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“Really?” Dawn leaned against the counter, casually stirring her coffee. Her gaze never left mine, a predatory glint in her eyes. “Well, let’s hear it then. What do you have?”
“Uh, well…” I hesitated, not wanting to reveal my hand to this snake. “I’m still working on piecing everything together, but it’s really coming together nicely.”
“Ah, I see.” Dawn smirked, taking another sip of her coffee. “Well, I hate to break it to you, Remi, but while you’re busy agonizing over your little ghost story, I’ve been digging up some serious dirt on our favorite love-to-hate-them, black sheep royals who live in our own backyard. Trust me, when this story hits, it’s going to make huge waves. We’re talking bombshells.”
“Good for you,” I said, clenching my fists to keep them from shaking. I didn’t want to give Dawn the satisfaction of seeing how much her words affected me. She was as talented as she was vicious. If she had a good scoop, it would be hard to beat her.
“Of course, I suppose I should be worried about my competition,” she continued, her voice dripping with insincere concern. “But honestly, Remi, you always struck me as a bit … soft-hearted for this industry. Can you really stomach exploiting people’s private lives for the sake of a sensational story?”
“Who says that’s what I’m doing?” I retorted, anger bubbling up inside me. I knew she was playing mind games, trying to get under my skin, but I couldn’t help but rise to the bait.
Dawn smirked, clearly enjoying herself. “Please, Remi. It’s not like we’re writing for The New Yorker here. We’re in the business of selling gossip and scandal, and if you think you can succeed without getting your hands dirty, then you’re even more naïve than I thought. But hey, you do you. Just don’t come crying to me when you lose that promotion.”
I could feel my resolve wavering, the temptation to give in to the cutthroat tactics that seemed to come so naturally to Dawn.“Thanks for the pep talk,” I replied through gritted teeth, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Anytime, sweetheart,” she said, tossing her empty coffee cup into the trash. “You’ve got to be ruthless in this industry and it looks like you just don’t have what it takes.”
“Ruthless, Dawn? There’s a difference between being ruthless and being heartless. Something you wouldn’t understand,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “You might think exploiting people’s pain is the way to succeed, but that’s not how I operate.”
“Is that so?” she retorted, her eyes narrowing. “Well, good luck with your sugar-coated fluff piece. You won’t make a dent in this industry if you don’t have the stomach for the real stories.” Her voice was dripping with disdain.
I could feel my face grow hot as anger bubbled within me. “Real stories? Is that what you call digging into people’s personal tragedies and airing them out without any regard for their feelings?” I shot back, my hands shaking slightly.
“Welcome to Hollywood Exposé, sweetheart,” she said mockingly, tilting her head to the side. “Maybe you’re just not cut out for it after all.” She gave me an infuriating smirk, clearly enjoying the rise she was getting out of me.
My eyes narrowed. “Listen, Dawn,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m going to get this promotion because of my talent, not because I stooped to your level. And when I do, I’ll know I did it the right way.”
She laughed, a cold, patronizing sound that made my blood boil. “Oh, Remi, you’re so naïve. But whatever helps you sleep at night, darling.” With those parting words, she sauntered out of the breakroom, leaving me to stew in my frustration and doubt.
I slumped against the counter, trying to catch my breath and regain control of my emotions. Was Dawn right? Was I too soft-hearted to make it in this industry? As much as I wanted to prove her wrong, I couldn’t deny that the idea of exploiting Ghost Parker’s personal tragedies for my own gain left a sour taste in my mouth.
“Damn it,” I cursed, gripping my coffee cup so tightly that it threatened to crush under the pressure. I needed to find another angle, something that would allow me to stay true to myself while still delivering a story that would blow everyone away. It seemed near impossible.
“Alright, Dawn,” I muttered, steeling myself for the battle ahead. “You want a fight? You’ve got one.”
As I left the breakroom, her words echoed in my head. Was I willing to risk losing this promotion by sticking to my moral compass? I’d been burned before, trying to do what I thought was right. I hadn’t just been burned, I’d lost the career that I’d loved. I absolutely was naïve.
Had I learned anything? Would my naivety hold me back and cause me to publish a puff piece that would lose the competition? Or would I dive into the murky waters of exploitation just to come out on top? Even my boss, Caroline, had warned me that I was going to have to fire on all cylinders to win this thing. If I held back too much, I was doomed.
I stormed back to my desk with the image of Dawn’s smug smirk burned into my memory. My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands still trembled from our confrontation. I couldn’t let her win, not like this.
I felt my resolve harden. Yes, she was right about one thing: this industry was cutthroat. We often made our bread and butter off of other people’s misfortunes. If I thought I had the chops to make it in this industry, I had to prove it.
“Game on, Dawn,” I whispered to myself, clenching my fists in determination. “Game on.”
I stared at my notes once more, considering my options. And as the weight of my decision bore down on me, I realized that no matter what I chose, the consequences would haunt me long after the competition was over.
Chapter 6
Greyson
The salty ocean breeze swept across my face as I pulled into the driveway of Talia’s beach house. The last time I had been here was for Talia’s baby shower, which had morphed into Knox’s surprise birthday party — a bonfire celebration on the beach. Memories came flooding back; it was on this very beach where I had seen Ghost again, in all his enigmatic glory. His fingers danced effortlessly over the guitar strings, creating hypnotic melodies that mesmerized the gathered crowd. The fire illuminated his chiseled features and piercing blue eyes, highlighting just how handsome and captivating he was. His voice, smooth as velvet, carried the weight of unspoken emotion — a haunting siren’s call that had stirred something deep within me.
I tried to stifle the feelings that surged through my chest, but each note only intensified the attraction that I knew he didn’t return. Eventually, the pain became unbearable, and I had no choice but to distance myself from the scene, escaping further down the beach and into the darkness.
“Greyson!” Talia’s voice snapped me back to the present as she flung open her front door, her warm smile a welcome relief. “You made it!”
“Of course I did. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day off taping than to see how baby Zoe is doing,” I replied, taking in the sight of her newfound motherly glow. In my hands, I held an adorable baby girl outfit, complete with a pretty pink tutu with hot pink edging and a stretchy baby headband with a matching flower.
