“What?” I ask, still trying to process this information. “How the fuck did that happen? All external communication has only had her pen name on it.”

Anastasios gives me a pointed look. “That is what we are here to find out.”

Suddenly, Casey’s panicked look makes sense. And so does Trina’s expression. She’s sad. Like she’s been disappointed, and she’s not sure how she’s going to break the news.

“Wait.” I close my eyes and shake my head as if my willpower alone could make this all stop. “You think I outed Scarlett to JMP?”

“Everyone who knew about her identity is in this room, and you’re the only one who we haven’t talked to yet,” Anastasios says. “And you have to admit, your motivations are questionable.” He’s outwardly calm, but his voice carries an undertone of a disciplinarian. He’s ready to punish me if he doesn’t like my answers.

“How, exactly, are my motivations questionable?” I am also trying to remain calm, but it’s proving difficult.

“This was posted to social media this morning,” Casey chimes in, sliding his phone across the table to me. I look at the post. Sure enough, it’s an old picture of Scarlett and me at a coffee shop downtown. I’m pointing at her computer and saying something, and she’s watching me with wide eyes. Underneath is a caption that reads, Scarlett Frye is back with a new book, this time at JMP’s imprint Anastasios Press. Rumor is that JMP is none too happy one of their imprints snapped her up. Her and her new editor were caught cozying up at a coffee shop to work. Will this book actually be released this time? Only time will tell.

“Who wrote that?” I mumble. “The caption is garbage. You can’t possibly think I put that together. At the very least, I would have used a lot less repetition and put the commas in the right places.”

“This is not a laughing matter,” Anastasios warns, though his expression shifts as if he hadn’t thought of that.

“Oh, I’m not laughing,” I assure him. “This could destroy Scarlett in more ways than one.” The image of her sobbing against my chest yesterday works its way to the front of my mind. “I don’t understand why you think I would have done this. Aside from Trina, I’m the one person in this room who has the most to lose professionally if JMP makes you rescind your contract.” No one has said that’s where this is going yet, but I can assume it’s on the table. We might have a lot of autonomy here, but JMP officially runs the show. They can do what they want.