The CEO's Secret Obsession-Chapter 104: The Compromise

[Carter Mansion — Breakfast]

Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the dining room, but the warmth did little to soften the tension hanging in the air.

Evelyn sat quietly at the table, stirring her tea without really drinking it, Melissa was seated across from her, flipping through her phone absentmindedly while Gregory stood near the sideboard with a tablet in hand instead of sitting down—an old habit that always meant his mind was elsewhere.

Gregory scrolled once more, jaw tightening.

"They are not letting it rest," he muttered.

Melissa looked up. "What is it now?"

Gregory finally turned the tablet toward them. Headlines filled the screen.

HEINBERG PROJECT HALTED — REGULATORY INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

"The regulatory board froze everything," he continued. "Investors are restless and the media is tearing into Reid Enterprise like vultures. Whoever handled this mess didn’t think long-term."

Melissa frowned. "Is it serious?"

"Serious enough," Gregory replied. "When investors lose confidence, damage spreads faster than facts."

Evelyn’s fingers tightened around her cup. She hadn’t realized how much she had been holding herself together until that moment.

Alexander had left calm on the surface but now she could feel the pressure he was under creeping into her chest.

"Alexander didn’t say much," she murmured. "Just that it was complicated."

Gregory finally looked at her then, his expression softening slightly. "He is carrying more than he is letting on."

Melissa reached across the table and squeezed Evelyn’s hand. "He is capable," she said gently. "But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show your support and let him know that you are there for him."

Evelyn nodded and then her gaze drifted back to the headline. T

This wasn’t just business anymore. This was something actively threatening the stability Alexander was trying to build.

.....

[Heinberg]

Alexander stood by the window, staring out at the quiet construction site below.

Nothing looked wrong and that was the problem.

"Well—" Lucas sighed, closing the document. "Whoever sent that man really thought it through."

He had spent the whole night reviewing the trespasser’s background and had found nothing. His bank was NIL which supported his statement of receiving the amount in cash, his call history had nothing sketchy.

Everything was crystal clear with nothing left to investigate.

Before Alexander could say anything, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and sighed.

As soon as he answered the call, Benjamin’s voice came through sharp and clipped.

"The board wants an emergency meeting and the investors too."

Alexander closed his eyes briefly. "I expected that."

"They want reassurance," Benjamin continued. "And they want it from you."

Alexander opened his eyes. "Because they trust me more."

"Yes," Benjamin said plainly. "And because right now, they don’t trust anyone else."

Alexander turned away from the window, tension radiating through him. "What exactly do you want me to say?"

Benjamin didn’t answer immediately but when he did, his tone was lower, deliberate.

"For now, we stick to the official explanation."

Alexander’s jaw tightened. "You mean the scapegoat."

"I mean the version that keeps the project alive," Benjamin corrected. "We both know the truth isn’t clean enough to present yet."

"And Jack?" Alexander asked quietly.

"He will be in the meeting," Benjamin said. "It looks better if the family stands united."

Alexander let out a slow breath. "You want him there to project stability."

"Yes."

"And to control the narrative," Alexander added.

Benjamin didn’t deny it. "This isn’t about feelings, Alexander. It’s about damage control."

Alexander ran a hand through his hair. "You are asking me to lie."

"I am asking you to protect the company," Benjamin replied. "Once the project resumes, we can dig deeper. Quietly."

Silence stretched between them.

Alexander thought of Evelyn and of the life he was trying to build without shadows creeping in from every corner.

Reluctantly, he said, "I will be there."

"Good," Benjamin replied. "The board trusts you so we are going to use that."

Alexander’s voice hardened. "This doesn’t mean I believe the story."

"I know," Benjamin said. "Neither do I."

The call ended.

Alexander lowered the phone slowly, unease curling tight in his chest.

They were choosing survival over truth for now and he hated how necessary it felt.

...

[Grand Palace Hotel]

Jack was halfway through pacing the length of the hotel room when his phone rang again.

He stopped mid-step when his phone’s screen lit up with Father.

For a brief second, he considered not answering and pretending he hadn’t seen it. But the knot in his stomach tightened and he knew better than to delay the inevitable.

"Yes?" he answered, keeping his voice steady.

Benjamin didn’t waste time on pleasantries.

"Listen very carefully," he said, his voice low, clipped and edged with barely restrained fury. "You are attending the board meeting."

Jack’s heart skipped. "What?"

"You heard me," Benjamin snapped. "You will be there in person."

Jack swallowed. "Dad, I don’t think that’s a good idea right now. The situation is already—"

"—out of control?" Benjamin cut in sharply. "Yes. Which is exactly why you will be present."

Jack clenched his jaw, forcing himself to sound calm. "If they start asking questions—"

"They won’t," Benjamin said flatly. "And if they do, you will not answer."

A beat of silence followed, heavy and suffocating.

"You will sit there," Benjamin continued, his voice dropping further, colder now, "And you will not speak, not a single word and will not react. You will not fidget, you will not look offended or defensive or confused."

Jack’s fingers curled tightly around the phone. "So what am I supposed to do? Just sit there?"

"Yes," Benjamin replied without hesitation. "You will sit there like a statue."

Jack let out a short, humorless breath. "That is reassuring."

"This is not a joke," Benjamin snapped. "If you open your mouth, if you try to explain, justify or improvise—you will make things infinitely worse."

Jack’s chest tightened. "You are acting like I did something wrong."

Benjamin went quiet for a moment.

When he spoke again, his voice was dangerously calm. "I am acting like a man whose company is bleeding credibility, whose investors are restless and whose youngest son has suddenly become a liability."

....