Chapter 60
Sixty
S ybil
The High Line stretches ahead of me and Arden, the autumn leaves beginning to show off their colors. There are so many things to love about Manhattan in the fall, and this spot is one of my favorites.
“What’s on your mind?” Arden asks, her voice soft as we walk side by side. “Is it the attack?”
I shake my head, fingers involuntarily jumping up to the bruises I’ve covered with makeup. “It’s the gala,” I admit. “I’m trying to keep everything on track, but it’s… a lot.”
Arden nods. “That’s not surprising. You’re basically running the show, right?”
I let out a dry chuckle. “Feels like it. The prep is endless, and the stakes are high, but at least there’s Cooper to come home to.”
She waggles her brows. “Tell me more.”
“It’s good with him,” I say, grinning despite myself. “Better than good. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
Arden bumps my shoulder. “You deserve it, Syb. It’s about time.”
I’m grateful, but the moment fades as my thoughts shift. “It’s not just the gala… Lance Vale has been cold as ever.”
“What do you mean?”
That’s right, she only knows Lance from the brief internship she did last summer.
“Oh, if only you knew what a psycho he’s become.”
“ What ?”
I laugh, even though it’s not funny, then spend the next ten minutes bitching about what a horrible boss he’s turning out to be. When I get to the part about the email hack and someone canceling the first gala venue, she’s in total shock.
“And the board really didn’t fire him?”
I shake my head.
“Assholes.”
Arden rarely swears so when she does, it makes me laugh, but right now I’m too worked up.
“At least he moved his nephew to another department,” I finish with a huff, “but now I’m scrambling, and I really want the promotion when Miriam retires.”
“You’re literally a Laurence. The job is as good as yours.”
I shrug. “If Vale secures the official CEO gig, I might as well pack up my desk now.”
Her face pales. “That’s scary.”
“I love The Laurence Foundation with my whole heart. I want to continue building the vision.”
Arden smiles. “You will. You’ve got the heart and the brains for it.”
I’m grateful for the reassurance, but my mind is already drifting. “Then there’s Top of the World…”
She laughs knowingly. “I’ve been watching the episodes, and don’t forget, I live in the building. People do know the stars aren’t living there anymore, right? Fans keep showing up, and our doorman is about to lose his mind. Poor Pauly.”
I wince, and she loops her arm through mine as we pause by a stretch of flame-colored maples. The city hums around us, but in this garden, it feels like we’ve found a sanctuary. “You care so much about everyone else, Syb. When was the last time you let someone take care of you?”
I laugh lightly, but there’s no real answer to her question.
I guess I let Cooper take care of me to a degree, and I’ve definitely let him into my heart and my life, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to rely on him for anything I can do myself.
It’s the same reason I have had such a hard time bringing on an assistant, even though I tell myself I’ll hire help.
I trust myself way more than I trust others.
Arden and I walk in comfortable silence, and our ability to be silent together is how I know Arden is one of my best friends.
We get each other. It’s still crazy to think that she’s actually my sister, but I’m grateful too, even if the circumstances that brought her into this world came with a lot of heartbreak.
Truth is, I love my brothers with my entire heart, but I always wanted a sister, and I feel so lucky to have her.
How often do I tell her that?
“You know I love you, right?” I elbow her gently.
She pulls me into a side hug. “Aww, I love you, too.”
“For real, though,” I say. “I’m lucky to have you. I’m glad you’re my sister.”
She beams, and we continue on.
The crunch of fallen leaves beneath our boots is almost rhythmic, and the air smells damp and earthy. The sky above blends into gold and pale blue as the sun dips lower. It’s truly the perfect autumn evening.
The closer we get to sunset, the more crowded The High Line becomes. Soon we’re surrounded by New Yorkers and tourists, and while I don’t mind crowds and thrive around large groups of people, Arden is the exact opposite. I can see the panic creeping into her eyes as her cheeks turn blotchy.
“Let’s go,” I say, and we weave our way toward the nearest set of exiting stairs.
“Top of the World?” someone says, catching my attention. “It can’t be canceled already.”
“That’s what the news is reporting,” another young woman replies in a screeching tone. I find her as she holds up her phone. “Look here, TMZ says so, and everyone else is reporting the same.”
What the fuck?
I stop abruptly, no longer caring about the crowded sidewalk. Arden and I share a glance before pulling out our phones.
“It’s all over the entertainment news,” she whispers.
I go to my email first. Sure enough, there’s something waiting for me from King Media. I read through it quickly, the words regrettably not moving forward with a second season clear as day.
Denial. Shock. Rage. They all hit me at once.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Arden hisses, scrolling through her phone. “Why would they cancel the most popular show of the year?”
Oh, they’ll have a bullshit reason.
Numbers. Money. Talent. Lawsuits.
Who knows, but the real truth, the one that won’t be revealed, is this is a way for King to get revenge on Laurence? Our success was never going to be good enough.
“I need to speak with Cooper,” my voice comes out as coarse as sandpaper. “Can you get home on your own?”
“Of course,” she replies with a grim look. “Go get this sorted, and let me know if I can help.”
I give her a quick hug and then get the hell out of there.
My instinct is to call Cooper, but I want to see his face when I confront him about this. Does that mean I don’t fully trust him? Maybe so, but I’ll know if he knew about this ahead of time and didn’t warn me.
Maybe he planned this all along?
No, don’t think like that. I chastise myself. Give him a chance to explain.
I know Cooper, and I know he loves me. There’s no way he’s the one behind this. It has to be his scheming father.
Even though it’s Friday, Cooper isn’t at home. He told me he was going to be in the office a bunch this weekend, so I’m going straight to King headquarters. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll run into Conrad, so I can give him a piece of my mind.
It doesn’t matter what kind of excuses the network has; they’re wrong for this. Laurence invested money in this show, too, and King can’t pull the rug out from under us. We deserve an explanation, and I’m sure our contract protects us from this kind of betrayal.
I head into King headquarters, and security stops me before I can go upstairs.
“Sorry, you’ll have to wait until you have an appointment. You’re not on the approved list.”
I frown. I’ve been on that list for months.
“Even on a weekend? My boyfriend’s upstairs.”
The security guard shakes his head.
“She’s with me,” a familiar voice says, and my chest tightens. I know that voice, and as unsettling as it is, as much as I hate the person attached to it, at least he can let me accompany him upstairs, and we can figure out what’s going on.
Reluctantly, I turn to face Lance Vale.