ethics, no, this is tabloid trash journalism.
Sensational. Scandalous.
“ Wild
sex parties... bondage and spanking.... ‘Landsley couldn’t
get enough.’”
The
article details the club, even mentions Dax by name. They have a
source on record saying Andrew loved to get spanked and fuck in
public, and all kinds of other things.
“The
councilman couldn’t be reached for comment.”
And
there, above it all, the byline reads ‘Zoe Warren’.
My
blood runs cold.
“Dax--”
I start, but he turns on me. His eyes are cold.
“You
did this?”
“I—I—”
“Answer
me!” he demands.
“No!
I swear, I told my editor I was off the story,” I insist. “He
must have used my old notes, or something like that. I promise you,
this has nothing to do with me!”
“But
you told him about it.” Dax towers over me, tense as a rock.
“He wouldn’t even have known about the club if you hadn’t
served it up on a silver platter.”
My
protest dies on my tongue. Oh God, he’s right. This is all my
fault.
Griffin
slips out the exit door, leaving us alone in the lobby.
“I
didn’t write this, and I don’t know who did. I told him I
didn’t want to do the story,” I insist, but my voice
falters. “I said it wasn’t our business what Landsley did
in private.”
“Well,
it’s not private anymore.” Dax is grim. “It’s
all over the fucking front page. His career is over, do you
understand? He trusted me with his secrets. They all do!”
I
shrink back from his rage. Guilt floods through me.
“I
didn’t realize...”
“What?”
Dax cuts me off. “That there would be consequences for you
snooping around? Dammit, Zoe. These are real people, with lives, and
families, and careers! They come to my club because I promise them
privacy. But you’ve just gone and thrown that all away!”
I try
to blink back my tears. I wish I could argue, but I know he’s
right. Even if I didn’t write that story, I had planned to. So
what if I walked away in the end? The result is the same, either way.
And
the truth is, I would have done this to them, if I hadn’t
fallen for Dax first.
“I’m
sorry,” I whisper, crying. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry
won’t fix this fucking mess!” Dax yells. “This is
my club, my reputation you destroyed. Not to mention Landsley. Fuck!”
He
turns and drives his fist into the wall. I flinch back.
“Just
go!” Dax won’t look at me. “You’ve done
enough here.”
“But...”
I stutter. He can’t mean it. It can’t just be over in the
blink of an eye, not after everything we’ve been through.
“Please, just listen to me. We can talk about this. I can
explain!”
“The
only explanation I need is right there in black and white.” Dax
replies grimly, throwing the newspaper down at my feet. “Nothing
you can say will change what you’ve done.”
Shame
hits me hard. It feels like everything is crumbling under my feet,
but there’s nothing I can do. No way to explain myself or make
him see -- I didn’t mean to do this. I stopped investigating
for the story, I walked away from it.
I
chose him over my career.
But
I’m losing him all the same.
“I’m
sorry,” I sob again, but Dax still won’t look at me. He
gets in the elevator, the grille closing with a final clang.
As
the elevator ascends, taking my heart with it, I’m left alone.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DAX
Goddamn.
I
can’t believe that I fell for it again. That after everything,
I let my guard down long enough to really care about her -- and for
her to stab me in the back like this and destroy everything I’ve
ever worked for. Whether Zoe wrote the article or not, it’s her
dirty work that’s led to this, her snooping, her carelessness
with my secrets.
I
don’t even have time to prepare for the blast: the online
edition goes up early, and within an hour, my cellphone is ringing
every few minutes with panicked members and investors worried that
their own secrets will be splashed across the front
Sensational. Scandalous.
“ Wild
sex parties... bondage and spanking.... ‘Landsley couldn’t
get enough.’”
The
article details the club, even mentions Dax by name. They have a
source on record saying Andrew loved to get spanked and fuck in
public, and all kinds of other things.
“The
councilman couldn’t be reached for comment.”
And
there, above it all, the byline reads ‘Zoe Warren’.
My
blood runs cold.
“Dax--”
I start, but he turns on me. His eyes are cold.
“You
did this?”
“I—I—”
“Answer
me!” he demands.
“No!
I swear, I told my editor I was off the story,” I insist. “He
must have used my old notes, or something like that. I promise you,
this has nothing to do with me!”
“But
you told him about it.” Dax towers over me, tense as a rock.
“He wouldn’t even have known about the club if you hadn’t
served it up on a silver platter.”
My
protest dies on my tongue. Oh God, he’s right. This is all my
fault.
Griffin
slips out the exit door, leaving us alone in the lobby.
“I
didn’t write this, and I don’t know who did. I told him I
didn’t want to do the story,” I insist, but my voice
falters. “I said it wasn’t our business what Landsley did
in private.”
“Well,
it’s not private anymore.” Dax is grim. “It’s
all over the fucking front page. His career is over, do you
understand? He trusted me with his secrets. They all do!”
I
shrink back from his rage. Guilt floods through me.
“I
didn’t realize...”
“What?”
Dax cuts me off. “That there would be consequences for you
snooping around? Dammit, Zoe. These are real people, with lives, and
families, and careers! They come to my club because I promise them
privacy. But you’ve just gone and thrown that all away!”
I try
to blink back my tears. I wish I could argue, but I know he’s
right. Even if I didn’t write that story, I had planned to. So
what if I walked away in the end? The result is the same, either way.
And
the truth is, I would have done this to them, if I hadn’t
fallen for Dax first.
“I’m
sorry,” I whisper, crying. “I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry
won’t fix this fucking mess!” Dax yells. “This is
my club, my reputation you destroyed. Not to mention Landsley. Fuck!”
He
turns and drives his fist into the wall. I flinch back.
“Just
go!” Dax won’t look at me. “You’ve done
enough here.”
“But...”
I stutter. He can’t mean it. It can’t just be over in the
blink of an eye, not after everything we’ve been through.
“Please, just listen to me. We can talk about this. I can
explain!”
“The
only explanation I need is right there in black and white.” Dax
replies grimly, throwing the newspaper down at my feet. “Nothing
you can say will change what you’ve done.”
Shame
hits me hard. It feels like everything is crumbling under my feet,
but there’s nothing I can do. No way to explain myself or make
him see -- I didn’t mean to do this. I stopped investigating
for the story, I walked away from it.
I
chose him over my career.
But
I’m losing him all the same.
“I’m
sorry,” I sob again, but Dax still won’t look at me. He
gets in the elevator, the grille closing with a final clang.
As
the elevator ascends, taking my heart with it, I’m left alone.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DAX
Goddamn.
I
can’t believe that I fell for it again. That after everything,
I let my guard down long enough to really care about her -- and for
her to stab me in the back like this and destroy everything I’ve
ever worked for. Whether Zoe wrote the article or not, it’s her
dirty work that’s led to this, her snooping, her carelessness
with my secrets.
I
don’t even have time to prepare for the blast: the online
edition goes up early, and within an hour, my cellphone is ringing
every few minutes with panicked members and investors worried that
their own secrets will be splashed across the front
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