Chapter 76. The Real Culprit

Andre’s POV

I leaned back in the cold leather chair, fingers steepled beneath my chin as voices clashed across the polished mahogany table. Every member had a complaint—each louder and more insistent than the last.

“Andre, this is a disaster.”

“It’s only a matter of time before the media eats into company affairs.”

“The shareholders are restless.”

“You need to distance yourself from the girl.”

The girl.

The way they said it made my blood boil. Like she meant nothing, but she means alot to me.

“Her name is Vanessa,” I said at last, my voice low and sharp enough to slice through the noise. The room fell silent. The air grew heavy. “And she is my assistant.”

“Exactly,” one of the older members snapped, tossing a printed blog article across the table. The headline was bold and damning:

CEO Gives Former Waitress ‘Special Favors’?

"That's the problem. Your assistant, an undergraduate—"

I didn’t flinch