Life is full of surprises.

...TAYLOR...

...I had just closed one of the...

...most important deals of my life,...

...managed to flip off my enemy...

...Grayson in the process, and...

...arranged for an incredible...

...celebration, all in one day....

...It was huge. And yet....

...Everly Grey....

...The only woman I'd ever...

...admitted to having feelings for....

...And who had subsequently...

...destroyed my faith in...

...relationships....

...And now here she was…...

...engaged to my business partner...

...Tom....

...What is wrong with her? What...

...is she doing?...

...Tom was one of my best...

...friends. And Everly had to...

...know that...

...She must have kept our...

...relationship secret from Tom....

...Which meant I would have to...

...keep it secret from Tom....

...What the **** is she doing?!...

...It took all of my willpower not...

...to trash my entire penthouse....

...No, my bedroom would suffice....

...KATE...

...I put on a brave face, walking...

...into The Daily House office....

...Any second now, my entire...

...world was going to collapse in...

...on itself....

...I glanced around the room,...

...desperately trying to find Rick....

...I needed to know how bad it...

...was before I met with Arthur,...

...the editor-in-chief....

...The office seemed more chaotic...

...than usual today. Phones were...

...ringing off the hooks, people...

...were running about like...

...chickens with their heads cut off....

...On my way up, I overheard...

...some coworkers whispering...

...about a hostile takeover that...

...had just occurred over at...

...Jameson Enterprises....

...Maybe it was related....

...A small sigh escaped my lips as...

...I sat behind my desk. My hands...

...ran out over the smooth...

...surface....

...This could be the last time that...

...Lever sat here....

...I switched on my computer and...

...smiled when my eyes caught...

...sight of my badge lying next to...

...my keyboard...

...Kate Dawson, Daily House...

...Reporter....

...I was going to miss this place....

..."Ah, there you are."...

...That British accent could only...

...belong to one person: Rick....

..."Best get moving, Kate," Rick...

...said, standing in front of my...

...desk....

..."Arthur is in his office...

...waiting for you....

...How bad is it?" I asked,...

...chewing my bottom lip....

...Rick frowned....

...What are you...

...talking about?"...

...Now it was my turn to frown....

..."Wait. What are you talking...

...about?'...

..."Do you live under a rock?...

...Price Industries has just taken...

...over Jameson Enterprises. It's...

...all over the bloody news....

...There's a gathering tonight, and...

...Mr. Price has invited a few...

...reporters to cover the whole...

...event. Come on, we need to go...

...see Arthur."...

...Did this mean…they didn't...

...know? There was no time to...

...digest because, the next thing I...

...knew, Rick had dragged me...

...into Arthur...

..."'s office....

..."You're a hard woman to get a...

...hold of, Dawson,...

...» Arthur said...

...disapprovingly....

...If you only knew why, I...

...thought, taking a seat in front of...

...his desk....

..."Sorry, Arthur. It's been a busy...

...morning...

..."I can only imagine. How did...

...the interview go?" Arthur...

...asked, leaning back against his...

...chair....

...I swallowed nervously. Here...

...comes the part where I tell him...

...what happened, followed by the...

...part where he has security...

...escort me out....

..."It was, uh...

...» I began....

..."She nailed it...

...» Rick quickly...

...interjected, causing me to turn...

...and frown at him ,...

...What was he talking about?...

...He doesn't even know what had...

...happened, I thought....

...But he placed a hand over mine...

...and gave it a little squeeze. As...

...if to say: I got you....

..."We were just going over it; she...

...got some great pieces....

..."Good. But that can wait until...

...the next print. Rick, did you fill...

...her in?"...

..."No. I thought it would sound...

...better coming from you."...

...«Okay,...

...» I said, more confusedby the second....

..."Can somebody...

...tell me what's going on here?"...

...«Price Industries is holding a...

...press conference as well as a...

...small function tonight. Only a...

...few reporters have been invited...

...to follow the whole event, and....

...interestingly, Mr. Price has...

...personally asked that you be...

...among the few."...

..."What?" I burst out....

...Yes, my dear. You must have...

...made quite the impression at...

...the interview. If you keep it up,...

...we might soon be talking about...

...a promotion, Dawson...

...The rest of the conversation...

...was a blur. I didn't hear a word...

...of it. All I could keep thinking...

...was:...

...Personally asked?...

...Promotion?...

...What the hell is going on?!...

...***...

...I sat behind my desk, staring at...

...an empty screen. Rick had...

...quietly informed me that he...

...knew I had blown it....

...He didn't know the details-...

...and didn't want to know them,...

...for that matter. He could just...

...read it on my face. And he...

...knew this was my chance to redeem myself....

...And the colleague-of-the-year...

...award goes to.....

...Yet another reason Nana was...

...pushing me to marry Rick. If...

...only he wasn'...

...it already married!...

...A few minutes ago, I thought...

...for sure that I was going to be...

...fired, and now this? From all...

...the stories I had read over the...

...years about Taylor Price, this...

...didn't fit his personality....

...If he was as ruthless as they...

...said he was, why was he giving...

...me a second chance?...

...I either had a guardian angel...

...looking out for me. or this was...

...a trap....

...Tonight, one way or another, I...

...was going to find out....

...TAYLOR...

...I vented my frustration about...

...Tom's upcoming wedding by...

...smashing my bedroom to...

...smithereens. A team of janitors...

...worked to clean up my mess as...

...I scrolled through emails on my...

...tablet....

...**** this, I thought and tossed...

...the tablet away. I bowed my...

...head in my hands....

...Everly....

...After all the years, she still had...

...a way of getting to me....

...The bitch. It wasn't enough that...

...she'd ended our time together...

...the way she did....

...Now she was back-and...

...engaged to my business...

...partner?...

...Is she trying to **** with me?...

...If she was, it was working....

...No matter. Despite this, I would...

...make the most of this evening....

...Pretend that I didn't know her....

...Anyway, I had plenty of things...

...to distract myself with....

...I had Kristen....

...I had the press conference....

...And, of course, I had this pesky...

...reporter who'd dared to call me...

...a...

..."fucking ****....

...I looked forward to what lay in...

...store for her....

...Kristen was right. There are...

...more ways than one to teach...

...someone a lesson....

...Of course, Kristen wanted me...

...to be kind. To actually give this...

...girl the interview of a lifetime....

...Allow for some verbal...

...shellacking of her...

...unprofessional ways, but...

...otherwise, do right by Ms.unprofessional ways, but...

...otherwise, do right by Ms....

...Dawson....

...No....

...After this sickening news from...

...my business partner....

...After being reminded of Everly....

...After having what was...

...supposed to be one of the best...

...days of my life ruined by yet...

...another woman....

...I had only one kind of lesson in...

...mind for Ms. Dawson....

...Oh, did I look forward to it...

...now....

...KATE...

...I wasn’t " used to wearing...

...dresses to press conferences. As...

...I slipped on the classiest piece I...

...owned...

...-an intricate lace midi...

...dress-...

...-I heard Nana calling...

...from the other room....

..."Hurry up and let me see you...

...already!"...

...I came out and did a twirl for...

...Nana, who was lying in bed but...

...clapped her hands together with...

...glee....

..."Look at you,...

..." she said....

...«SO...

...beautiful.»...

...I sat down beside Nana on the...

...bed, looking at her closely....

...Even when she was sick, the...

...woman continued to be a spark...

...ofjoy....

...Mrs. Kirby, the home nurse,...

...had agreed to stay a few hours...

...more, but due to some...

...emergency, she'd had to cancel....

...Normally, I would have put...

...aside my plans. But tonight my...

...job literally depended on me...

...being there....

...As if reading my mind, she...

...patted my hand with hers....

..."Off...

...you go," she insisted. "There's...

...nothing to worry about."...

...I took my grandmother's hand...

...and gave it a light squeeze for...

...reassurance....

..."Are you sure, Nana?" I asked...

...hesitantly....

..."Yes, Kate. Now go, and while...

...you're at it, please try and find...

...yourself a handsome prince...

...who...

...'Il sweep you off your...

...feet."...

...Well....

...» I said, getting up...

...from the bed and kissing...

...Nana's forehead...

...I guess I'd...

...better leave then. Here comes...

...expensive champagne and fish...

...eggs."...

...I couldn't help but roll my eyes....

..."It's called...

...'caviar....

...dear. Live a...

...little."...

...And with that, Nana winked...

...and shooed me out....

...I had to admit-...

...-maybe T...

...wanted to stay with Nana just...

...so I wouldn't have to actually...

...confront Taylor Price....

...After what I had called him, I...

...dreaded the idea of actually...

...meeting the man. There was a...

...distinct possibility that I was...

...about to be chewed up and spat...

...out...

...But that would only prove him...

...right. That Taylor Price was...

...very much a...

..."fucking ****."...

...And. hey if he said somethingso I wouldn't have to actually...

...confront Taylor Price....

...After what I had called him. I...

...dreaded the idea of actually...

...meeting the man. There was a...

...distinct possibility that I was...

...about to be chewed up and spat...

...out...

...But that would only prove him...

...right. That Taylor Price was...

...very much a...

..."fucking ****."...

...And, hey, if he said something...

...that could be ammunition for...

...my article....

...So, hell. What do I have to...

...lose?...

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