The Price of His "Parting Gift"

Ava was only there because Brenda had insisted it would be good for her to be seen, to show the worl

sessively around her waist, laughing at something she said. They were a power couple, radiating success and conf

ate. A journalist from a major tech blog spotted her. "Ava Reed! What

malfunctioning, flickering erratically. Suddenly, a promotional video began to play on the giant screen. It was a sizzle

urned with humiliation. This was a nightmare. This was a professional

r face. This was her doing. It had to be. It was a calculated, public humiliat

he whispers grew louder. People were pointing, taking pictures with thei

to say something. He was powerful enough to shut this down in an instan

r: This is your problem. Handle it. He then turned his back on her, focusing his full at

leaving her to fend for herself, he was act

e steered Ava through the gawking crowd, shielding her from the f

s Tech Expo," one headline screamed. "Ava Reed' s Bizarre Bid for Ethan Hayes' Attention," re

Ava' s phone rang. It was an unknown number.

htmare, Ava. I need you to release a statement saying it was a technical glitch and you had n

ough. Just a demand. He was ordering her to clean up the mess

e for you?" she wh

a low threat. "You don' t want to be on the wrong side o

heir entire relationship laid bare. She was not a person to him, she w