Page 143 of Collateral Damage
“You did this?” I glare, stepping fully into the room but not sitting down. Fuck that. “You agreed to the cancelation? Why would you do that? Top of the World is successful. There are contracts in place. Just wait until the board hears aboutthis.”
Lance sighs. “Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to be calm.”
He raises an eyebrow and turns to Conrad. “This is why I don’t think she has what it takes to run the foundation. She’s too emotional.”
He wants to sit here and berate me about emotions when he fucking screwed me over?
Conrad holds up his hand. “The show isn’t canceled,” he announces, giving me a sympathetic look.
I blink, taking his words to heart. A seed of hope plants in my chest, and I feel like I can breathe again.
“What do you mean?” I whisper. “Is this a misunderstanding? Because if so, you need to alert the media. The news is everywhere.”
Conrad shakes his head. “The show’s been sold to another network.” He nods toward Vale. “Lance and I already signed the necessary paperwork. Perry gets to stay on as creator, though I can’t say what the new network will do with it. That’s their prerogative.”
My skin crawls at their smug grins.
It doesn’t make sense that they’d sell something so special before it reaches its value. There’s so much money to be made here, especially for King Media. The advertising offers comingin are insane. The show was expensive to produce, but we’re blowing our projections out of the water.
This is only the beginning. We could doTop of the Worldshows in different cities with different casts. Then there’s merch. Reunion shows. Maybe even meet and greet tours.
“Why…?” I ask, but before they can answer my question, the truth slaps me across the face. “This was all about the shares?”
“Now she’s got it,” Lance says with a laugh, his tone smooth as silk. “The terms of the deal stipulated we couldn’t outright cancel the show if it was successful, but it also stipulated it must air on King’s network for a second season in order for you to get your shares back. There was nothing that said the show couldn’t be sold to another network if both Laurence and King agreed to it, which we did.”
Conrad gives me a little wink. “The deal was lucrative, and all investors will be happy. Well, except maybeyourfamily.”
I blink rapidly, turning on Lance. “The investors won’t be happy we lost five percent of our ownership to King. This will make you look worse than ever. You’re never going to be voted in as CEO now.”
Lance points to Conrad, who doesn’t even flinch. “Oh, the sharesarereturning to Laurence, just not where you think. Lance Vale will be taking them off King’s hands.”
“That’s right,” Lance says. “My extra shares will certainly help me get my rightful spot as CEO. I’m not worried.”
My knees weaken, and acid builds on the back of my tongue. “This is sabotage.”
Vale shrugs. “It’s called strategy.”
I shake my head. “Cooper would never agree with this.”
Conrad chuckles, low and condescending. “Oh darling, you always were so naïve, weren’t you? I thought maybe you’d grown out of that, but I guess not.”
“What are you saying?”
“Cooperalreadyagreed to this,” he says with finality. “Signed on the dotted line and everything.”
Shock is a cruel bitch. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“He did. Unlike your family, my son knows the importance of loyalty.”
My world tilts, everything falling into sick and twisted place.
Lance stands from his seat and approaches me. “Your family’s grip has been slipping on the company for years. Your father was a good leader, I won’t deny that, but even he couldn’t get Laurence to where it needed to be, and your childish little brother will certainly run it into the ground. With me in charge and nepotism out of the way, Laurence will become one of the most profitable conglomerates in the world.”
Betrayal sears, hot and painful. My mind races, trying to make sense of it all, but there’s one thing I can’t understand.
Cooper.
