Twenty #2
She tended neither to set up any news notifications for any of the clients they worked with nor to check Apple News. Despite everything, she still wanted some semblance of work-life balance.
Chloe’s expression hardened. “It’s not good, Sophie. They have everything: your name, where you work, your position.”
Sophie’s heart dropped and she lifted a shaking hand to her lips.
Was there really no way for her to get her cake and eat it, too?
Clicking on one of the links, she forced her gaze to remain on the screen, the bolded words searing in her eyes.
A picture of James took up the top of the page, followed by a paragraph of text.
The sentences lashed out, whipping across her skin and flaying her open.
James Tian is submerged in a pot of boiling water and has been for the past month. He only dipped his toes in after the scandal involving doing recent business with the disgraced George Delacroix, but Tian plunged himself even deeper this past week.
Let’s back up a little. In light of the aforementioned scandal, Tian hired the hard-hitting Marilyn Covey to help build up his company’s image.
But the external boutique PR firm isn’t the problem here; it’s the romantic scandal between the firm and Tian.
The media first caught wind of prospective sparks after the gala thrown by OnLine, when pictures first surfaced of Tian and Sophie Huang looking awfully cozy.
Given that Huang works as Marilyn Covey’s executive assistant, it’s no wonder rumors circulated regarding whether Tian’s positive image was being presented truthfully.
Now, rumors turned to fact as an inside source at Tian’s lucrative art consultation company confirmed the news the company has been putting out does not reflect Tian’s true nature.
Furthermore, while the photos from the gala didn’t provide concrete proof of an intimate relationship, new images that have come to light do.
Drawing her knees to her chest, Sophie bit her nails and scrolled to the pictures at the bottom of the article with her free hand. Her spine stiffened as her gaze landed on a picture of the two of them on the patio.
Although the view was a bit obstructed, there was no denying the evidence. The photographer had captured the exact moment she kissed James, their arms locked around each other.
James displaying a keycard.
Sophie’s answering smile.
Another kiss, not as hungry as the first, but just as charged.
Oh, God, she was going to be sick. Her mind ran wild as Chloe’s words floated back to Sophie.
‘The oldest are from a week ago.’
Sophie’s innards iced over as she zoomed back up to the text in the article, skimming the lines.
There.
The media first caught wind … after the gala thrown by OnLine …
An entire week. Her head spun and she pressed her hand to her forehead.
How had this gone unnoticed by her and everyone else she knew for a week? No one had given her any looks at work, and none of—
Her breath caught as she remembered the way Philip had looked. The way Lina chugged her wine at dinner.
Was James responsible for keeping this from her radar?
Blind hope and faithless optimism struggled to poke their heads through the anger blooming in her chest, and heat formed into starbursts, crackling and sizzling into her vision.
“I mean, James had to have a reason for staying quiet about it, right?” The phone fell to her blankets, hitting her thigh as it bounced. “He wouldn’t—he isn’t the kind of person who would willingly hide it.”
Two months of ducking in corners and dancing in the shadows taught her that.
Chloe sat on the bed and bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth. “Sophie, I’m going to tell you what you’ve told me. Look past the rose-colored glasses for a second and remember that James is a billionaire. And you know better than most the extent to which the rich are willing to go.”
Sophie hung her head, squeezing her eyes shut. God, how was this happening to her right now? She knew the risks, but two months had flown by without incident, and she let her guard down.
Stupid. So stupid.
She just got the promotion she needed. She hadn’t even celebrated with her mom yet, the one whom all this was for.
Sophie’s bracelet flashed in the dark, the cold metal stark against her wrist. She clutched onto it, the thin circle cutting into her palm.
She doubted that when her mom gave it to her, she had intended Sophie to use it as a means to jog her spite. To remind herself, she needed to push herself as the result of the man who had broken his family’s hearts.
And now, I’m going to lose it all.
Chloe’s hand melted on her back, gentle and warm. “Soph, what can I do for you right now?”
Blowing a slow breath out her lips, Sophie glanced over at Chloe and offered a wan smile.
“I … I think I need to be alone,” she stammered. “Could you—”
Chloe hesitated, then nodded. Taking her cane and phone, she paused. “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
Chloe hugged Sophie tightly and walked from the room, casting one last look back.
Once the door shut, Sophie fell back against her pillows, her heart thumping. A piercing white light floated behind her eyelids, and a high-pitched whistling filled her ears.
Pieces of the mess fluttered to the ground around her, and God, did she need James here. But … that would make things even worse.
Marilyn probably knows already … no, she definitely knows.
A million questions shot through Sophie’s head, one outshining the rest.
Would Marilyn fire her and drop Lotus as a client?
Sophie’s mind went haywire at that.
It wouldn’t be the first time Marilyn had fired a client, but that had only ever been because they had done something themselves to make her remove Covey from harm's way.
In this mess, Sophie was every bit as culpable as James.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
A tightening pain started up in her stomach as the names that jumped out at her as she scrolled swam behind her eyes.
The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today.
It didn’t surprise her. She had seen Lotus’s roster, and James hadn’t exactly been secretive about who they took on, either. It only made sense for a company that dealt with billionaires and business tycoons to make it into the Financial Tribune.
And plus, Chloe was right. He’s a businessman and a billionaire himself, and those publications prove it.
Do you really think that after you destroyed his reputation, he’ll still want you?
And who cares what you told him? That just shows how fucked up you are, of course, he’s going to run now, a sickening voice in her head wheedled.
Additionally, consider your reputation. You’ve worked so hard to get here, and you’re going to throw it away for a man?
No. No, no, no, no, I need to fix this. Her breaths came in shocks and shudders as she unlocked her phone with trembling fingers.
Outside, the sky lightened, the first rays of weak sunshine puncturing through her blinds.
She typed in a short message in the thread between her and James, her heart leaping into her throat.
It’s over