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Clarissa flinches. “Would you like a drink?”
I glance at the bar. There’s no staff.
“I’d make it,” she says, seeing me looking. “I thought it would be better if we had the place to ourselves.”
“Blackmail loves privacy, huh?” I taunt.
I didn’t plan on being so combative, but being here reminds me of what’s at stake if those photos leak. Mom’s confusion, Jacob’s public image… Maybe the fallout would lead to Jacob stopping this before it truly begins.
She shrugs and sits at the table. Jacob and I sit on the opposite side.
“Let’s start with the facts,” Jacob says. “You set us up last night specifically to snap those photos.”
Clarissa nods. “I didn’t expect you to kiss or hold hands. A photo of you with a much younger woman would be enough, I thought.”
“But you hit the jackpot,” I snap. “I’ve researched you online, Clarissa. You’ve reported from overseas. You’ve uncovered countless scandals, but somewhere along the way, you stopped caring. You started burying stories. Evil, evil stories… about dogs kept in vicious conditions, being mistreated.”
Clarissa sighs. “It’s more complicated than that. Editor jobs…”
She cuts herself off, but I seize on it.
“They’re not common, right? And especially not onyoursalary. What you’re saying is, you’d do anything to keep your job, even if it means going against every journalistic standard you’re supposed to uphold.”
I don’t turn, but I know Jacob’s looking at me, that intoxicating pride in his eyes. It’s how he looked at me after our original interview.
Clarissa leans back as if my words are darts slamming against her body. Her mouth twists, and suddenly it’s like I’m beneath her, like this whole meeting is beneath her. She stares at me like I’m dirt.
“You’ve got no idea what you’re talking about, girl. You don’t know what it takes to get somewhere in this business. I’ve seen your little website an—”
“And nothing,” Jacob snarls. “You can sit there and put down her work, but we both know it’s solid and thorough. We both know she’s got a real spark for journalism. So don’t start that crap. What are your terms?”
“My…”
Clarissa has become a chastened child under Jacob’s firm words—words that fill me with confidence, that tell me my man’s always going to be on my side.
“You summoned us here for a reason,” Jacob snaps. “What do you want?”
Clarissa glances off to the side of the room. It’s quick, but it gets me wondering what’s back there, orwho’sback there. She quickly corrects herself, looking at Jacob with the same hate she leveled at me, but there’s something else. Fear maybe.
“It’s simple,” she says after a pause. “Finish the deal with Metis. Stop delaying. Get the merger done. Both companies will make twice the profit with the combined resources.”
“That’s a strange demand coming from an editor ofoneof Metis’ publications,” I say.
Jacob nods along with me, giving me good-cop-bad-cop vibes like we’re a team. “There’s nothing for you to gain personally by pushing the deal through. The only person it benefits is Trent.”
Jacob says the other CEO’s name in disgust.
“Those are the terms,” Clarissa says.
“You cared about the truth once. You cared about journalism.” Jacob shakes his head slowly. “Clearly, you’ve stopped, but I haven’t. That’s why I’ve been recording this entire conversation.”
Clarissa gasps, her face turning pale. “No, you can’t. This isalloff the record.”
“You broke those rules when you took the photos,” Jacob growls. “I’m going to tell the entire world how Trent Saunders forced one of his editors to blackmail me and find out what he’s hiding.”
Again, Clarissa glances off to the side. Jacob follows her gaze, then meets my eye. Something’s about to happen. I can sense it.
“No, that’s not what happenedat all,” Clarissa snaps, her tone getting more irate.
