The next morning, my face is all over the internet. The video of me aggressively defending Miles outside of the club has gone viral which, as I read through all the comments on the video, has only increased speculation about the relationship between Miles and me. Some of the comments are praising
Hugo didn’t like my plan of walking straight up to the Zimmer house and knocking on the door, but it was the best I could think of at the time. By that evening, I still hadn’t come up with anything better. So the next morning, after telling Miles I will be arriving late, but not telling him why, I
Miles being here isn’t likely to make things better for Daphne, but he’s no longer answering my calls and texts. He’s probably already in his car, driving over here at top speed. With a sigh, I return to the living room, where Daphne is wrapped up in several blankets. “Miles is coming here, isn’
Hugo sets up a meeting for Daphne and me with one of the best lawyers in town, Mr. Geoffrey. Hugo knows this man personally, and as such, knows that he holds no love for Edward. “I have a really strong nose for bullshit,” Mr. Geoffrey says upon our first meeting. By now, he knows why we’ve come, s
Miles doesn’t laugh. He doesn’t get angry. Instead, his eyes soften somewhat and he reaches forward to take my hand. “Esther,” he says my name so gently, so reverently, that it punches the air from my lungs. “You and I are it.” It’s so simple, so sweet, that I have to ask, “What do you mean?” Be
I don’t know what to say, especially not in front of the publicist, so I softly ask her if Miles and I can be alone for a minute. Gladys, smiling, looks between the two of us. When Miles nods in agreement, she grabs her veggie slush drink and heads out of the office. Miles and I stand out of polit
“Miles…” Emotion overflows within my heart. There are so many things I want to say, to express – my gratitude, my own affections, explanations about why this has been so difficult for me to accept – yet in the moment, everything gets tangled up in my throat. “Miles…” My tears fall from my chee
In the Harbinger HQ, in one of the studio sets arranged to look like a fancy living room, Daphne and I sit side by side on a white couch, facing an interviewer, a woman interviewer named Jean, who sits on an arm chair facing us. The setting is intimate, and Jean is a kind, middle-aged woman, who i
“We should watch the rest,” I tell him, though my voice is shaky. “No,” Miles says, more firmly. I breathe a sigh of relief. For my job, I know we have to hear it. But personally, I would like to go the rest of my life without even thinking about Edward Zimmer again. “The numbers are already u
Edward’s response comes in the form of a video message. Crystal set it up on the television on the wall, while Miles and I huddle closer to the screen. Miles holds tightly onto my hand. “Whatever happens. Whatever he says. We will stand against him and we will win,” he says. I believe him. Last
How could I say anything but yes? A thousand times over, yes, yes, yes. I’ve tried so hard since that first night, sleeping with Miles while thinking him a call boy, to not fall in love with him. Yet, as hard as I tried not to, my heart kept pulling me straight back to him. My love for Miles is so
We hold the press conference in front of the headquarters, setting up a podium outside the double doors. The news media organizations have been notified, so they send reporters and cameramen, who have set up around the podium. The release we sent out already told them that the conference would be
Later, I’m going to have to have a meeting and call in all the employees to discuss this. Their care is appreciated, but I need to be able to do my job. For now, though, it seems as if Crystal gets the hint. With a shallow nod, she continues her report. “Mr. Zimmer has been quiet since the inter
Garnar, knowing I was giving a difficult interview tonight, offered to watch the kids. Since they are at Garnar’s house, I expected the house to be empty when I finally returned. Instead, I see Miles’s car parked in my driveway and the additional security staked out around the premises. It’s a rel
Jean was warned about the story, but she still gasped. My eyes went a little wide. We came here to talk about this, but Daphne’s direct wording leaves me speechless. Daphne didn’t come here just to tell a story. She was ready to reveal her truth, once and for all. “Esther and I were victims,” Da
In the Harbinger HQ, in one of the studio sets arranged to look like a fancy living room, Daphne and I sit side by side on a white couch, facing an interviewer, a woman interviewer named Jean, who sits on an arm chair facing us. The setting is intimate, and Jean is a kind, middle-aged woman, who i
“Miles…” Emotion overflows within my heart. There are so many things I want to say, to express – my gratitude, my own affections, explanations about why this has been so difficult for me to accept – yet in the moment, everything gets tangled up in my throat. “Miles…” My tears fall from my chee