CHAPTER FIVE — DAMAGE CONTROL

“Mr. Taylor,” one of the older board members began, his voice clipped. “I assume you’ve seen the photo.”

Ethan leaned back in his chair. “Hard to miss.”

“And the headlines,” another added. “‘Heir to Taylor Empire in Secret Relationship with Male Assistant.’ Do you realize what this does to our public image?”

Ethan’s reply was calm but dangerous. “Our public image survived a money laundering scandal last year. I think it can handle a picture of me with my assistant.”

“This isn’t about you, Ethan,” said Miranda King, the CFO. Her voice was smooth but edged. “It’s about the company. The investors are spooked. Stock dropped two percent overnight.”

Ethan folded his arms. “Then we tell them the truth.”

“The truth?” Miranda frowned. “That you’re—”

“Engaged,” Ethan cut in, voice sharp.

Noah’s head snapped up in shock.

Miranda blinked. “I’m sorry—what did you just say?”

Ethan looked at her evenly. “You wanted a narrative? That’s it. I’m engaged. To him.” He nodded toward Noah.

Every face around the table turned toward the assistant at the door.

Noah felt his pulse jump.

“Ethan,” he whispered, “what are you doing?”

“Damage control,” Ethan murmured back.

Miranda let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re telling us you’re engaged to your male assistant? Out of nowhere?”

“Not out of nowhere,” Ethan said smoothly. “We’ve been… seeing each other privately for some time. The photo just happened to capture what we weren’t ready to share publicly yet.”

The room buzzed with whispers.

“Unbelievable,” muttered one of the directors. “Your father will bury you for this.”

Ethan’s jaw flexed. “My father doesn’t run this company. I do.”

“That may change after today,” Miranda said quietly. “He’s calling an emergency shareholder meeting.”

Ethan’s knuckles whitened against the table edge. “Let him.”

Noah’s stomach twisted. The lie had become real before he could breathe.

After an endless silence, Miranda sighed. “Fine. You want to play this game? Then you’d better sell it. The media’s outside waiting for a statement. If you’re going to ‘confirm’ this relationship, you need to make it convincing.”

Ethan stood, unruffled. “I always make things convincing.”

He turned toward Noah. “Come on.”

Noah followed, heart pounding, as they stepped out of the boardroom into chaos.

********

The Lobby — Ten Minutes Later

Flashes exploded the second the elevator doors opened.

Dozens of reporters crowded the lobby, shouting questions like bullets.

“Mr. Taylor! Is it true you’re in a relationship with your assistant?”

“Is this a PR stunt?”

“Noah Bennett, how long have you two been involved?”

Ethan didn’t flinch. He slipped into the performance like a second skin hand on Noah’s lower back, steady smile that never reached his eyes.

He faced the cameras. “Yes,” he said clearly. “The rumors are true. Noah and I are engaged.”

The noise doubled.

Noah forced himself to smile, though his heartbeat drowned everything else. Ethan’s hand stayed firm against him, grounding him in the storm.

“This wasn’t planned,” Ethan continued, voice smooth as glass. “We wanted privacy, but life doesn’t always cooperate. What matters is that we’re happy and still fully committed to running Taylor Global with integrity.”

Questions kept firing, flashes blinding, but Ethan didn’t blink. He leaned closer to Noah and whispered, low enough for only him to hear:

“Smile. You’re part of the show now.”

Noah did. He turned toward Ethan with that small, nervous grin that wasn’t entirely fake. For a split second, they looked real.

And that photo that moment — became the next headline within minutes:

> “Ethan Taylor Confirms Engagement with Longtime Assistant — ‘What Matters is That We’re Happy.’

********

Back in the Car

The driver shut the door behind them, leaving the chaos outside.

Noah exhaled shakily. “Engaged?”

Ethan rubbed his temple. “It worked.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It stopped the bleeding,” Ethan said. “The stock’s already stabilizing. The PR team will spin it as a progressive step, the heir to Taylor embracing diversity, standing by his partner.”

Noah stared at him. “You realize you just turned me into a headline.”

Ethan looked at him then really looked. “You didn’t sign up for this. I know.”

“No,” Noah said quietly. “I signed up to be your assistant, not your—” he hesitated, voice dropping low “—fake fiancé.”

Ethan’s tone softened. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

Noah’s eyes flashed. “Don’t make it sound like a transaction.”

Ethan paused, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. “Then what is it?”

A long silence.

Finally Noah said, “I don’t know yet. But I’d like it to be something less… humiliating.”

Ethan nodded slowly. “You’ve got my word.”

The car rolled through the city, sunlight bouncing off the windows, both of them lost in thought.

********

Taylor Penthouse — Afternoon

By the time they reached the penthouse, Ethan had already taken six calls from PR and legal. Noah sat opposite him at the kitchen island, scrolling through headlines he didn’t want to read.

Ethan finally set his phone down. “They want us to do a joint interview. Something polished, and harmless. Maybe tomorrow.”

“An interview?” Noah’s stomach dropped. “You mean, like, on camera?”

“Yes. Control the story before it controls us.”

Noah let out a quiet groan. “I hate cameras.”

Ethan almost smiled. “Then it’ll look natural.”

“Natural?” Noah shot him a look. “We’re lying to millions of people.”

“Not lying,” Ethan said smoothly. “Reframing.”

“Same thing.”

He didn’t reply.

For a moment, neither spoke. The afternoon light cut through the glass walls, washing everything gold.

Finally Ethan said, “You did well today.”

“Lying?”

“Keeping me from punching a reporter.”

That earned him a small, reluctant smile. “You’re welcome.”

Ethan’s phone buzzed again a new message from an unknown number. He opened it, frowned, then handed it to Noah.

Unknown: Nice performance. But the show’s just starting.

Attached was another photo. This time, it wasn’t just them in the office. It was from this morning the lobby taken from a different angle.

Noah’s face paled. “They were inside the building again.”

Ethan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Someone’s feeding them in real time.” I know I have admitted to this engagement in public but I just want to know who has all these details about us.

The silence stretched.

Then Ethan said quietly, “I want every employee’s access logs from the last forty-eight hours.”

“You think it’s someone from the inner circle?”

“I think it’s someone who wants me destroyed.”

Noah’s chest tightened. “Then they’ll come for me next.”

Ethan looked up sharply. “They won’t touch you.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because,” Ethan said, eyes fierce, “they’ll have to go through me first.”

Something in his tone silenced Noah.

The air between them thickened again that unspoken thing neither could name.

Noah finally said, half-smiling, “You’re really bad at keeping things simple.”

Ethan leaned back. “You’re really bad at following orders.”

“Maybe that’s why this fake engagement will work,” Noah said softly.

Ethan studied him for a long moment, then nodded. “Maybe it will.”

The city below gleamed in the dying light, cameras still flashing somewhere far away. Inside, everything felt strangely calm two men sitting at a kitchen island, pretending to be in love while the world watched.