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“Pretty damning even with the audio off. You should hear the part where he says the paddle number clear as a bell.” Ellie locks her screen, then drops the phone back in her bag.

“With a little editing, a video like this slipped from Hollywood’s biggest sweetheart, true or not, will ruin you.

All of you. People will turn on you faster than a politician on a sinking ship.

Social media is all about perception, and one little whisper from a reputable source like me is all it takes. My followers eat up everything I say.”

My heart plummets. She’s right, we’d have millions of people calling for our heads within an hour. Social media loves an unresearched witch hunt.

“Threaten all you want, I’m not firing Jenna. I think you over-estimate your influence, Miss Edwards.” Despite her bravado, the bobbing muscles in Ramona’s throat signal she knows Ellie’s right, too. My chest aches with guilt and love for Ramona.

“Your pitiful little firm will sink faster than the Lusitania, Ramona. Your charity auction will undergo a litany of scrutiny. Hell, maybe even a federal investigation. Both of you will be black listed overnight. Especially when I say how you threatened me to keep it a secret. Oh, and dearest Dalton, that sweet, clean-cut boy-next-door image you’ve been working so hard for will vanish.

Sponsors will drop you like the sexy little hot potato you are, and then who will help take care of your younger sisters?

College is expensive, you know.” Ellie leans around Dalton, her smile widening.

“Wow Jenna, you’re obvi a selfish whore, but tanking everyone else’s careers because you refused to give up your job.

That’s a whole new level of nepotism. And you say I’m a monster. ”

Damn, that arrow hits home, right in the gut, all wrapped in poisoned barbwire and glass shards, so I feel every cut, just like Ellie intends. This entire situation is my fault, not Dalton’s or Ramona’s. I can’t ask them to go down with me. No, I can’t allow them to go down because of me.

I stand on weak knees, stepping around Dalton. “What if I quit? Right now. Move back to Chicago to take care of my dad. You’ll never see me again. I’ll disappear.”

I can feel Dalton’s and Ramona’s heads whip toward me, but I only have eyes for Ellie. This is not part of the plan we talked about this morning, but neither is full-blown blackmail with video evidence. Ellie relaxes into her chair, the bitchy cat that ate the canary.

“Disappear like the little nothing you are… I do like the sound of that. And Dalton?”

“I’ll never see him again.” The words cut as they come out.

“Absolutely not.” Dalton interrupts, causing Ellie’s smile to widen.

“Nice of you to volunteer, Jenna. But I believe that was implied. I was asking what Dalton will offer to appease me?”

“Appease you? Go fuck yourself.”

“Well, that’s not very nice.” Ellie reaches for her phone, like she’s ready to unleash her bomb right this second. “I thought you might be a little more willing to protect your new girlfriend. Oh, I mean ex-girlfriend. Or your sisters, at the very least.”

Dalton’s eyes flick to me. I want to tell him not to agree to anything this unhinged woman offers. But it’s not my choice. He has his own family to consider. I can hear his teeth grinding as he responds. “What do you want?”

“You, darling. You could kiss me right now. The way you kiss her.” Ellie glides toward him, hand reaching to stroke his chin.

Dalton swats her away. “Off the table.”

“Fine.” Ellie heads back to her seat. “Then the Oscars. Be my date, and I get to wear her dress.”

This time I taste the bile. Wearing my dress implies she was Dalton’s mystery date. Like wearing it could erase our night together.

“It was a rental.” Dalton lies. We both know it’s laying on his living room floor.

“Then get me a new one. I’m sure I’ll need a smaller size, anyway.

” Ellie scrapes over my body, oblivious to Dalton’s shaking fists.

I slide a gentle hand down the back of his arm with a dip of my chin.

It’s okay, she can wear a dress that looks like mine.

I’ll take the real one with me. She can’t take that away, or the memories that go with it.

“Fine. Then you back off.”

“We’ll see. I must say I like this leverage thing. Best negotiating tool I’ve had in years. Far less work than sex. So, I get Dalton. You go back to your trailer park. And Ramona… What should your punishment be?”

“I’m losing my best employee. Is that not enough?”

Ellie taps her lips, “Mmmm… no. I’m still in need of a new PR firm. Finding a good one is so hard. I think we should renegotiate, though. You work for me, for free.”

“One year.” Ramona agrees without hesitation. It’s the maximum time she can deal with Ellie while also benefiting from the new business her name will bring in.

“I’ll have my lawyer draw up the paperwork.

Dalton, I’ll see you next week. Jenna, I hear even a whisper of your name, see a PR site with your face on it and all deals are off.

” Ellie strides from the room, pausing in the doorway to flash her fingers in a mock wave. “Lovely doing business with you all.”

None of us move until Abby appears in the doorway announcing they are gone.

Dalton drops into an empty chair, hands fisting in his hair, while Ramona’s pen cup smashes into the wall, exploding into a rainbow of colored gel pen shrapnel.

“What just happened?” Abby asks.

“I think we’re all trying to figure that out,” I say, staring at a spot on the carpet.

“We all just got screwed, that’s what happened,” Ramona adds.

“We’ll figure this out. She can’t hold this over us forever.” Dalton reaches for my hand.

I don’t pull away, relishing his touch one last time. Yes, Ellie will always lord this over us, or at least over me. She doesn’t seem like the type to get bored with torment.

“Promise me one thing.” I tug on Dalton’s hand until he meets my eye.

“After the Oscars, you get as far away from that woman as possible. Get the restraining order. Ramona, I want you to put out a press release saying you fired me. Say I was the one stalking Dalton, that you had concerns I rigged the charity auction to get a date with him. Once that’s out, she can’t touch either of you. ”

“No,” they say in unison. Abby gasps.

“My career is done either way. What does it matter if the public hates me? No one will give a shit if their waitress stalked a hockey player.”

“No,” Dalton says again. “We’re not ruining your name.”

“If I put on the paperwork that you were fired, then you can at least claim unemployment to pay your dad’s bills until we come up with something better.” Ramona’s eyes glaze as she runs through the logistics.

“No,” Dalton growls louder.

“Dalton, if she finds out we’re together, she’ll accuse me of fraud.

There’s not a lot of proof, but I can’t afford the lawyers it would take to defend against accusations like that.

If I have to choose between paying to stand up against Ellie or paying for my dad’s treatments, there’s no contest.” I press a palm to his cheek. “It’s the best option for now.”

“I’ll help pay for your dad. Fuck, for the lawyers. Both!”

“You’re taking care of your own family. That’s one string I won’t agree to.”

Dalton places a kiss on my palm. “We’ll figure out something. She won’t get away with this.”

I nod like I have hope too, but it’s a lie. Pulling away from the man I dreamt of a future with, I move numbly toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Ramona asks, snapping out of her plotting.

The words curdle in my mouth.

“To clean out my new office.”