Deceitful Scandal

Caleb quickly pulled out his phone from his suit pocket and began scrolling through the internet.

Caleb's fingers tapped impatiently on the screen of his phone as he searched for the latest news. With a few quick swipes, he found an article that made his heart skip a beat. The headline read: "Woman Claims Rape by Alexander Sterling and Threats to Her Son's Life."

He clicked on the link and a picture of a little boy caught his attention. The boy looked just like Alexander Sterling, his best friend. Caleb read the article and saw that the woman's name was Harley Smith. She claimed that Alexander had raped her years ago and paid her to keep quiet. But when he found out she had a son, allegedly fathered by him, he threatened to kill them both.

Caleb's eyes widened as he read the article. Suddenly, a recording started to play, and he heard a man's voice. It was Alexander's voice.

"I'll kill you and that bastard son of mine if you ever tell anyone about this," the man said in a menacing tone.

Caleb felt chills run down his spine. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He shook his head and muttered to himself, "This can't be real."

Caleb's eyes widened as he looked back at Alexander. "Dude, what the hell is this?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Alexander's heart was racing as he stared at the screen, his mind racing with a million thoughts at once. "I never did this and I never said that either," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And who the hell is that boy who looks exactly like me? The resemblance is too much."

Caleb shook his head, his eyes locked on the screen. "I don't know, man," he said. "But if this is true, it could ruin your life."

Alexander felt his stomach churn as he thought about the implications of the message. If this woman, Harley Smith, was telling the truth, then he had a son out there somewhere that he had never known about. And if he had paid her to keep quiet about it, then he was in a world of trouble.

"I need to find out who this woman is," Alexander said, his voice shaking with emotion. "I need to know if this is true."

Caleb nodded solemnly. "I'll help you," he said. "But we need to be careful. If you try to find out, and this so-called lady Harley Smith finds out she might think you want to make a move so you could kill her just like she states in this article even if you claim you never did this, it could destroy everything you've worked for."

Alexander knew Caleb was right. He couldn't afford to let the information about him going to find out get out. But at the same time, he couldn't ignore it either. He needed to find out the truth, no matter what it cost him.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the screen, his eyes locked on the picture of the boy who looked exactly like him. "I have a son," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't believe it."

A hush fell over the Launching Hall. All eyes turned to Alexander Sterling, who sat frozen in shock at the accusations being thrown his way. The guests, shareholders, and investors whispered amongst themselves, their expressions ranging from disbelief to disgust.

Suddenly, a group of reporters rushed towards Alexander and Caleb, brandishing their cameras and shouting questions at him. "Mr. Sterling, is it true that you raped Harley Smith?" "Did you threaten to kill her and your son?" Alexander was at a loss for words, his mind racing as he tried to comprehend the situation.

Just then, several guards sprang into action, forming a barrier between the reporters and the two men. "Back off, gentlemen! Show some respect!" one of the guards bellowed.

Caleb stood up, his voice quivering with anger. "This is outrageous! How dare you make such baseless accusations against my friend?"

Alexander slowly got to his feet, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I...I don't know what to say," he stammered. "These allegations are completely false."

The reporters continued to shout questions, but Alexander and Caleb ignored them with the help of the guards. They made their way out of the Launching Hall.

As Alexander and Caleb made their way out of the Launching Hall, they were met with a sea of flashing cameras and shouting reporters.

"Mr. Sterling, is it true that you have a secret son?" one of them yelled, thrusting a microphone in his face.

Alexander tried to push his way through the crowd, but the reporters were relentless. "I have no comment at this time," he said firmly, his voice barely audible over the noise.

The guards who had been stationed at the event quickly stepped in, forming a barrier between Alexander and the reporters. "Step back, please," one of them said sternly. "Mr. Sterling needs some space."

Caleb kept a protective arm around Alexander as they made their way to the car waiting. "This is insane," he muttered. "How could someone just come out of nowhere and make these accusations?"

Alexander shook his head, his mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know," he said. "But I need to find out who this woman is and what she wants."

As they climbed into the car and drove away, Alexander couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him. He had worked so hard to build his reputation and his business, and now it was all at risk because of some woman he had never even heard of.

"I need to clear my name and find out about that boy who looks exactly like me," he said to Caleb. "No matter what it takes."