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Back Long Story Short Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. EPILOGUE
  55. THANK YOU!
  56. MORE FROM VICTORIA WALTERS
  57. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  58. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  59. ALSO BY VICTORIA WALTERS
  60. Boldwood Ever After
  61. About Boldwood Books

Slowly, I stood up, utterly deflated. It felt like she had gone back on her word. Like she had let me think things would move quicker to get me on side in that meeting. To make sure I played ball and let her take the credit for Jake’s return to popularity. No one in that room yesterday, apart from me and Jake, had any clue that Hayley had had no say in what he told readers at the conference. Now his publisher had made Jake a new offer, Hayley no longer needed me on side so she had come clean about her plan. And that was for me to keep being her assistant, and to hold me back from taking on any other responsibilities for another six months. At least. Could I trust that she would let me even then?

I watched as she started to dial Jake’s number, not interested in talking to me any more. Any plans of me being a boss bitch had disintegrated. I slunk out of her office, closing the door, feeling small and like I had been used.

I saw Davis Mulberry’s book poking out of my handbag when I went back to my desk, tempting me in a way I never thought possible from that man. But there was something stirring in my gut. I hadn’t respected Hayley’s decision to encourage Jake to lie about the article, to pretend he hadn’t dissed romance readers, and my instinct to have been honest with those very readers had been the right one. I knew Hayley had tons more experience than me but I had learnt that didn’t always mean her instincts were better. I sat down at my desk and looked around the office. I would be in this place for another six months, she had just assured me of such, but I had an opportunity to do something else. Did I want to take it? I grabbed my phone and asked Davis to set up a meeting with his agent, Simon.

My fingers hovered on my phone after that and I found myself scrolling to Jake’s number. I wondered what he thought of the offer Hayley had put to him, if he was going to accept, what he would say about Davis Mulberry approaching me for help. It was annoying that I wanted to hear his opinion after everything that had happened between us.

With a sigh, I put my phone back on my desk and opened up my emails to start work, knowing that it was better not to contact him and confuse things any further between us.

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