Page 74 of My Italian Love Affair

No official complaints, no allegations - but there is a definite pattern of promising young women abandoning a career they all seemed passionate about before working with him.

I know what that means.

And I fuckinghatehim.

What I hate even more is the knowledge that Daphne has to work with him. I can’t eventhinkabout the fact that I didn’t confront him the other day against my better judgement - not know that I know this.

But I can’t go back in time, and stepping in back then would have only made things worse for her.

Mark would have twisted it, made her look weak - like she needed rescuing, like she needed saving, when that’s not the case at all.

That doesn’t mean I’m letting it go, though.

For now, this is the best I can do - giving her another way forwards, one that doesn’t involve taking orders from a man who has built his career on breaking people down.

And in the meantime, I’ll be doing my own digging.

She doesn’t need to know. I don’t want her anywhere near this - don’t want her in a position where she has to risk her career or her reputation just to prove what an asshole Mark Chapman really is.

So. I’ll do it for her.

I’ll pull whatever strings I can behind the scenes, but it’s slow work.

Mark’s been in this game too long, and he knows better than to leave any obvious trails.

ButI’vebeen around long enough to know that men like him always slip up eventually.

And when he does, I’ll make sure he’s caught.

I just hadn’t expected her to bethispissed about it.

"And why exactly is this my fault?" I ask, pulling myself back into the moment as I lazily stretch my arms above my head, letting the last of the afternoon sun warm my skin.

"Becauseyou-"

She gestures wildly, looking momentarily lost for words before glaring.

"Youexistthe way you do - all smug and cocky and…ugh! The viewers apparentlyloveour dynamic, which is ridiculous, becauseone,thereisno dynamic, andtwo,you’re absolutely impossible to work with. And nowI’mthe one that has to be stuck doing even more interviews with you."

"Sounds like they have excellent taste,” I grin.

Daphne groans, tipping her head back to the sky like she’s asking the universe for patience.

"Let me get this straight, though," I continue, stepping in a little closer. "You’re upset because you have to spend more time with me?"

"Yes!"

"And you don’t secretly love that?"

Her eyes narrow.

"No."

I hum softly.

Yeah. I don’t believe her.

"That’s disappointing."

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