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“Well?” I demand.

“Never,” she admits.

“And this is how you repay us,” I growl. “The twisted thing is, if this only affected me, I might’ve been able to go easy on you. But you tossed Dakota into the internet whirlpool like chum for sharks. And for what? What was your plan here? Or did you just want to hurt us?”

When she doesn’t reply, I’ve got all the answers I need.

“You were passed over,” I say. “That wasn’t fair. But there wasn’t any legally binding promise that you’d be promoted. And Iwasgoing to promote you. I swear on my mother, as soon as this was done, you were going to receive a thirty-percent pay bump. But you couldn’t wait. You used Dakota’s name, her livelihood, herbodyas pathetic, petty revenge.Youchose that, Elena. You did that. Not me.”

I sigh. “You’re fired, effective immediately. You’ll be leaving the office now and never returning. If you have things, inform security, and they’ll collect them for you. Otherwise, I never want to see you again. Our lawyers will handle everything.”

I turn back to the window, the sun setting over the city. What a day. What a month. And I’ve still got to spend the rest of the evening catching up on the programming work I missed today.

But first, I’ve got one final task.

I wait for them to file out of the office. A minute later, Pete clears his throat from behind me. “I know that was hard, Jack. But you did the right thing. Now, we need to decide on a statement.”

“I’ve already decided,” I say, going to my desk and picking up my phone.

“Jack…”

“Remember how this started, brother. You and me, two kids with big dreams and shallow pockets, two kids who wanted to show the big dogs we could play in their world. We did it—but look what it made me. Cold.Corporate. I’m done with that shit. Dakota’s shown me a better way.”

I turn on my selfie cam and start recording.

CHAPTER 27

DAKOTA

Two days later, I watch Jackson’s video for what must be the twentieth time. The internet loves how raw it is. It’s not a curated PR masterclass. There are no advisors sitting in the background, watching his every move like a hawk.

It’s just my man, a layer of stubble on his strong jaw, looking at the camera with a mixture of patience and rage.

“By now, you’ve all heard about my private relationship with Dakota, better known as DakkyDuck. I’m recording this video to let you all know that the person who violated Dakota’s privacy is no longer working for my company, and we’ll be pursuing legal action. For those of you who have made a cruel comment about Dakota online, or judged her because you think you know who she is, go fuck yourselves.”

I laugh every time at this part. It’s so deadpan, sohim.

He shrugs as if he can hear the outrage on the other side of the camera. “Yeah, fuck off. It’s as simple as that. Dakota isn’t a gold digger. She’s not using me. She’s alreadymadeher business. Shemakes her own money. She has a beautiful apartment, all the nerdy trophies a girl could want, and a loyal fanbase thatshebuilt. To think she’d need me as a stepping stone is plain naïve.”

He sighs, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. “If youhavewritten something ugly about her and you’re an Empire’s Fall player, cancel your subscription and never play the game again. Having respect for a woman who’s just doing her best, who’s trying to carve herowngoddamned path, is more important than your cash. So, again, I’ll tell you. Fuck. Off.”

I grin from ear to ear. Every time.

“For those who haven’t said a thing about this innocent, beautiful, intelligent, funny, persistent, talented woman, I want you to ask yourselves… Aren’t we people too? Can’t we fall for each other? I hate that our messages are out there, but since they already are,read them. Go ahead. Do you see a woman trying to use me? Do you see a man trying to manipulate a fan? If you do, get your judgment checked. I see two people who have connected faster than I would’ve believed if it didn’t happen to me. We fell for each other. Hard. Fast. It’s real, no matter what any of you think. I’m sick to my stomach that Dakota’s had to tolerate so much abuse. And I know, because the internet will do what it does, some of you will never stop. For those people, I have another message…”

He leans forward, a dark look entering his eyes, jaw clenched tightly. “Write your little messages online. Act tough if you want. But if you ever insult her in person or talk badly about her to me in person, I won’t be held responsible for my actions. That piece-of-shit trucker bastard got away with it because he’s old and hid behind his phone, and Dakota didn’t need to see me beat up an elder. But now? The gloves are off.”

Coming from any other CEO, it might sound ridiculous. But Jackson looks borderline feral. Ferocious and protective. A small part of me thinks that this isn’t his right. He should’ve asked me first.

But another, much bigger part thinks…

Let him control this. Not me, not everything. But this ishisright. If he wants to fight for us, I’m going to let him.

The video ends. I glance at the time. Almost time for another stream.

To say our clips have gone viral would be an understatement. Our joint statements have completely rebranded people’s perceptions of us. The public loves how raw and honest Jack was, and they respect the statement I made on my stream. Unfortunately, Jackson’s right. There will always be douchebags. But together, we’re making enough noise for them to sound like mice.

My phone vibrates. It’s Jack.