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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Chapter One
  5. Chapter Two
  6. Chapter Three
  7. Chapter Four
  8. Chapter Five
  9. Chapter Six
  10. Chapter Seven
  11. Chapter Eight
  12. Chapter Nine
  13. Chapter Ten
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Chapter Fourteen
  18. Chapter Fifteen
  19. Chapter Sixteen
  20. Chapter Seventeen
  21. Chapter Eighteen
  22. Chapter Nineteen
  23. Chapter Twenty
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. Chapter Forty-Two
  46. Chapter Forty-Three
  47. Chapter Forty-Four
  48. Chapter Forty-Five
  49. Chapter Forty-Six
  50. Chapter Forty-Seven
  51. Chapter Forty-Eight
  52. Chapter Forty-Nine
  53. Chapter Fifty
  54. Chapter Fifty-One
  55. Chapter Fifty-Two
  56. Chapter Fifty-Three
  57. Chapter Fifty-Four
  58. Chapter Fifty-Five
  59. Chapter Fifty-Six
  60. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  61. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  62. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  63. Epilogue
  64. Acknowledgements

Akila has recovered her composure and gestures to her own monitor. ‘Mackenzie, if you’d like to come over here and have a look—Imogen’s piece quadrupled our overall traffic overnight, and just now—it’s blowing up. I can’t refresh fast enough. These numbers are insane—I mean, so, so high. People are reading, they are staying on the site. I’m very confident that I can go back to Sales and bring in some serious ad revenue. We’ve already had a lot of interest from big brands, I’ve been taking a bit of a risk with some and waiting for the response after Imogen’s TV appearance. It looks like it’s really going to pay off.’

Kim’s raised leg floats back down to earth. Louise’s puce face fades to its usual pink.

Mackenzie bristles, but the display of unity seems to have sapped some of her strength. ‘Make sure that this revenue actually materialises, and that there is solid evidence that these…displays are financially viable. Because we can’t justify any waste of company resources.’ She stops and takes a single step towards the door. Harri wonders where the breeze is coming from—and then realises that every single person in the room has exhaled at the same time. But Mackenzie remains in the office, and gestures towards the whole team. ‘You must bear in mind that Imogen—that all of you—are not just representing The Know. When we feel that this activity reflects badly on the rest of Hudson, we will be forced to take decisive action.’

When, not if. A curious choice of words. Fighting words. Perhaps Mackenzie expects Harri to surrender. Well, she will go down fighting, if she has to.

She stands up a little straighter and meets Mackenzie’s eyes. ‘That will be all,’ says Mackenzie, dismissively, as if she has the power to eject her team, her gang, from their own space. Harri nods curtly. ‘Yeah. I think we’re done here’. She will not blink. She stares at the doorway, unflinching and unflickering, until every scrap of brown has vanished from her eyeline.

It’s on.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Family stuff

Imogen

I’m the heroine of the hour. The heroine of the office. My phone flashes constantly, hot to the touch.