Page 21 of Crossing the Line

“In Palo Alto. Just do it, Pais. All you have to do is sit and be quiet. Let the lawyer do all the talking.”

I tilt my head, trying to get a read on Max. It’s just so weird that he’s asking me to attend an arbitration hearing. It’s such a huge responsibility and totally out of my wheelhouse.

“What’s this hearing about?” I flip open the folder, frowning as I read the first document, which is Max’s welcoming speech for the benefit. I throw my hands up in confusion. “This is your speech.”

“Don’t you need it?” he asks.

“Yeah, but what does this have to do with the hearing you’re asking me to attend?”

He turns his back on me, heading for the door. “Nothing. And don’t say anything to the arbitrator. Allen will do all the talking.”

I shoot to my feet. “Who’s Allen?”

“I’ll send you the details.” That’s the last thing he says before he’s gone.

* * *

After checkingmy email and sitting with Ru, my executive assistant, to go over our action items for the day, I’m finally able to make that call to Lake.

She picks up before the second ring. “Paisley, I was just about to call you. Like seriously, I was just about to tap your name in my contacts list. There’s something I bet you don’t know.”

Her tone is alarming, causing me to sit up straighter. I wonder if she already knows that I left the party with Hercules—and that he may have lied to me about his association with Lauren. “What’s going on?” I try to sound innocent.

“Have you read this morning’sTop Rag Magalert?”

Top Rag Magis the gossipiest of gossip blogs on the planet. As a public relations director, I’m aware that they exist, but as a mature human being, I hardly ever read anything they publish, at least for purposes of personal consumption. Sometimes, I’m forced to read the tripe they write because of my job. Also, my cousin Treasure is often a subject of interest to them. I’m always curious to know what they’d written about her. She spent six years as a cast member on a reality show about young heiresses of New York. During that time,Top Rag Magwrote about who she supposedly dated, broke up with, or was just outright banging. Most of the guys they said she was involved with weren’t even her type. However, the magazine never caught wind of her relationship with Orion Lord, which I believe, serves as a referendum on their ability to accurately snoop out the truth.

“I don’t believe anythingTop Rag Magreports,” I say with a cynical eye roll. “But…” I’m on the verge of changing the subject. I want to get to the crux of I why I called her, especially since I only gave myself twenty minutes to make it to Midtown for Max’s arbitration hearing.

“Well, youshouldread it,” Lake says with a chuckle. “At least this particular alert. Because it’s about you.”

My jaw drops. “Me?”Why me?