Leaving the Stage to Liu the Mangy Dog
Staring at the message from Leo Foster, Avery felt a muscle in her jaw tighten. You had to hand it to the Sterlings, they didn't waste any time.
She'd had that major showdown with Warren Sterling just last night, and by the time she woke up, his nephew Caleb was already making moves.
If they'd acted this fast on damage control, the video of Lorraine Sterling threatening people at the hospital would never have blown up online in the first place.
Avery shot a cold look at the screen, her mind quickly running through the tangled relationship between Caleb and Bryce Sterling. Then, she started typing.
**Avery:** You have Caleb Sterling's contact info, right? Can you send me his profile?
She'd carelessly left the business card Cole Hayes had given her in his car a few days ago, so now she had to ask Leo.
**Leo:** What do you want his info for?
**Avery:** Nothing specific. Just good to have. You never know.
**Leo:** Heads up, that Caleb guy is a real piece of work. You should try your best to stay away from him.
A second later, Caleb Sterling's profile popped up on her screen.
**Avery:** Thanks.
**Leo:** Don't mention it. If you sign with Stellar Media, we'll be a team anyway.
As soon as Leo had heard Caleb was looking for Avery, he'd messaged her.
He wasn't just being nice; he was trying to get on her good side.
After all, you'd have to be blind to have missed the sparks between her and Julian at dinner last night.
It was pretty clear they were heading toward a deal, which meant Avery was practically one of them.
For some reason, Leo had a gut feeling she was going to be big someday.
And if she got famous, that would be good for him, too, ever since he got back from Westlake City, Dexter had pulled some strings to get him a cushy title as a Creative Consultant at Stellar Media.
**Leo:** Anyway, I was up all night gaming with Zac and the guys and I'm about to pass out. I'm signing off. But hey, if you have a problem with that mutt Caleb, let me know.
**Leo:** I can't do much, but my dad still has some pull.
Avery looked at the message, and the icy tension that had settled in her chest because of the Sterlings eased a little. She and Leo had only known each other for a few days; they were barely even acquaintances. Whatever his reasons, the gesture meant something.
A small smile touched her lips as she typed back.
**Avery:** Thanks.
Leo didn't reply. The conversation was over.
Avery sat on the edge of her bed, her gaze fixed on the contact info Leo had sent.
She thought for a long time before finally turning off her phone, her expression grim again.
She stood and walked into the bathroom, turning on the faucet and splashing a handful of cold water on her face.
The shock of it cleared her head instantly, and the idea that had been slowly forming in her mind sharpened into focus.
She was never one to just sit back and take a hit.
The Sterlings were already in the middle of a PR nightmare, and they *still* had the energy to come after her?
Fine. If they wanted a storm, she'd give them a hurricane.
A two-pronged attack, from the inside and out.
She doubted Warren would have any time left to bother with her after that.
After freshening up, Avery threw on her coat, grabbed her key card, and left the hotel.
She pulled out her phone to look up a map, then followed the directions to a 24-hour gaming cafe across from the University of Finance and Economics.
Even this early, the place was buzzing with the sound of clacking keyboards.
Avery asked the manager for a private booth.
She turned on the computer, installed Messenger, and logged into a ghost account she kept from her lawyer days, a private profile she only used for contacting people like the data analyst who'd helped her before. After logging in, she searched for Caleb Sterling and sent him a friend request.
In the request message, she typed one simple line: "Bryce Sterling might not go to prison."
It was bait. She knew that no matter how Caleb really felt about his brother, he wouldn't be able to ignore a message like that.
Just as she expected, it worked. Less than thirty seconds later, he accepted. Before she could even type another word, a message came through.
**Caleb Sterling:** Who are you? And how do you know Bryce Sterling won't be going to prison?
On the surface, it sounded like an innocent question.
But Avery saw right through it. Anyone else might have thought Caleb was happy for Bryce, but she knew she'd come to the right person.
It was simple: if Caleb actually had a good relationship with his brother, he wouldn't have used his full name.
He would have just said "my brother." That kind of subconscious phrasing told you everything you needed to know about how two people really felt about each other.
Avery's fingers flew across the keyboard.
**Avery:** Who I am isn't important.
After sending that, she logged into her cloud storage.
She exported all the photos she'd taken at the club in Westlake City, the ones showing Lorraine Sterling having dinner with people from the prosecutor's office, and sent them to Caleb.
She didn't stop there. She also attached the audio she'd recorded on her hair clip last night.
Once the files were sent, Avery said nothing more. She logged out of Messenger as fast as she could, paid the manager, and walked out of the gaming cafe.
Meanwhile, in a suite at The Empire Grand Hotel, Caleb Sterling, who had also been up all night, was just about to fall asleep next to the woman he'd brought home when the notification from a stranger jolted him awake.
His heart hammered in his chest, and all thoughts of sleep vanished. He shoved the woman away.
His eyes, sharp and cunning, were glued to the photos on his screen.
A slow, calculating smile spread across his face as he immediately grasped their meaning.
After studying them, he got out of bed, took his phone, and slipped into the bathroom.
Once he was alone, he played the audio file.
Listening to the guarded words of his uncle, Warren, the smile on his face grew even wider.
Across the street from the university, Avery walked into a coffee shop with a satisfied smile. She ordered a croissant and a yogurt, then found a quiet corner to sit and enjoy her breakfast. Outside the window, the morning streets were starting to fill with the city's usual hustle and bustle.
Avery watched the world go by, a relaxed smile on her face. She'd delivered the ammunition. Now it was time to see what Caleb would do with it.
Didn't Leo and the guys call him a mad dog?
Well, the stage was all his now. Hopefully, he'd live up to the name.