“Oh God,” I breathed, following him swiftly. “Kash, wait,” I called after him, weaving through people in a useless attempt to catch him.

He broke out of the crowd like a bullet, heading for the service exit.

“Kash, please,” I begged, trotting carefully behind him.

But he didn’t stop, didn’t slow, didn’t even acknowledge me. And I was so fixated on him, I didn’t see Brock flank us.

“What did you do to her?” Brock shot, his eyes fixed on Kash.

This was what finally brought Kash to a halt. He turned, dangerously deliberate, his face black with rage. “Excuse me?”

The words were a threat.

“Kash—”

He cut a look in my direction that stopped me cold.

“I said, what the fuck did you do to her?” Brock stepped into Kash, close enough that fury crackled between them, raising the fine hairs on my arms.

“What happens between Lila and me is none of your fucking business,” he said with quiet force. “And you leave her alone. You’ve done enough.”

“What do you know?” Brock snapped, and I realized he was drunk.

And that these two men were about to fight.

Over me.

In the biggest event of my career.

I braced myself and moved to put myself between them, to beg them to stop, for all our sake. But I never got to. Because a very drunk and shoeless Natasha Felix came teetering toward us.

A camera followed behind her, and on a glance, I discovered one behind me, not knowing how long he’d been there.

“You don’t get to dump me!” she screamed, waving her champagne glass toward Brock.

“You don’t care,” Brock fired over his shoulder at her. “You never fucking cared, Tash. This whole thing was your idea. I never should have done it.”

I froze. Every molecule stopped and turned and listened.

“You were already going to dump her,” Natasha volleyed. “Like you’re some hero. God, you’re so fucking dumb. All of you are so. Fucking. Dumb.” With every word, she pointed at us with her champagne, landing on me last. “Especially you. It was a setup, the whole thing. You’d shit your pretty white pants if you knew how much money I paid Brock to frame this up. And everybody knew except you and your little piece of ass. Even your fucking boss is in on it!” Laughter burst out of her. “My fans are going to die when they watch this season. Didn’t you know, boyjacking is my thing? I coined that,” she noted before turning to Brock, her lips twisting in disgust. “Ugh, you are so pretty, but you are literally the worst lay of my life. And you do not get to dump me. Especially not for her.”