[The Next Morning — Reid Enterprises]
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime and Alexander stepped out with a coffee in hand and dressed in a crisp suit looking immaculate as always.But the air in the building felt different. It was too quiet and tense.
A group of employees near the reception desk hushed their whispers as soon as they saw him. One of them awkwardly greeted him before fumbling with her tablet, pretending to type.
Alexander's sharp gaze swept across the lobby, the kind of look that made people straighten their spines instantly.
"What is going on?" he asked, entering his office.
His assistant, Carl, approached hastily with a tablet clutched in his hand. "Sir, there is something you need to see."
He handed it over.
Alexander's eyes narrowed as the screen came to life. The headline made his stomach twist:
'Evelyn Carter Spotted Leaving Private Dinner with Reid Heir — Moving On Already?'
The article scrolled beneath the bold title was filled with blurred photos from last night's dinner.
Evelyn's face was unmistakable and so was his.
There were no pictures of Benjamin or Gregory. It was just the two of them leaving the restaurant from the right angle that made them look intimate.
Alexander's expression darkened. "Who published this?"
"City Press," Carl replied quietly. "But other outlets are picking it up fast. They are spinning it as if you and Miss Carter are seeing each other."
Alexander muttered under his breath, "This is too clean to be random." The pictures look intentional and almost like someone was deliberately trying to frame them or create an image that there was something going on.
"Should we make a statement?" Carl asked carefully.
Alexander didn't answer immediately. He stared at the photos and frowned.
Evelyn's expression was soft with a hint of laughter on her lips and he was leaning close enough that it looked intimate. Anyone who saw it would believe the story the media had spun overnight.
Before he could dig further, the door flew open.
Jack barged in. "So this is your idea of subtlety?" he snapped. "Using my mess to make yourself look good?"
Alexander's eyes flicked up from the tablet. "What the hell are you talking about?" He glare at him with irritation flickering in his eyes.
Jack slammed a magazine onto the desk. "This—" he spat. "You and Evelyn, the dinner, cozy smiles and the media eating it up like it's some redemption arc."
When Alexander did not say anything, he slammed his hand on the desk. "And you are not even denying it."
"I didn't need to," Alexander replied evenly. "Because there is nothing to deny."
Jack scoffed. "Right. Just a coincidence you are seen with her the same week her name clears. Come on, Alex—"
"Enough," Alexander said sharply. "I don't care what you think this is. I don't play games with people's lives."
Jack's jaw flexed but before he could fire back, the door opened again and this time, Benjamin walked in.
For a moment, both brothers fell silent.
Alexander straightened in his chair, expecting the inevitable lecture, the cold reprimand about family image and damage control. But to his surprise, Benjamin's expression was calm and he looked unrealistically unaffected.
Assuming that his father had not seen the headlines yet, Jack handed him the tablet.
But Benjamin glanced at the screen for not even a couple of seconds before setting the tablet on the desk. "I have seen the news," he answered before taking the chair behind the desk.
Jack folded his arms. "Then maybe tell him to stop making things worse—"
"Stop—" Benjamin's tone was mild and almost dismissive. "There is nothing to discuss."
Alexander frowned. "You are not concerned?"
Benjamin gave a small shrug. "These things happen. The media gets bored quickly. Let it fade on its own."
Jack looked incredulous. "You can't be serious—"
"I said drop it, Jack," Benjamin said firmly this time and that was enough to silence him.
Alexander watched his father without saying a word. He was trying to figure out what was going on in his fathers mind.
After throwing a fit for a couple of minutes, Jack stormed out.
Alexander shut the door to his office once Jack had left.
Benjamin was now seated in Alexander's chair behind the desk, relaxed, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as if nothing had happened.
Alexander stood there for a moment, trying to read his father's expression. He looked calm, composed and even faintly amused. "You are unusually quiet," he said at last. "The press just threw your son's name into another scandal and you are sitting here drinking?"
Benjamin looked up and shrugged. "It's not worth the energy, Alexander. These stories die faster than they rise."
"That's not the point—" Alexander snapped as he stepped closer. "You never let the press get away with things like this. You made entire networks apologize for less. So why are you pretending this doesn't matter?"
Benjamin gave a quiet chuckle as he leaned back in his chair. "Because sometimes, my son, what appears to be chaos can create clarity."
Alexander frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Benjamin's gaze sharpened slightly. "People are fickle. They forget yesterday's scandal when a more interesting one comes along and this rumour right now paints you in a good light."
"And how is that?" he curiously asked.
"Well, first you rescued a woman in distress and now you are trying to emotionally calm the woman who was wronged by your brother by being her knight in shining armour," Benjamin smiled. "Isn't that lovely?"
Alexander's expression darkened. "You think this benefits me or Evelyn?"
"I think it benefits the family," Benjamin corrected smoothly. "Jack's name is tainted. The partnership with the Carters depends on stability. If people believe you and Evelyn are on good terms or even something more, it protects everything we have built."
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Alexander's heartbeat pounded in his ears. The way Benjamin spoke was too measured and too calculated. This made something cold curl in his chest.
"You knew," Alexander said with his voice barely above a whisper.
Benjamin's gaze didn't waver.
"You knew this was going to happen."
Silence.
And then, a faint smile curved Benjamin's lips.
…..