Folding For You

Chapter 27: Killian

As Detective Stone left, his presence lingering in the air like a shadow, I felt a momentary relief. Finally, a little peace—maybe a chance to breathe for the first time all day. But as the door swung open again, that fleeting hope was crushed by the sight of Cece and Brandon marching in.

For fuck's sake. Could I catch a break?

Cece strutted in first, the familiar smirk already pulling at her lips as she dramatically brushed imaginary dust off her designer shoes. Her gaze flicked up to me, and she raised an eyebrow, her sarcasm ready to hit full throttle.

"Well, well, looks like you're ranking up in the trouble-making poll, Killian. Kaleb's now officially second."

Kaleb, leaning against the wall, immediately bristled at that. "What the hell's your problem, Cece?" he snapped, glaring at her as if ready to continue a long-standing battle.

I didn't have the energy to deal with her biting remarks. Not now. Not after the day I'd had. My mind was still swimming with everything that had happened—Sabrina, Stone, and the damn conspiracy weighing on my shoulders. But Cece was relentless, her sarcasm as sharp as her stilettos.

Brandon stepped in, his expression all business, but I could already sense the storm brewing behind those polished PR consultant eyes. He wasted no time.

"Killian, we've got a potential PR crisis on our hands. There's a possibility this drug scandal could link Iyana to Sabrina and, by extension, to you."

I raised an eyebrow, barely able to process the words. Great. Exactly what I needed—more complications.

Brandon continued, his tone as smooth as always despite the mess he described. "I've already spoken to the team, and we've removed all social media posts connected to Iyana's birthday party. We've dodged a bullet for now, but the tabloids will pick up any drama they can. We need to be ahead of this."

I barely had time to respond before Cece shifted into her work mode, her voice sharp and efficient.

"I'm preparing a case to sue IVORY for security negligence. Drugs shouldn't be getting into a club like that so easily. I've also contacted the police. We're working together to track down whoever's behind this."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, and I felt a bitter sense of satisfaction knowing that at least someone was doing something concrete. But the weight of the truth gnawed at me. The drugs, the club, Iyana's birthday—they were just symptoms of a much deeper problem.

This was a problem tied to Sabrina, my grandfather, and a conspiracy I could no longer ignore.

I took a breath, looking Cece in the eye. "There's something I need to tell you. I've restarted my investigation into my grandfather's death. After finding out that Sabrina's father was the driver and died at the scene, I felt responsible. She deserves closure."

Cece's eyes widened for a split second before she let out a string of curses under her breath, her frustration palpable. "You've stopped looking into that for years, Killian. Why the hell start again now? It was a dead-end search—even your father gave up on it."

I felt my chest tighten. I'd heard those words before, but they never sat right with me. "This isn't just about my grandfather anymore, Cece. This is about Sabrina. I can't just let them write it off as an accident. Someone tampered with the car, remember? It was suspiciously burned before the inspection team could get any work done. Someone wanted to bury the truth."

Cece sighed, exasperated. "You lot, all of you—" she motioned to Kaleb and me, "—are a bunch of entitled rich boys that piss me off most of the time. But I care about your sorry asses. I don't want you to get locked up or even.... killed because of your own dumb luck. I mean, seriously, guys, who the fuck knows what your grandfather did that got him killed? Maybe it's better to leave it buried."

Her words stung, but I knew she wasn't wrong. We'd always known Grandfather kept many secrets from us, even from Dad, but this was deeper. "This isn't just about family drama, Cece. It's about justice."

She crossed her arms, her irritation still apparent. "Your father decided to stay low for a reason. But you boys—" she looked between me and Kaleb, "—keep dragging this family into the media spotlight."

Kaleb, leaning against the wall, snorted. "Well, at least we know who keeps Dad on his knees."

The room went dead silent. I whipped my head around, eyes narrowing in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Kaleb, never one to hold back, smirked and dropped the bomb. "Cece's sleeping with Dad."

I blinked, momentarily stunned. Then, out of nowhere, amusement bubbled up inside me. I couldn't help it—I smirked, shaking my head, the absurdity of it all hitting me at once. What the fuck?

Cece's face flushed a deep red, caught off guard, while Brandon, standing beside her, looked like he was trying hard not to grin. The room was suffocating in awkward silence as the revelation hung between us like a bad punchline.

Cece cleared her throat, trying to recover some composure, but the damage was done. Kaleb grinned triumphantly, arms crossed over his chest like he'd just won the night.

The silence dragged on, the tension still thick in the air, but I couldn't shake the sense of absurdity. This was my life—buried conspiracies, drug scandals, and this ridiculous family drama.

I glanced back at Sabrina, still recovering on the couch, her eyes meeting mine with amusement and exhaustion. Even with everything going on, I couldn't help but think of one thing:

We never catch a fucking break.

At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket, cutting through the heavy tension in the room. I fished it out, glancing down at the screen.

Dad.

I smirked, shaking my head. Speaking of the devil.