Dante’s lips curved in that predatory smile I loved. He lowered his head, lips brushing mine. “There is no comparison.”
Alexander moved in and stole a kiss. “Never was.”
Julian claimed me next. “Never will be.”
“This is bullshit!” Bethany’s shout echoed through the office as the officers manhandled her from the room. “You’ll regret this, all of you. When Elevate crashes and burns, don’t come crying to me.”
“Be hard to do when you’re sitting behind bars.” I took way too much pleasure from hearing her curse and screech. We’d done it. The media feeding frenzy wasn’t over, but the worst part had been taken care of and I no longer had to worry about Bethany’s threats.
I sagged against Dante. “Holy shit.”
Julian laughed. “Holy shit is right. That was way more satisfying than I imagined.”
Alexander wrapped his arms around me from behind, sandwiching me between him and Dante. “You were incredible.”
“I felt incredible.” I turned my face into Dante’s chest, breathing in his familiar scent and letting his heart beat against my ear. I still felt incredible.
My men. My loves. The fathers of my child. We’d been through hell and come out stronger for it. I hated that we were not done yet, but we would stand together no matter what.
39
HARPER
My phone pinged at six the next morning, and my heart jumped into my throat. This was it. Maggie warned me it would drop early, and I’d been on pins and needles since four a.m. I lunged toward the side table and grabbed my phone, almost dropping it in my haste to unlock the screen. Notifications pinged so fast the vibrations blended into one long hum. Oh shit. That might be bad.
Elevate Executive’s Unconventional Love Story: A Deeper Look at Harper Bloom
Maggie’s headline stared back at me, and my heart stuttered. The moment we’d been waiting for had arrived and I almost chickened out. “You can do it.” I gave myself a quiet pep talk and tapped the headline, stopping in my tracks as I scrolled through the article.
Maggie had kept her word. Every quote, every detail I’d laid out, painted our relationship as complicated but genuine. She didn’t shy away from the complications or the unconventionalidea of loving three men, but she didn’t sensationalize it. Maggie presented facts and let readers draw their own conclusions.
Comments popped up at the bottom of the article. I covered my mouth as I read.
Oh shit, they were actually drawing the right conclusions.
Most comment sections were a cesspool of judgment and cruelty, but they shifted on Maggie’s article. Not completely. There were still assholes spouting their opinions about my morals and character, but the others drowned them out.
I hadn’t expected to gain the public’s support, but it poured in through those comments.
I pressed my hand over my mouth, tears blurring the words on screen. We’d done it. We’d fought back and changed the narrative.
“Harper?” Dante called my name from the hallway. His slow steps prowled my way, and he kissed my shoulder. “What’s wrong?” He wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest.
I held up the phone. “Nothing. Everything’s going right.”
The last bit of sleep fled his face, and his arms tightened. His expression shifted as he read, and when he looked from the phone to me, a smile bloomed. “You did it. You saved us.”
“We did this together.” I patted his hands where they rested on my belly. I leaned into him. “I’m going to check the stock. It might not have made a dent, but let’s find out.”
I clicked over to the site and Elevate’s numbers appeared on screen. Up five percent. The article hadn’t been up for half an hour yet.
The last bit of tension fled and I wilted in Dante’s arms. The business would recover.
My phone rang, an unknown New York number flashing. My heart shot into my throat. I hated unknown numbers, and I’d been harassed by too many reporters trying to get follow up quotes to change that opinion anytime soon. But I answered anyway. If it was bad, I’d give the phone to Dante.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Bloom, this is Catherine Carl. I’m the director of this year’s Women’s Empowerment Summit happening next month in Manhattan. I’m calling to invite you to be our keynote speaker.”
