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The room was silent. Michael Scott was showing off his tiny TV on screen, but no one was really watching the show.
My phone buzzed, and we all three looked to where it was sitting on the coffee table.
“That could be Rhett,” Charlie said.
I picked up the phone, disappointed to see Adalyn’s name flashing across the screen. I swiped it to answer. “I thought you weren’t supposed to talk to me.”
“That’s why I didn’t text,” she whispered. “I don’t want a paper trail.”
Uneasiness spread through me. “What’s wrong?”
“I figured out who leaked everything to the press.”
I got to my feet, pacing to the front of the room. “Who?”
“Listen, don’t blame Rhett or me or anyone for believing it was you. We had a text conversation from you to prove it.”
“Those are so easily faked—”
“Right? Which I knew, so I was suspicious after I spoke to you the other day. I talked to Chad, and he thought the same thing. So he reached out to some cyber-smart kid he used to work for about it, and the guy pulled through. We haveproof, Beth.”
“Then why are you calling me? Why not just show Rhett?”
“Chad is showing Rhett. I wanted to let you know.”
“Thanks, Adalyn.”
“Hey, I realize the ball is now in your court or whatever, but we’re leaving Park City in the morning, and we’ll be in Seattle for three days. I can get you the hotel information if you want to...”
“What? Do a grand gesture or something? Come to Seattle and beg for Rhett’s forgiveness?”
“Yeah. He’ll know soon that you’re innocent.”
My shoulders deflated, and I stopped pacing. “But he didn’t believe me before that. Either way, he abandoned me and let his publicist break up with me and fire me at the same time. I just...I don’t think I can really jump in a car and beg him to take me back.”
“No, you’re right.” She sighed into the phone. “Well, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait! Who was it?”
“Oh.” She lowered her voice to a whisper again. “It was Bridget.”
WHAT. No way. “Why? That is so counterintuitive for someone in her position.”
“She probably believes that no press is bad press,” Adalyn said bitterly. “She jumped at making you the bad guy for coming between Karina and Rhett, and it was such a jerk move. Part of me wondered if she was just trying to put something in the media so she could control the narrative instead of letting Karina come out with that cheating piece and do it for us. I don’t know. She’s crazy.”
“It’s not like Rhett came out of that unscathed, though. I thought her priority was his image.”
“She must have thought the benefits would outweigh the downsides. She was always saying it would be good to get out in front of things, so I bet that’s what she was trying to do. Control the media or whatever.”
I could see that. Sometimes Bridget seemed more of a control freak than a strategist. “Especially after his relationship with me was hinted at on live television, and she lost some of that control.”
“Exactly.”
“At least Rhett knows the truth now.”
“I’m sorry it all happened the way it did, though.”
“Me too.” I said goodbye to her, and we hung up. When I lowered my hand, I realized Charlie and Liam were staring at me.
