Page 142 of Collateral Damage
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.
Sixty-One
Sybil
Present - Age 27
“Hi, Lance.” I sigh. “Are you going up there to talk to them about Top of the World?”
He nods sharply, and together we stride toward the bank of elevators. My pulse is already pounding in my ears, a warning drumbeat.
We step into the modern elevator. It reminds me of this man beside me, cold and clinical. His suit cuts a sharp line against the minimalist backdrop, a complete opposite of my casual evening clothing of jeans, sweater, and puffer jacket.
“Do you know what’s going on?” I ask. “Top of the World is a viral sensation.”
“Yes, it is.”
As much as we’ve come to hate each other, I think Vale actually cares about this.
“King can’t do this to Laurence. We all stand to make a great deal of money on our investment in Top of the World. We have contracts in place that explicitly state the Laurence shares will bereturned if the show makes it to a season two. Canceling it is an expensive and unnecessary legal battle waiting to happen.”
He hums in agreement. “And meanwhile, Top of the World will lose momentum.”
“Yeah, exactly. We don’t want that.”
Lance releases a slow methodical breath and turns on me, peering through his spectacles as if I’m the most vapid and stupid person he’s ever done business with. “Did you really think Conrad King would let a Laurence win?”
My mouth pops open.
“I’m on Laurence International’s side,” he says smoothly. “You’ll see.”
I fold my arms over my chest and try not to panic, but I feel like everything is falling down around me. What am I supposed to do here? Who am I supposed to trust?
The elevator doors open, and my heels click against the floor as I lead the way. Cooper’s office is next door to his brother’s and father’s, and my stomach knots tighter and tighter with each step, but I want to stop by Cooper’s first.
Except, he’s not here.
His office is empty.
I pull out my phone to see a dozen missed calls from him.
Lance strides right past me to Conrad’s office, pushing open the heavy door and striding inside as if he’s taken meetings here before.
My heart shatters to the floor when I catch the conspiratorial look Lance and Conrad share.
They planned this… and I’m the idiot who fell for it.
“Sybil,” Conrad says, spreading his arms in a mock gesture of welcome. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here.”
“Where’s Cooper?” I demand, voice coming out louder than I intended.
“Cooper is tied up with some important business matters at the moment, but I’m sure Lance can bring you up to speed.”
Lance is already sitting down, appearing relaxed and smug. He pats the seat next to him like he’s calling a child to come get a talking-to, and I want to scream.
