Julian beamed, nodding eagerly. “Yeah? What do you need?” He seemed more confident than before. Wrapping up The Nightcrawlers case really pumped some energy into him.
“I don’t work for my father anymore,” I lied, and Julian’s face dropped. “I’m Andrei Pavlov’s defense attorney, and I know he’sbeen denied his rights. I need you to tell me where he is and how to see him.”
Julian didn’t blink. He just sat there like an idiot and watched me with apprehension; the humming of the air vent the only sound in the room.
I waited. Forbade myself from saying anything else lest I spooked him while he was thinking it over.
“I-I’d have to verify if I can—”
“You don’t have to verify anything. You know he’s being detained on false charges.”
Something akin to confidence spouted inside me. Alex was dead. I couldn’t save him, no. In fact, his death was my fault, but maybe I could still fight for Andrei and reunite him with his family.
Julian nodded, but unexpectedly asked an unrelated question. “Remember, you sent me a selfie? After ourdate?” Julian used air quotes, and my stomach twisted.
“I do.”
“That’s what created the cyberattack a few months ago, wasn’t it?” Oh, Julian. Not so naive, after all. “You used me.”
My face blazed, but I knew there was only one way forward. “What?” I feigned ignorance.Deny, deny, deny.
Suddenly, Julian stood from his chair and strolled over to his office door, slowly closing it. It was strange and uncomfortable, but I wasn’t scared. Whatever Julian was planning to do to me wouldn’t have been worse than Xavier.
He walked over to his desk and leaned on it, trapping me in front of him. “You and Martinov were together. Weren’t you?”
Loud static buzzed in my head from the mention of his last name. “W-what are you talking about?” I whispered, feeling lightheaded from the conversation.
Julian smiled and tilted his head, as if he knew something I didn’t. “Don’t pretend, Jade. The video of you two on Pornhub? It has millions of views now.”
Nothing could have prepared me for Julian’s words. I stared up at him, my whole body rigid and my mind refusing to understand.
“No one knows who you guys are unless they knowexactlywho you are. It’s dirty as fuck, and to be honest, I didn’t think you were that kind of girl, just by looking at y—”
“W-what video?”
Tears poured down my cheeks. Uncontrollable, salty, hot, giant tears as I tried to understand the meaning ofanything.
It was a few seconds before Julian realized, his smile slowly dissipating. “You don’t know? That it’s…online?”
“N-no! S-show me,” I sobbed, jumping up from my chair. “Show me the video!” Julian drew back, bewildered. “Give me your phone, show me right now!”
He paused, staring at my shaking hands, in as much disbelief as me. Finally, he reached inside his pocket and withdrew his phone, unlocking it. He clicked an app and typed something, his fingers movingsoslowly! One click, two, three. He typed something again—
Do it harder, Daddy.
My voice filled up Julian’s office, and my mind short-circuited. What…the fuck…was this?
I ripped the phone out of Julian’s hand and stared at the images moving on the screen. The video was grainy and the lighting was horrible, and it was taken from a strange angle, but most importantly…
There was Alex.
My love. My whole world.
Disoriented, I hungrily took in the sight of Alex spanking me.Do it like youmeanit.
Alex smacked my ass cheek. Still alive, still healthy. Still mine.
Again. Do it again.A slap and then—
