Page 126 of Breaking Hollywood

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Just fucking stop, Ava. The lawyers sent Gil the interview that you signed off on and a copy of the recording of our conversation.”

He pulls his cell from his pocket and presses the screen. A second later, the room is filled with the sound of Gabe’s and my voices.

“I used to sleep with women for money.”

“What?”

“And my parents are in prison for drug trafficking, racketeering, and murder.”

He presses stop on the recording.

“Gabe…I don’t know how our conversation was recorded, but it wasn’t me.”

He swipes the screen on his phone and turns it to me. “It’s all there, in black and white, Ava. Every single thing I told you. As quoted by you.”

I grab the phone from him and scan the words in front of me. I catch sight of my name.

…details from the woman who knows him best. His live-in lover, Ava Simms.

“No,” I gasp, my eyes flying to Gabe. “No, I didn’t do this. This wasn’t me, I swear.” My heart is pounding in my chest, my mind reeling with confusion.

“Stop fucking lying to me!” he yells.

“I’m not lying! It wasn’t me! Someone else recorded our conversation because it wasn’t me.”

His eyes fix on me, cold and hard. “Swipe the screen.”

“Why?”

“Swipe the fucking screen!”

I do as he said, and there’s a document.

“You probably recognize that. It’s the contract you signed with Digby, giving him exclusive rights.”

“I didn’t sign any contract! You have to believe me!”

He laughs hollowly. “And I suppose that isn’t your name and signature at the bottom either.”

I zoom in on the bottom of the document, and there, in black ink, is my name and signature. It’s mine. I recognize it as mine.

“No.” I’m shaking my head. “Gabe, I didn’t sign this. I would never betray you like that. I swear to you.”

He snatches his phone from my hand and turns his back on me.

“Gabe.” I step up to him and place my hand on his back.

He jerks away, like I burned him. In his mind, I have. He thinks I’ve betrayed him.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” His voice is so chilling that I shiver. “Don’t ever fucking touch me again.” He turns to look at me, and his eyes look right through me. “I just hope the money was worth it.”

“What money? Gabe, I swear on my entire family, I swear on Gucci’s life, I didn’t do this.”

He steadily stares back at me. “I don’t believe you.”