AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I hate to ask this but…”
“How sure am I?” he filled in for her.
“Right. I just…don’t want to incense Lydia and end up with Sierra’s reputation ruined.”
“Kid, is the sky blue? Are baby cats cute? Does Grant’s sequel look like G-Force himself?”
“Got it, you’re sure.”
“I am one thousand percent sure, kid. I wouldn’t have texted you until I tried to break my own work. But I have sent little hackling bots out across the internet in search of anything that even looks like these photos, and it’s coming back clean. I deleted them from multiple places and cleaned the back end to be sure she couldn’t restore them from anywhere. They’re gone, kid, they’re gone.”
“Oh, Alex, I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“I’m sure I can think of something,” he said. “Actually, I already have a thought but it’s nothing imperative. We’ll catch up after you’ve taken the Ex-Factor down to Chinatown.”
“Sounds good. And yes, anything I can do to help you, I will.”
“Careful what you agree to, kid.”
“You bailed us out big time. I owe you. I’ll be in touch.”
“Sounds good.”
“Give my love to Ava.”
“I will. Oh, and uh, Julia?”
“Yeah?” Julia asked.
“Let me know who wins our fair queen in the chess match, will you?”
His comments brought her heartache back to the forefront of her mind.
“Don’t take it so hard, Sunshine. People love you. It’s obvious why. Just…go with your heart.”
“Thanks, Alex. For everything,” she said before she ended the call.
She bit her lower lip, a smile spreading across her features. They could go into this gala with some hope. She tugged on her shoes, stuffed her phone in her purse, and slipped it under her arm before she left her room behind.
She hurried through the halls to Grant’s room, hoping to catch him before he went downstairs. She wrapped on the door, shifting her weight back and forth as she waited impatiently.
A second later, the door popped open. Grant still fiddled with his cuff links, still sans his tuxedo jacket. He paused as he stared at her. She wondered if he was still angry about their argument this morning.
“Julia,” he said, sounding surprised.
“Hi, sorry to interrupt you, but I have some news.”
“Come in,” he said as he stepped back from the door.
She lifted her skirt and swished her way past him, barely able to contain her grin. “I talked to Alex. The pictures are gone. Totally. Lydia lost her leverage.”
“He’s sure?” Grant asked.
She nodded. “He’s one hundred percent sure. Alex would not make a mistake like this. He’s sure. We did it.”
She grinned at him, her excitement brimming.
But his response seemed a complex mix of relief and contemplation. His tone lacked the expected jubilation, and his eyes seemed distant. “That’s…great news. We needed a win.”
