The boardroom was colder than usual that morning. Not from the air conditioning—but from tension.
Arnold sat with his jaw clenched, the only one not shifting or tapping.
Rachel, seated just behind him, subtly watched the room and every reaction.
Charles Connor leaned forward, both hands flat on the table. "Let's not waste time. You've all seen the headlines. You've all read the reports. The company is bleeding trust. We need to cauterize the wound. Fast."
Murmurs followed.
Lydia cleared her throat delicately. "And the simplest solution is already in front of us, Charles."
Ariel, seated two chairs down from Arnold, crossed her legs smoothly. Her diamond earrings sparkled under the light as she gave a sweet, demure smile.
"We pretend it was me in the photos," she said. "Arnold and I have been longtime friends. It wouldn't be a stretch. We simply say the woman was me, and the tabloids jumped to conclusions."
Harrison nodded firmly. "We release a joint statement: Arnold and Ariel have been in a private relationship. And she is his fiancee. It was meant to be announced later, but now it serves as damage control."
"This will stop the board's panic," added one of the advisors. "Investors will calm. Your reputation remains intact."
"And your value doesn't plummet another four percent by Friday," another chimed in.
Arnold said nothing.
"Arnold," Charles said with a steel voice. "This is about optics. Not your feelings."
He slowly looked up.
"So the solution is to lie? To fabricate an untrue story?"
Ariel placed a hand delicately over her chest. "Not fabricate, exactly. We were always close. This just... accelerates the narrative."
"And what about the woman in the photos?" Arnold asked calmly, though his fingers dug into the edge of the table. "You want me to erase her? Replace her face with yours?"
"She was a mistake," Charles snapped. "A nobody. You saved her, fine. You protected her, fine. But now she's a problem."
"She's not a problem." His gaze narrowed.
"She is if you want to keep your seat," one of the silent board members finally spoke. "We are facing pressure to name a more stable CEO."
Arnold laughed under his breath. "Stable? For not having a fiancée? Or for not bending over backwards to your PR fairytales?"
Charles's voice thundered. "This company is not your sandbox! It is a legacy. My legacy! You don't get to toss it into chaos over some passing distraction."
Ariel's smile faltered for a second.
She sat straighter. "Arnold, we can handle this with dignity. Let's do the announcement, hold a small dinner. Keep it light and strategic."
"And then what? We marry? Parade around in tuxedos and designer gowns until the press forgets?"
Charles leaned forward. "Yes. If that's what it takes."
Rachel's voice cut in for the first time. Quiet, but firm. "This could create more problems if it unravels. If the woman in the photos speaks. If she's threatened."
"Then we pay her off," Harrison said simply. "Or scare her off."
Arnold stood.
"No."
There was Silence.
"I won't lie about Freya. I won't pretend she's someone she's not, and I won't parade Ariel around like a pawn."
"I'm not a pawn." Ariel's voice was tight now.
"You are," he said without flinching. "And you've known it since the day our families started drawing contracts instead of relationships."
Charles stood now too. "Do not be foolish. This isn't about romance. This is survival."
"Then maybe it's time this company learns how to survive without lying. Without turning human beings into distractions."
One of the board members sighed. "You're making this personal."
"It is personal," Arnold said. "Because you're asking me to throw someone under the bus to preserve an image."
"And what about me, Arnold? Do you think this is easy? Being dragged into tabloids? Waiting for a ring that never came?"
He looked at her. "Then why keep waiting?"
She stiffened instantly.
"This is ridiculous," Harrison said. "You're a grown man, acting like a child."
Arnold turned to Charles. "I'm not doing this."
"Don't test me." Charles face flushed.
"I already have."
There was another long pause. Everyone exchanged glances with tension hung in the air like storm clouds.
Then Charles turned to the rest of the room. "Clear the boardroom. I need a word with my son."
Ariel opened her mouth to object.
"Everyone. Out!" Charles barked.
The chairs scraped back. Murmurs, glances, and a sharp look from Harrison at his daughter. Ariel rose stiffly and stepped out.
The room emptied until only Arnold and Charles remained.
Father and son. Face to face.
Charles walked to the window, speaking without looking back. "Do you know what I gave up to build this?"
Arnold said nothing.
"Your mother wanted a quiet life. I gave her power instead. And I buried her in it. You don't get to destroy what I bled for."
"Maybe if you hadn't buried her, she'd still be here." His voice was quieter now.
Charles froze.
But he continued anyway. "You loved your image more than her. And now you want me to do the same to someone else. I won't."
"Then you'll lose everything." Charles finally turned, eyes burning.
Arnold met his gaze without blinking. "I don't care."