Chapter 27

Kelly POV

The office lights flickered above me as I leaned against the edge of my desk, staring at the pile of reports Clara had left earlier. Damage control from the Ava Grant was in full swing, but the whispers of the storm she had caused were louder than ever. Anderson’s sudden reappearance had sent ripples through my carefully reconstructed life, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was planning something worse.

The shrill ring of my phone jolted me out of my thoughts. Picking it up, I saw Clara’s name flashing on the screen.

“Clara?” I answered.

“Ma'am,” her voice was low and hurried, “we have a problem.”

“What now?” I asked, already bracing myself.

“It’s not just the Ava incident anymore. A story just dropped online about you, Harper, and Adrian.”

I froze. “What kind of story?”

“They’re questioning Harper’s paternity, Kelly. Some gossip site is implying that Harper is Adrian’s daughter, and they’re spinning it int