Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
EMILY
Phillip smiled. Nausea flooded my stomach. I remembered that smile.
His gaze locked on me. “A little birdie told me you’ve just been talking to Rebecca.” His voice was silky.
I stopped walking, frozen, and his car came to a halt. Did that mean he’d had a private investigator tracking me? I swallowed. Or perhaps he’d been monitoring the newspapers’ offices.
Dana edged sideways, her shoulder bumping against mine.
Phillips eyes narrowed. “Now, what were you lovely ladies chatting about? I hope not little old me.” He chuckled.
I steeled my body to stop it from shuddering. Phillip was older and, from what I could see through the window, slightly larger than he was during Clique, but his personality hadn’t changed at all.
“And you are?” He focused his attention on Dana.
“Just a friend of Emily’s.” Dana appeared to be channeling Grumpy Waitress, her brow furrowed and a glare that would make most people extremely concerned.
Phillip seemed unperturbed. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me.
Could he tell that we were together? He’d have no qualms about using that to blackmail me to stay quiet.
I took a deep breath. There was no way he’d be able to tell just by looking at us.
It was normal for friends to support each other.
But what if he’d had investigators following us?
If they’d seen us at the rink… Shit, I should have been more careful.
“Let’s go,” I said to Dana, starting to walk quickly. The car picked up speed, just fast enough to keep Phillip level with us. “Leave me alone, Phillip. I have nothing to say to you.”
“I just wanted to make sure you don’t publish anything you will regret.” Phillip was still smiling, but there was a steely glint to his eye.
“Is that a threat?” Dana asked, scowling.
“Of course not. But actions do have consequences. If the article is published and it contains allegations from Emily, I will be forced to take action to protect myself. And that could have serious consequences. I know a lot of people and I also can afford the best defamation lawyers in the business.”
“That sounds a lot like a threat to me,” Dana said. “You heard what Emily said. Go away. If you don’t, I’ll call the cops.”
Phillip’s smile faded. “That would be a big mistake.” He leaned closer to the window and jabbed his finger in the air at me.
“Just because your pathetic career didn’t turn out the way you’d hoped doesn’t mean you can ruin someone else’s.
If it wasn’t for me, you’d never have gotten the role in Clique to begin with. And this is how you repay me?”
I increased my pace, my heart beating wildly. All I wanted to do was grab Dana’s hand and make a run for it. But I didn’t want to give Phillip any more ammunition against me. Stay cool.
Dana stepped between me and the car, her fists clenched. “Once the article is finished, you’ll have the opportunity to respond. But trying to intimidate and bully Emily into silence is not acceptable.”
Phillip scowled. “Intimidate? Bully? That’s what Emily, Catherine and that newspaper are doing with their vendetta against me.
Trying to rake up dirt. Spreading misinformation.
You are all the lowest of the low.” He was yelling now, his face red.
“Absolute scum. You are going to rue the day you started down this path. Do you realize how many people’s lives you will be ruining? ”
My vision seemed to blur, a feeling of unbearable pressure on my chest.
“That’s it. You either drive away now, or I’m calling the police.” Dana picked up her phone. “Take your pick.”
“This is bullshit. You can’t silence me. I will destroy you and Catherine. I’ll get my team to dig through your past, find out all your dirty little secrets, and publish them for the whole world to see. How will you like that? Get a taste of your own medicine—”
Dana started to press buttons on her phone, all the while staring Phillip down.
“Fine. I’ll go. But you will regret this.”
Phillip rolled up his window, and his car raced away.
Dana turned to me. “Are you okay?”