Page 52 of Man Vs. Woman

Fucking Christ, is this real life?

“I have to stop this,” Serena tells me, her lips pursed. “If we don’t stop this right now, I’m done.”

“I’m on it,” I tell her with a wink, picking up my phone as it starts ringing again. “Tell me you have good news, Taylor.”

“I do,” he replies. “Locating the source was easy enough. Seems like someone approached a journalist and paid a hefty sum to get the ball rolling on this shit. I already started to take care of it, man. I’ve told my guys to threaten the guy with legal action. Turns out he’s some dweeb from the boondocks, writing freelance pieces for tabloids. Didn’t even know who Serena was. He’s going to publish a retraction in the next ten minutes. It’s dealt with it.”

“Thank you.”

I exhale sharply.

This is a shitshow. These fucking stunts haven’t done any real damage yet, but if Hiram is willing to go this far just to secure the fucking site...I wonder what his real plans are. Who the fuck would spew all that bullshit about jobs and lighthouses and unicorns galloping across rainbows while, at the same time, pulling all this shady shit?

“Here,” I tell Seymour, now my turn to shove the phone under his nose. “A signed affidavit by the original reporter. He’s retracting the story, confirming this was a hit-piece he was paid to write.”

“But—”

“No fucking buts,” I growl, staring him down. “You know this is fucking bullshit, what’s happening to Serena and me. We’re still good, aren’t we?”

He looks at me, swallows hard and hesitates.

“Yes...for now.”

Frowning, he turns around and waves the rest of the board to follow him out of the spa. I stand there, alone with Serena.

“Thank you,” she whispers, offering me a worried smile.

“You got my back, I got yours,” I reply, draping one arm over her shoulders.

Still, I know that deep down things have changed.

This is no longer a campaign.

This is a fucking war.