He had inscribed the page with a note that read:

You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and respect you. My behavior last night was patently uncool. Please forgive me. -Alex

He had defiled a first edition of Pride and Prejudice to send me an apology? There were no words for my rage.

I set the books down and looked at the second box with trepidation, unable to bring myself to open it and see what else he could possibly consider an apology gift. A decomposing finger? The unspeakably bad fourth Indiana Jones movie? Anthrax?

Swallowing, I ripped the paper and unfolded the covering to reveal what looked like a well-thumbed script with a note on top that said:

“The books are replicas. Couldn’t resist. They may be fake, but my apology is real. I was an ass. Please teach me.”

Underneath, was one of Colin Firth’s original scripts from the Pride and Prejudice miniseries and he’d autographed it for me. Beneath, lay the contract with Alex’s bold signature at the bottom. All that was missing was mine.

“I’m still going to kill him.”

If there’d been any doubt about whether I was moving forward with the contract, this sealed it. I would have to if for no other reason than to get revenge. I picked up the pen I’d been using and signed my name bigger than his.

As I left The Key Club, it felt odd to pause before walking out the door and know I wouldn’t be back for over a month. I took a deep breath, mentally tucking away the version of myself I’d found working within these walls. I would need her quiet confidence and unflappable control now more than ever.

10

Elena

We were scheduled to meet with Asha at the Chateau Marmont to talk through the details of the media plan and then we would do a consulting session up in a hotel room. I wore a white sleeveless pantsuit and a pair of strappy heels.

When I arrived at the Hollywood hotspot a few minutes early, Asha was already there pacing on her phone, so I took a seat nearby and waited for her to finish. She eventually noticed me and waved, clearly wrapping up her conversation.

“It’s so great to see you again!” She gave me kisses on each cheek. “Alex is already in there and should be finishing a meeting with Insta, so we can head in and that way you can meet them. You should be developing your influencer presence and social platforms.”

She was talking and the individual words made sense, but I had no idea what they meant in the context she was using them, so I elected to simply smile and nod.

I followed her past the reception desk and into the column-lined courtyard where cushioned patio furniture was arranged in clusters.

Alex Chase wasn’t hard to spot. Basking in the glow of the Southern California sunlight, he looked every inch the movie star with his designer sunglasses and million-dollar smile.