Page 31

Mackenzie

On Monday morning, I take a sip of my cappuccino and savor the rich, dark roast with steamed milk. I don’t know how Theo does it, but he makes the perfect cup for me every time. Mondays are always tough, and in addition, the last week and a half since the funeral have been a media frenzy—paparazzi and reporters swarming, all hungry for anything tied to Crystal. She’s been busy posting about her innocence on TubeIt, and shortly after the funeral, one of her videos accused me of having an affair with Justin, which is wholly untrue. She has to know that’s a lie, and it made me reevaluate exactly what’s going on here. I know she’s desperate, but throwing me under the bus? Ludicrous. The Crystal I once had a relationship with seems to have left the building.

The morning news runs in the background as we push Levi out the door to camp with Scott in tow. Though I still miss being in my own place, I have to admit that staying with Theo has really helped shelter Levi from the mess. And when I’m honest, it’s helped me too. Every night ends the same way. Theo and I hold each other close, trying to feel safe and calm. But no matter how tight we hold on, the world outside keeps moving, noisy and relentless.

“Turn it up,” Theo says as he leans forward on the couch, eyes glued to the screen.

I grab the remote and press the volume. The reporter’s voice rises into the room.

“…and authorities continue their efforts to contact Crystal Capriotti, including through public appeals.” The screen cuts to a detective. “Ms. Capriotti, if you’re watching, we need you to come forward. Your cooperation is critical to this investigation.”

I let out a slow breath. Every time it starts to feel like we might be inching back toward normal, Crystal’s name pulls us under again, stirring doubt and fear.

Theo reaches for my hand and pulls me down next to him without a word. His touch says what he doesn’t have to. We’re in this together.

“The police are frantic,” I whisper. “Her videos seem more desperate with every post.”

Theo nods. “And so is the press. They’re not letting go.”

His eyes drift to the window, where we both know cameras are forty-seven floors down, pointed at this building, waiting to turn our lives into their next headline.

“She’s playing a dangerous game,” I say, leaning into Theo. “The police are going to get her home one way or the other.”

“Whatever she’s planning,” he replies, “it’s not going to end well.”

Since the funeral, most of EnergiFusion’s employees have been working at home, if their job allows it. Mine does not. And the founders have been coming in too. Still, it’s strange to walk into the offices and find such a skeleton crew. But we have to keep moving forward. I power up my computer and prepare for a busy day.

My inbox loads, and there’s an email from Crystal. My heart jumps as dread and curiosity crash together in my chest. What could she possibly have to say to me after her accusation?

I click the message open, scanning line after line of rambling complaints, half-truths, and thinly veiled threats. But one thing stops me cold. There’s a TubeIt video link.

Damn it.

I take a breath and click play.

Crystal appears on screen, her dark eyes sharp, full of fire. She stares straight into the camera, her voice calm. “This is bigger than all of us,” she says. “They’re lying to you. Theo Reed, Austin Sands, Rhys Smalls, and Mason Sullivan—they set me up. They want me out so they can take over EnergiFusion. I’m innocent of this crime. I would never hurt Justin, and I want to know why the police haven’t investigated them. Austin had a huge blowup with Justin on the Friday before Justin disappeared. Justin wanted him out. He thought Rhys was embezzling money. Looks like he was. They still haven’t found that billion dollars that went missing. And don’t get me started on Theo. Justin knew what Theo and I had was special. But his jealous rages only excited Theo.”

I stop the video and pull in a breath, staring at her image as it freezes on the screen, her mouth caught mid-sentence.

God damn it, Crystal. This is all a bunch of lies.

My pulse pounds as I forward the email—video and all—to everyone mentioned, as well as Jim at Clear Security. A flurry of replies floods in within minutes—disbelief, outrage, concern.

My phone pings.

Theo: Conference room. Now.

I push back from my desk. I already know. This day just took a hard turn. There’s no going back now.

Austin and Rhys follow me down the hall.

When we enter the conference room, Theo paces by the window. We sit down, and Mason joins by video. He’s in the back of a car.

“I can’t believe people are buying this,” I say, staring down at the video on my tablet. “It already has over a million views.”

Austin runs a hand through his hair. “Yeah. And it’s a goddamn disaster.”

“We’re like a car crash no one can look away from,” Rhys scoffs.

“We need to act before the police start listening to her,” Theo mutters. “Grantham’s on the way. Mason, did you call PR?”

“Yes,” Mason says. “Same team we used when we announced Justin’s death. They’re ready when we are.”

“This is spiraling,” Austin adds, looking at his phone. “She just posted another video.”

I tilt my head back, staring at the ceiling. “What now?”

“She’s turning on her parents this time,” Austin replies. “She sounds completely unhinged.”

A rough idea begins to form. “Okay… This might be a terrible plan, but hear me out.”

Everyone looks at me.

“What if we work with the PR team to release a video, one where we ask her to come back. We speak directly to her and her TubeIt followers. Show them we’re not who she’s painting us to be.”

Rhys shakes his head. “Bad move. Those videos live forever. It’ll come back to bite us.”

“I’m not saying we lie,” I clarify. “Until she started spiraling, we didn’t necessarily think she was guilty of anything. We thought she was being set up. What if we stick to that angle? The PR team can cut in photos of us. There are plenty from company events.”

Theo watches me closely, as if waiting for more.

I lift my hands. “That’s all I’ve got.”

“I like it,” he says. “Let’s see what Grantham thinks.”

As if summoned, Grantham walks in and raises a hand. “Before you go any further, the police think Crystal’s just trying to change the narrative. They aren’t buying it. Not yet.”

Mason’s voice from the speaker says, “I agree.” He steps back from the phone as he steps into an elevator. When he reappears, he has a small blonde woman walking beside him.

Moments later, he joins us in the conference room in person and introduces her. “Everyone, this is Tessa Smart. She’s with the PR firm, and she’s here to help us with our Crystal problem.”

We spend the next two hours figuring out our plan. Tessa is in for us sending Crystal a direct message, but she thinks a press conference is the better way to go. It won’t be hard given that half the media outlets in the country are in front of our building already.

Our message is going to be delivered by our CEO, Theo, in his black Tom Ford suit and Ferragamo loafers with a blue paisley tie. We’ll stream it live on TubeIt, and we’re hoping the East Coast feeds will pick it up for the nightly news. I give Theo a hug for luck, and then it’s time. We all ride down in the elevator together.

As soon as we step out, camera flashes snap like lightning, reflecting off the podium where Theo moves into position, steady and calm, the picture of control. Rhys and Austin stand beside him, solid and silent. A wall of unity.

Theo grips the podium. “Crystal,” he says. “We know you’re watching. We hear your concerns. And we want to address them—directly.”

From the sidelines, I watch, my heart thudding with every word. The PR team lines the building’s glass walls, watching every move, every gesture. This isn’t just about the murder. It’s about the future of EnergiFusion.

Rhys steps up. “Come home, Crystal. Come back to EnergiFusion. If you want to lead, be here. In person. Stand with us. Face this head-on. You’re telling lies, and you know it. Maybe you’re being set up. We want to fight this with you here in San Francisco.”

The crowd murmurs, energy crackling like a live wire. It’s bold. Dangerous. But it’s the only play that shifts the spotlight off of us—and onto her.

The reporters lean forward, hungry for the next twist. I can only hope that Crystal’s silence becomes louder than her accusations.

Then Austin takes the mic. “As for Justin,” he says, “the police are investigating. We’ve cooperated fully and will continue to do so. We urge you, Crystal, to do the same.”

And just like that, everything starts to change. People still have questions, but now, they’re aimed at Crystal.

We’ve offered her a way out. Now, we wait to see if she takes it…or destroys it.

Theo answers a few questions, but once the inquiries shift to focus on what Crystal’s been saying, rather than what we’ve said today, the PR team steps in and pulls him away. There’s only so many times he can explain that the police are checking every angle.

Back inside, we gather as a group, and the elevator doors close behind us, blocking out the chaos—flashing cameras, reporters shouting, and all the noise.

Upstairs at the office, it’s quiet. The silence feels heavy, like the air itself is holding its breath. Someone has delivered food, and we pick up sandwiches, taking them with us to our desks. I join Theo in his office.

He’s pacing the floor. His hands open and close, like he’s trying to calm himself.

“Crystal,” he says, like her name tastes bad. He shakes his head. “She wasn’t even supposed to come with us from Atlanta. But she did. I tried to help her. I tried to be the one she could talk to.”

“You were friends,” I say softly.

He laughs, but it’s not a happy sound. It’s sharp and kind of angry. “It was more like I was her unpaid therapist. She showed up with big dreams she never planned to work for. She never had a job. She got a couple rejections and stopped trying. She just…pushed her way into everything. Into all of our lives. Especially Justin’s.”

My chest feels tight. “Did you…?” I let the question trail off. I’m not sure I want the answer.

Theo turns to look out the window. “Did she flirt? Yes. Did she cross the line? For sure. But I never touched her. Not once. I was always loyal to Justin. Even back then, I didn’t trust her. Something about her never felt honest, like she always had an agenda.” He sighs, heavy and painful. “I didn’t want to believe it before. But now, after everything she’s done…”

I stare at him. He’s never said this out loud before. But this last video… Seems it pushed him too far.

“I believe Crystal killed Justin,” he says.

I step closer and gently touch his arm. He’s tense, muscles tight, but he doesn’t pull away.

“You were just trying to be her friend,” I say quietly.

He puts his hand over mine. “I tried,” he whispers. “But now I realize…it was all a big waste of time.”

Outside, the city moves on—cars rush by, sirens cry in the distance. But in here, everything slows down.

And then Theo speaks again. “Mackenzie, I need more.” His hand tightens around mine. Not desperate. Just sure. “I don’t want to waste time on things that don’t matter. I want you and Levi to move in. With me. Permanently. I want us to be together.”

I stop breathing for a second. My heart skips, and fear creeps in before I can stop it. “Theo, I…” My voice shakes. I want to say yes—I really do—but the words won’t come. “What if this is just about the grief? The stress? With everything happening, how do I know you won’t—”

“Won’t go back to being a player?” he says, finishing my thought. He gives a small, sad smile. “Back to being that guy who says all the right things, then disappears when it counts?”

I look into his eyes, and my heart feels like it’s stuck in my throat. Because yes, that’s what I’m scared of. He sees it. He sees how I hesitate. How I take a small step back without meaning to.

He sees my doubt.

Because I’ve seen him float through life, always charming, always saying the perfect thing. I’ve watched him be whoever people want him to be, even if it’s not really him. And sometimes, I wonder if he even knows who he is anymore. Especially at a time like this, when so many things are difficult and painful. How does he know this will be what he wants going forward?

That’s what scares me. Not what he’s offering. Not even what he says he wants, because I want those things too.

But him.