“You didn’t say anything today.”

“Neither did you.”

“You got his deal pulled? How did you do that?” I can’t help myself; I’m practically giddy. My knees are bouncing up and down with a sudden energy, and I can feel my body vibrating.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“But then how—”

Finally, Trina jumps in. “Dumbest smart person I know, I swear. Come on, Scarlett. Ryan ran up after seeing you two go at it in the lobby and marched straight into Anastasios’s office. Pretty big deal, if you ask me, since he’s already in some shit for dating one of his authors, or didn’t you notice?”

I did notice, but it wasn’t my biggest concern at the time. “So, what? In some grand gesture, he told Anastasios, who called JMP, and they both decided that they weren’t going to get played by some prick?”

“Pretty much.”

“JMP already gave him a deal for information about me. They wouldn’t just pull it. That’s not how publishing works,” I insist.

“Maybe Anastasios made a good case that some average man thinking he can use an extremely talented woman to further his own mediocrity wasn’t the narrative either of them wanted.” Trina sounds like she’s shrugging nonchalantly, but I can tell this is exciting for her.

“Wow.” I lean back on my couch. All the bakers are putting their cakes in the oven now. “So, what does this mean for me?”

“Nothing,” she says simply.

“What do you mean nothing? Why would you send that to me if it means nothing?”

“You said you were done publishing. Sounded pretty final. This is just interesting information, that’s all.”

This isn’t how it ends, Scarlett. Charles won’t win. He doesn’t deserve it.

Ryan’s words echo in my mind, repeating, growing, gaining purchase. Solidifying.

But you do. Be strong enough to take it back.

I take a deep breath, laughing softly on the exhale. “I need a win, Trina. Can you help me?”

“Fuck yes.” She sounds like she’s punching air. “I knew you’d get there. Let’s do this.”

Chapter 38

Ryan

I wake up the next morning with dread pooling low in my belly. There’s only one certainty in my life right now: I fucked up. Badly.

Last time, I had no way of knowing that pushing for that deal wasn’t what Scarlett needed. I truly thought I was helping—that if she were adequately compensated for the work she was putting in, it might feel more fair, more motivating. And then she was gone, and I couldn’t fully grasp the ramifications of my actions until she was here with me again.