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“Daphne’s agent should be part of this conversation,” Chris said. “Has Lawrence Capano been contacted?”
“I attempted to do that and received voicemail.”
That wasn’t good enough. Even Chris knew Lawrence should be part of this conversation.
“I really think Lawrence needs—”
“He will be looped in later. As will the lawyers. For now, this is a preliminary attempt to resolve this issue. I presume you know what’s happened?”
“I haven’t had a chance to speak to them yet, Mr. Milner,” Sakura said. “Let me do that now.” She looked at Chris and Daphne. “Two hours ago, the publishing house received a message from a major social media influencer.”
Chris inhaled sharply and laced his fingers in Daphne’s.
Sakura continued, “This person claimed that Zane Remington is actually a woman masquerading under that name, who had conspired with her boyfriend to defraud the public.”
“Defraud?” Chris sputtered. “It’s a pen name. No one hid that. The product is the book, not me.”
“So you did not write it,” Milner said.
Chris froze.
“No,” Daphne said, her voice eerily hollow. “I don’t deny that I wrote the book and that I hired Chris to play Zane Remington. There was no conspiracy to defraud anyone. I made a mistake.”
Chris opened his mouth, but she gave him a look and pushed on.
“We had plans to come clean to the publishing house after the last event. I have an email chain with my lawyer to prove that, if it helps—”
“It doesn’t. This girl is threatening to reveal that our biggest book of the season is a fraud.”
“The book isn’t a fraud,” Chris said. “It’s a work of fiction.”
“The author perpetrated a deception on everyone who worked on this book.”
Daphne went still. Chris surged forward to argue, but her tightening grip asked him not to defend her.
“I’m sorry,” Daphne said. “That was not my intention. The question now is what to do about it. My suggestion would be that I come forward immediately—”
“No.”
“I know that will have ramifications for the last two signings, but I feel it’s best for me to throw myself on this sword, take the blame, and make a genuine apology—”
“You will do nothing of the sort. Our lawyers are looking at this, and until a decision is made and discussed with your agent, you will continue on as normal. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Daphne said, that hollow tone in her voice again.
“I’ll be in touch,” Milner said… and hung up.
Daphne looked at Sakura. “I am truly sorry. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.”
Sakura scooped up her phone and started for the door. “What I need is for both of you to be on this morning’s flight. You have everything you need. You can go straight to your hotel. The car will pick you up. I have work to do, and I’m taking a later flight.”
“I really am sor—” Daphne began.
The door closed behind Sakura.
DAPHNE
The signing was in a few hours. They had yet to hear back from her agent, her editor, or anyone else at the publisher, and Daphne was…
