “We don’t have a crib. The house isn’t finished. We don’t have diapers.” His breathing sped up. “We don’t have

clothes.

Camille slowly stood now.

“Theo–

“We don’t have bottles. We don’t have-” Then suddenly he stopped.

Completely. His head slowly turned toward me. Oh no.

I already knew that look.

I narrowed my eyes immediately. “No.”

“Rowan.”

“No.”

“Rowan.”

“No.

Theo pointed dramatically at me. “We need to go baby shopping immediately.”

I stared at him. Then at Camille. Then at Violet who was trying very hard not to laugh.

I closed my eyes briefly.

For fuck’s sake.

Camille was trying to calm Theo down.

10:30 am P p p P

Chapter 237

Theo was absolutely not being calmed down.

I was two minutes away from forcing everybody into breakfast before someone else started crying.

Then a familiar voice suddenly cut through the waiting room. “…coming to you live from downtown Seattle, this is Leah Frank-

My eyes immediately opened.

Slowly, I turned toward the television mounted near the waiting room corner.

No.

My entire body immediately went still. Because on the screen… My building. My fucking building. Or what was left of it.

“What the fuck?” The words came out before I could stop them.

Everyone immediately looked toward me.

The footage showed complete destruction.

Ashcroft Industries was gone. Not damaged. Gone.

Half the structure had collapsed inward while smoke still rolled into the sky. Emergency vehicles lined the streets while flashing lights reflected against concrete and shattered glass.

People were everywhere. Firefighters. Police, Ambulances. Rescue teams.

Jesus Christ.

I looked toward the receptionist immediately. “Turn that up please.”

She looked startled. Then quickly grabbed the remote.

The waiting room went completely silent as the volume increased.

Leah Frank stood several blocks away with emergency vehicles and flashing lights behind her.

Her hair whipped around from the wind while rescue crews moved in the background. *…we are still receiving information at this time, authorities have confirmed a second explosion occurred earlier this afternoon beneath Ashcroft Industries.”

My jaw tightened immediately.

but

Second explosion.

…early reports indicate the blast originated on the opposite side of the underground parking structure, causing catastrophic structural failure throughout the building.

Violet’s hand slowly found mine. I barely felt it.

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Chapter 237

All I could do was just stare at my building…

“…currently there have been no official comments from either the police department or federal investigators handling the ongoing corruption investigation…”

The camera shifted briefly toward the collapsed remains of the building.

….luckily no employees were inside the building at the time of collapse due to Rowan Ashcroft previously giving employees approximately one week to ten days off while construction crews worked to rebuild damage from the first bombing…”

Silence.

*…several injuries have been reported from surrounding areas due to debris and structural collapse, but currently no deaths have been

confirmed.”

No deaths.

No deaths…

A

No deaths!

I exhaled slowly. My shoulders dropped slightly.

Because that… That was what mattered. Not the building. Not the money. People.

People mattered.

Beside me, Violet squeezed my hand tighter. “Oh my God…”

Theo looked horrified. “Rowan…”

Camille had tears in her eyes already.

Devin slowly stood from his chair near the far side of the waiting room. I had completely forgotten he was even here. Those pain meds really make him a different person.

Nobody said anything though. I mean, what the hell were they suppose to say to me?

I still couldn’t believe it though. It just didn’t seem possible. Something I’ve worked so hard for and bulit from the ground up… just gone.

Maybe it’s time we really do start over.

10:30 am

The CEO Above My Desk