4. Kyle An Unwanted Attraction
Kyle: An Unwanted Attraction
The sun hangs lazily in the afternoon sky as I watch Theo pace around my living room, his shoulders hunched and his jaw tight. He’s trying to look calm, but the irritation rolls off him in waves.
Daniel lounges on the armchair, one leg crossed over the other, his expression unreadable. He’s been watching Theo with quiet interest, his eyes sharp, missing nothing.
Leslie sits on the edge of the couch, her back straight, fingers nervously tapping against her notebook. Her eyes are focused on Theo, but her mind seems to be somewhere else. Maybe on the statement I shot down.
Good. She needs to do better.
I lean against the mantle, arms crossed as I observe them. Amanda is the last to arrive, strolling in with her laptop tucked under her arm. Her face is carefully blank as she takes a seat, her eyes flicking to Leslie for the brief moment before settling on me.
“Alright, let’s get started,” I say, my voice firm. “This scandal isn’t dying down. We need to shift the narrative before it causes any more damage.”
Theo spins around, his eyes blazing. “The way people are talking, you’d think I robbed a bank. It was just a party. I was working.”
Daniel raises an eyebrow. “A party you ditched a community charity event for,” he points out, his tone blunt. “Optics matter. You were booked for a gig on that yacht while everyone expected you at the fundraiser.”
Theo’s shoulders slump. “I was going to donate my entire paycheck from that night to the charity. That was the plan. I thought I could do both. But the party ran late, and by the time I could leave, the event was over.”
Leslie’s eyebrows lift as her pen pauses mid-note. “You never mentioned that.”
Theo lets out a bitter laugh. “Doesn’t matter now, does it? All anyone cares about are those damn pictures. No one would believe my words.”
I rub my jaw, frustration gnawing at me. “That would’ve helped if we’d known sooner. Did you mention it to anyone?”
Amanda’s expression is still unchanged. “Without proof, it’s just his word against the rumors. No receipt, no donation, no defense.”
Theo slams a fist against the window frame. “This is ridiculous. I tried to do something good, and now it’s blowing up in my face.”
Leslie speaks up, her voice gentle but firm. “I haven’t heard back from Amanda about tracing the pictures.”
Amanda finally looks up, her eyes sharp. “That’s because there’s nothing to report. Whoever uploaded those images knew exactly what they were doing. They covered their tracks perfectly.”
A heavy silence falls over the room.
Leslie’s shoulders tense. “Are you saying there’s no way to prove they’re fake?”
Amanda looks at her, her expression steady. “There’s no way to trace where the pictures came from.”
Theo’s eyes narrow, his frustration more obvious. “But I told you most of them were fake. The angles, the lighting . . . I wasn’t even on that side of the yacht.”
Amanda leans back, crossing her arms. “Maybe so, but without proof, it’s just your word against theirs. And right now, the internet believes them.”
Theo mutters a curse under his breath.
Leslie’s shoulders slump. “So there’s no way to fight this?”
I step away from the mantle, moving closer. “Nothing at all? No metadata, no digital traces?”
Amanda shakes her head. “Nothing.”
Leslie’s eyes narrow. “That’s . . . convenient.”
Amanda’s face stays neutral. “Or planned.”
Daniel straightens, his attention sharpened. “You think someone’s out to get Theo?”
Amanda’s lips press into a thin line. “Wouldn’t be the first time a celebrity was taken down by a well-placed scandal. And this is too clean, too precise. It’s no amateur job.”
Silence.
Theo lets out a harsh breath. “Great. So someone’s out to get me, and we have no way of proving it.”
Leslie’s eyes harden, determination burning through her frustration. “We’ll find another way. We just need to be strategic about it.”
I watch her, impressed despite myself. She’s not backing down. Even with no leads and the odds stacked against us, she’s still fighting.
Good. That’s exactly what we need.
I clear my throat. “Alright. Enough speculation. We need a new strategy. We redirect the narrative and shift the conversation away from the scandal and back to Theo’s career.”
Theo looks skeptical. “And how exactly do we do that?”
Leslie sits up straighter, her voice steady. “We lean into his upcoming projects. Interviews, press releases . . . We focus on his work and his future. We drown out the noise with positive stories.”
Daniel nods, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “It could work. But we need to be smart about it. One wrong move, and it’ll look like damage control.”
Leslie meets his gaze. “Which is why we need to be subtle. Not defensive, just . . . proactive.”
I cross my arms, my gaze lingering on her. It’s a solid plan. Much better than the weak statement she tried to push the other night.
Theo runs a hand through his hair, exhaustion seeping into his posture. “I just want this nightmare to end.”
Leslie’s face softens, sympathy flickering in her eyes. “We’ll fix this. I promise.”
I swallow the tightness in my chest as I watch her. She actually cares. Not just about her job but about him.
I force my voice to stay steady. “Then we get to work. We start drafting new statements, scheduling interviews, and reaching out to key media outlets. This ends on our terms.”
Everyone nods, determination settling in.
Amanda closes her laptop, her tone even. “I’ll keep an eye out for any new leaks. If anything pops up, I’ll let you know.”
Leslie’s eyes stay on Amanda a beat longer than necessary. “Thank you.”
Amanda nods, her gaze briefly flicking to me before she looks away.
I clap my hands once. “Alright, we’ll check in again on Monday. Let’s get some food. Lunch is on the terrace.”
As we walk outside, Leslie falls in step beside me. “About the other night at your office . . . I’m sorry. You were right. That statement wasn’t strong enough.”
I look at her, surprised. “You’ve changed your mind?”
She sighs. “Not exactly. But I get your point. We need to control the narrative, not just survive it.”
I nod, impressed. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
She gives me a playful smirk. “Don’t get too comfortable with that.”
I chuckle, caught off guard. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
We step onto the terrace, the smell of grilled food filling the air. Theo and Daniel are already helping themselves, laughing at some joke, the earlier tension temporarily gone.
I glance at Leslie. The sunlight dances in her hair, her face finally at ease. She’s good at this. Too good. And it’s starting to get to me.
I turn my gaze away, forcing myself to focus on something else. I can’t afford any distractions. Not now.
“Dad!”
I turn just in time as I hear rapid footsteps before Chloe bursts onto the terrace, her face bright with excitement. She runs over, giving me a quick hug before her eyes land on Leslie.
“Leslie! You’re here! Can you help me with my makeup? Please? I have a party tonight, and I want to look perfect!”
Leslie blinks, caught off guard. “Oh, um . . . I—”
Chloe grabs her hand, eyes wide and pleading. “Please? You’re the coolest person here. I know you’ll make me look amazing!”
Leslie’s cheeks flush. “Well, I . . . I guess I could help a little.”
Chloe beams, already pulling her toward the house. “Yes! Come on! We’ll have so much fun!”
Leslie shoots me a look, half-amused, half-panicked. I bite back a laugh and give her a casual shrug. “Good luck.”
Her eyes narrow playfully before she lets Chloe drag her away.
I watch them disappear, Chloe’s excited voice echoing down the hallway. Leslie keeps surprising me.
And that . . . might be my biggest problem yet.
***
I excuse myself from the table after a while, needing a break from the noise and laughter. Daniel and Theo are at the grill, arguing over the best way to season steak, Amanda is tapping away on her laptop, her face a mask of concentration.
I climb the stairs, intending to check some emails but pause halfway up when I hear Chloe’s voice, light and carefree, drifting down the hall.
“You really think he likes me?” Chloe’s tone is hopeful, laced with uncertainty.
“He wouldn’t have invited you to the party if he didn’t.” Leslie’s voice follows, gentle and reassuring. “Besides, you’re smart, funny, and beautiful. He’d be an idiot not to like you.”
I find myself moving closer, drawn to the sound of Leslie’s laughter mixing with Chloe’s.
Chloe's door is open, just enough for me to see them inside. Leslie sits on the edge of the bed, skillfully braiding Chloe’s hair. Makeup products are spread out on the dresser, showing how much fun they are having.
Chloe watches Leslie through the mirror, her eyes wide with admiration. “You’re really good at this.”
Leslie smiles, her expression soft. “I used to practice with my sisters all the time. They were my guinea pigs before I finally figured it out.”
Chloe’s shoulders relax as she giggles. “I wish I had sisters too.”
“You’ve got me now,” Leslie teases, carefully applying blush to Chloe’s cheeks. “And I take my duties very seriously. We’re going to make that boy’s jaw drop.”
My chest tightens, an unexpected warmth spreading through me. It’s not just the way Leslie is with Chloe—it’s the ease, the naturalness of her presence here.
She’s slipping past my walls right before my eyes, and I can't even see that they are crumbling.
I can’t turn my eyes away. The way she listens to Chloe’s ramblings about high school drama and crushes and laughs—light and unguarded, as though nothing else matters in this moment.
It’s dangerous.
“Did your dad ever freak out about you dating?” Chloe asks suddenly, her eyes curious. “You probably understand how dads think, right?”
Leslie’s face flushes, her hand pausing mid-air. “Uh . . . I don’t think he knows I even dated in high school.”
Chloe laughs. “Well, my dad’s going to freak out when he sees me tonight. I just hope he doesn’t embarrass me in front of Jake.”
Leslie leans in conspiratorially. “If he does, we’ll make sure he never hears the end of it.”
Chloe's eyes sparkled. “I knew you were cool.”
A tightness settles in my chest, unfamiliar and unsettling. Watching them like this feels strangely right, like Leslie has always been a part of this house.
I step back, ready to leave before I get too comfortable with the idea, but a voice behind me makes me freeze.
“Didn’t know you were into spying, Kyle.”
I turn to find Daniel leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, a knowing smirk on his face.
“Just checking on Chloe,” I say casually, keeping my expression neutral. “Wanted to make sure she’s not getting into any trouble.”
Daniel’s eyebrow lifts, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. “Right. That’s all you were doing.”
I shoot him a glare, but his smile fades, his tone turning serious. “She’s charming, isn’t she?”
My jaw tightens. “Who?”
His gaze flicks to the door, then back to me. “You know who.”
I open my mouth to deny it, but the look on his face stops me. My silence betrays me.
Daniel sighs. “You remember what happened with Benson, don’t you?”
My shoulders tense, the memory hitting hard. “That was different. He crossed the line.”
“And it nearly took the company down with him,” Daniel counters, his voice low. “Sexual harassment allegations, media storm . . . It was a mess. That’s why the board enforced the no-romance policy. To protect the company—and you.”
My gaze drifts back to the room, catching a glimpse of Leslie laughing with Chloe. “I know the rules.”
“Then stop looking at her like that,” Daniel warns, his voice sharp.
I stiffen. “Like what?”
“Like you’ve fallen head over heels for her.”
Before I can respond, Chloe’s voice cuts through the air. “Dad!”
She flings the door open, catching me off guard. Her eyes narrow as she crosses her arms. “Were you spying on us?”
I straighten, scrambling for an answer. “I was just . . . checking on you.”
Chloe rolls her eyes. “Sure you were.” She spins around, her hair cascading in soft curls, her makeup enhancing her features without overdoing it. “Do you like it?”
My throat tightens, the words hanging for a moment. “You look . . . beautiful.” Too beautiful.
Chloe’s face lights up, and she wraps her arms around me. “Leslie did everything! She’s amazing!”
Leslie appears in the doorway, her smile faltering when she meets my gaze. “She asked for help, and I . . . I hope it’s okay.”
I clear my throat, gathering my composure. “No, it’s . . . Thank you.” I keep my voice steady, professional, despite the way my heart is pounding. “You did a good job.”
Her shoulders relax, her smile returning. “She made it easy. She’s a natural beauty.”
Chloe grins, clearly soaking up the compliment. “Leslie, you have to teach me more! You’re amazing!”
Leslie laughs, the sound light and musical. “Anytime, kiddo.”
I force myself to look away, knowing Daniel’s watching me closely. “Alright, Chloe. Enough glam time. You still need to clean your room before tonight.”
Chloe groans but heads off obediently, her excitement undimmed. “Fine. But Leslie, promise you’ll check my outfit before I leave?”
Leslie chuckles. “I will.”
I watch as Chloe disappears down the hall, leaving Leslie and me standing in awkward silence. She glances at me, her eyes flicking away just as quickly. “I should . . . get going.”
I nod, keeping my expression neutral. “Of course.”
She hesitates, her gaze lingering for a moment before she slips past me, her perfume faint but lingering. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, my chest tightening.
Daniel’s voice cuts through my thoughts, low and firm. “Careful, Kyle. You don’t want history repeating itself.”
I glare at him. “It’s not like that.”
He raises an eyebrow. “No?” He glances down the hall, where Leslie’s figure is just barely visible. “Then why can’t you look away?”
Before I can respond, Amanda appears at the top of the stairs, her eyes narrowing as she spots Leslie. She moves toward her, her lips curving into a smirk. I can’t hear what she says, but Leslie’s shoulders stiffen.
Amanda walks away, her expression smug, leaving Leslie standing there, visibly shaken.
Daniel curses under his breath. “What was that about?”