Chapter 3

Donovan:

“Donovan!!” Lawson’s voice cut through my ear very sharply as he walked onto the balcony where I stood taking in the very brisk morning air.

Another wave of fresh air hit my nostrils as he neared me. He wasn’t supposed to be here today.

“You should see this.” His voice masked some terror as he handed me the tablet.

“We don’t have any meetings today, it’s Sunday.” I sighed and took the tablet from him.

My eyes scanned the tablet for the big news. The bold headline hit me.

Hockey Captain; Donovan Sterling Center Of Model’s Suicide.

An old photo sparks new questions about Lucy Ruben’s Death. A fan’s theory has gone viral linking the Hockey Captain to the model's death weeks after her passing.

“What in the name of heaven is this? Tell me you have this sorted out, Lawson.” I didn’t take my eyes off the tablet as I spoke. I scrolled a little and the picture popped up.

It was me sitting at the empty VIP lounge of my newest bar and Lucy was beside me. The picture captured the full length of her dark hair that covered her face.

I could barely identify her.

Adrenaline shot through my body as I walked out of the balcony into the living room where my phone sat on the coffee table. I had not looked at it this morning because it was a Sunday.

“I didn’t know you and Lucy dated. You never told me.” Lawson's voice was low, as though he was trying not to accuse me.

“I never dated Lucy. Heck, we weren’t even close to each other.” I checked my phone, it was blown up with messages, a lot from Lawson and a few from people that mattered.

“All of these are lies, they are all fabricated,” I scrolled through my messages and my heart leaped. This was a murder allegation. It wasn’t just any rumor.

“Apparently a fan thinks you were the abusive ex that had caused her death.”

“That’s insane. Lucy and I never dated.” I repeated.

“The public doesn’t think the same, Mr Sterling.” The voice from behind was smooth and the clicking of heels followed.

I whipped my head around to find my publicist walking in and the housekeeper shutting the door behind her.

Miss Carter held her head high as she walked in.

“Miss Carter.” Lawson breathed.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice.” He said.

“It’s my job and as we speak, the press are pulling up at your gate.” She said eyes frantically sizing me up.

“So what’s the solution?” My tone was sharp.

“First I want to understand that picture, I want to understand the situation and the context. I need you to be truthful.”

“Sure.” My eyes locked with her deep brown eyes before I plopped down on the chair beside me.

We sat in the living room and I could feel the tension grow stronger.

“Before that picture, Lucy and I were mutuals. I had known her because we’d taken a picture a few times at my games, we’d also bumped into each other a few times at social events.” Miss Carter nodded, writing down on her tablet

“That picture, I don’t know when or how it was taken but it was before the opening of Noir, my newest bar. I was at the VIP lounge, checking things out.

She wasn’t supposed to be there because only staff could come in but she’d slipped her way in and I happened to be there.

I helped her with drinks and we talked about our careers for a few minutes before she left, I don’t know how that picture had happened but I barely knew her before she died.” I finished with the entire detail and watched her stare up at me from her tablet.

“It’s either the fan made it all up just for the views and attention or someone’s trying to get you disqualified from playing in the championship tournaments, hence these…” She was right about the last. Someone wants me disqualified.

I was the captain of my team and although my team was good on its own, having the captain out was like playing chess without the queen.

“We should come up with a solution. Make an official statement refuting what the fan said.” Lawson suggested and I watched her nod negatively, her pen slowly rubbing on her full lips.

“The truth doesn’t move as fast as a rumor does. His side of the story without any evidence will not change anything, it would only make the public think that Mr Sterling is a liar and he’s trying to lie his way out of it.” Her words were practical and she sat with the experience of a woman who had managed so many crises in the past.

I wasn’t scared because part of me knew how unreasonably stupid fans could be. However, this wasn’t just any rumor, it was a murder allegation.

“The truth needs to be aired,” Lawson argued.

“Not in the way you want it to. That will make matters worse.” Her words were sharp and firm.

“We can sue the person who started the rumor and have them bring the post down,” I suggested.

I had worked too hard for some fan’s theory to ruin my perfectly built career.

“That would work, but you might be seen as the abusive ex who’s trying to use his money to shut up the truth. People will think you’re trying to hide the truth.” She explained.

It felt like every solution we thought of had a loophole, and in every way I was the culprit trying to find a way out.

“Miss Carter, this has to be resolved soon before it gets complicated. Tournaments are fast approaching and Donovan is the captain for this season.” Lawson spoke and I felt my heart skip. This will do so much harm to my career.

Her eyes were fixed on her tablet, and when she lifted her head, she looked straight at Lawson who had his fingers digging into his flesh because stress caused his blood pressure to spike.

“I assure you Mr Lawson, this will be sorted out soon.” Her eyes looked at me and for a minute it felt like she had a thousand questions to ask me but she didn’t.

“In the pictures uploaded, the bar was dark and Lucy’s face was barely seen. The fan assumed it was Lucy because of her bracelet..”

“How did you know that?”

“I checked the comments and I read the entire article.”

“Anyone can have that bracelet,” Lawson stated matter-of-factly.

“Except the bracelet is a limited and discontinued piece from Étoile and only three of them were sold. I know this because my family owns the brand and I also have a piece of this jewelry.”

“Where is this leading to, Miss Carter?”

“I’m saying, people aren’t sure who this woman seen with Mr Sterling is. They only assume it’s Lucy because she happened to have the same bracelet and stature. What if it wasn’t Lucy in the picture?” She finished what she was saying.

“What if it was someone else the whole internet mistook for Lucy? ” Lawson added.

“What do both of you even mean?” I asked

“We are saying, what if we provide the person in the picture. We say she’s the person in the picture and not Lucy. She’s going to be your girlfriend until the rumors die down. This makes everyone believe she was and still is the woman in your life and you had nothing to do with Lucy .” She explained.

“That’s…” I didn’t know what to say.. I was only amazed at how her brain worked. Now that she looked at me with those sharp brown eyes of hers, what was she thinking of?

“That’s amazing but who is going to do it?” I asked and watched Lawson's gaze shift to Miss Carter. He eyed her as though he was checking her out.