Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
QUINN
“Thanks for coming in today,” Rebecca says, offering me a seat at the oversized conference room table. “How are you feeling?”
I shake my head back and forth. “Nervous.”
“That’s to be expected with our court date next week.”
I set my bag down next to me and twiddle my thumbs in my lap. “Any updates?”
“Our forensic accountant thinks he might be onto something.”
“Really?” I try not to get my hopes up, but this is a large part of my worries. If they can’t find the money Eric stole, how are they going to prove he did it and not someone else?
“He’s still working on it, and I don’t know if it’s going to pan out, but I wanted to tell you he might have something.”
“Okay.” I blow out a breath.
With Jasper in the middle of a road trip, it sucks that I don’t have him with me every night. Talking on the phone with him and texting isn’t the same thing as having him next to me.
“We have a strong case,” Rebecca says, sliding over a stack of paper.
“I want you to review the facts of everything so they’re fresh in your mind.
And this is what we know. They’re facts.
No matter how Eric’s attorney tries to twist the truth, I want you to be confident in knowing you know the truth. ”
“Easier said than done.”
I open the folder and look over the first page.
“You’re a pop star, Genevieve. You perform on stage for thousands of people. You’ve got this.”
“Yeah, but having to be in the same room as my ex? I don’t know.”
The nerves about the trial have been simmering for the last two weeks. This date has been fixed in my mind for the last few months. Jasper has been the best distraction, but now that he’s gone, it’s hard to keep a clear head.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Rebecca asks, coming around the table.
“What if we lose? What if Eric goes in there and sweet-talks them and I come out with nothing? I don’t know how I’m going to start over.”
“We’ll worry about that if it happens. There’s no point in counting your losses before they happen. Besides”—she brushes her hair behind her shoulder—“I happen to be very good at my job and don’t plan on losing.”
I give her a weak smile. “I appreciate your confidence.”
“I’ll give you some of it. We have a strong case, and if”—again, I appreciate her saying if, not when—“anything bad happens, you still have a small amount of money set aside that you can use to produce a new album.”
“But touring is expensive.”
“And you’re the biggest pop star in the world. You haven’t released a new album in two years. People will eat it up. Have faith that it is all going to work out.”
“Faith. Right.” I suck in a deep breath, rolling that over in my head. “It’s hard to have that when I’m worried about finding a new manager that won’t fuck me over.”
She pats my hand. “That’s why you’ll have me vet them. We’ll do a deep dive into whoever you want and make sure they’re on the up and up.”
“At least I have a good lawyer on my team.”
“Damn straight. Now, I’m going to let you review everything and come check on you in a little bit. Let me know if you have any questions. It’s everything you’ve told me, so again, all facts.”
“All facts.”
“You’ll do great on the stand.”
I give her a nod as she leaves me to it.
Instead of going through the papers, I fish my phone out of my bag.
Jasper
How’s the meeting going?
Quinn
Okay
Okay good or okay bad?
Okay fine
Just reviewing everything I’ve told her
They might have a lead on the money
Really? That’s promising
It also might be nothing
Could be something
I don’t want to get my hopes up
Mind if I keep my hopes up for you then?
I know it’s going to work out for you
You’re awfully positive today
The world deserves your music, Quinn
I refuse to believe anything else
My heart swells at Jasper’s words. This is why I wish he were here. He’s about the only person in the world that knows what to say to keep me from spiraling.
I love you
And I really hate that you’re on this road trip right now
I love you too
I’ll be home in time for court
You’re sure you want to come?
You couldn’t pay me enough to keep me away
Good, because I don’t have that much money
You will next week
I’ve got to run
Practice
Keep me posted on how the rest of the meeting goes
I will
With Jasper’s messages in my mind, it’s easier to review all the documents at hand. Seeing what I pulled in financially and what I actually made stokes the fire in my belly.
What an asshole I signed with. I know he has a few other clients, but after Rebecca talked to them, none of them reported anything nefarious.
Just me. He only saw fit to steal from me. I hope that Rebecca’s accountant can find something so we can put Eric away. Preying on my hopes and dreams? He’s the lowest of the low.
I can’t believe I let myself fall for him. He said all the right things. Promised me the world.
Turns out, I don’t need the world.
I want my music. I want to perform. Whether that’s on a world stage or in a karaoke booth for one person, I’ll be okay with it.
Because as long as I have a hockey player and a few cats to come home to?
I’ll be happy.