Page 198 of Pure Recklessness

They’d cut short a holiday in the Maldives to be here. I’d insisted on them coming because I’d want to impress them. To show them that after failing to sign Enigma Aura and losing the company a shitload of money, that I was back on top of my game.

Now I’d just disappointed them.

Again.

The worst part was that up until a few minutes ago, everything was going brilliantly.

The reaction online to the announcement had already created a huge buzz that was sure to guarantee record sales and Sated’s future for years to come.

But now everyone knew I’d been fucking Ellie, it’d overshadow everything.

Now people wouldn’t be talking about how amazing the app was. They’d be gossiping about how the CEO couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and making me out to be some kind of creepy boss who preyed on his innocent underlings.

They wouldn’t care that Ellie was special or that our relationship was consensual.

All they’d want was blood.

Headlines that got them more clicks, likes and follows.

This was supposed to be a big night for Sated. A success story that’d go down in the history books.

But now the company and everything that I, my brothers, my parents and the entire Sated team had worked hard to achieve was completely fucked.

And it was all my fault.

74

ELLIE

‘Ineed to see him!’ I protested as Seb ushered me backstage. ‘I need to make sure he’s okay!’ Tears streamed down my cheeks.

‘Blake will be fine.’ Seb opened the door to one of the rooms and pulled out a chair for me. ‘Oscar will take care of him.’

‘I need to be with him!’

‘That’s not a good idea.’ Seb shook his head. ‘The press will want pictures of you together. That’s why I had to separate you. As cold as it sounds, now it’s all about damage control. With a venue full of press and influencers, this isn’t good. The fallout from this could be huge.’

‘I know,’ I sobbed. ‘This is all my fault! If I hadn’t… If we hadn’t… But I… It was consensual. I wanted it.’

‘Ellie!’ Dana rushed into the room, quickly followed by Joe. ‘Oh my God, are you okay?’

Dana and Joe threw their arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze.

‘I’m going to see what’s happening outside and get an update from Oscar,’ Seb said, as he headed to the door. ‘I’ll arrange for an extra security guard to be stationed outside so that no press or unauthorised people can get through.’

‘Thank you,’ I croaked, slowly pulling away from Dana and Joe and wiping my damp cheeks with the back of my hand.

‘Is it true?’ Dana said. ‘Are you… Have you been sleeping with Mr Devlin?’

I nodded slowly before hanging my head and sobbing again.

‘Oh, hon.’ Joe squeezed my shoulder. ‘Don’t cry.’

‘It’s all going to be okay,’ Dana soothed.

‘It’s not!’ I said. ‘His evil ex is trying to make people think that he coerced me or something! And she deliberately made a scene so that the event would be ruined. Now people are going to be gossiping about us instead of talking about the app. All the hard work everyone put in will go to waste because of me!’

‘He didn’t… pressure you or anything, did he?’ Dana asked.