“Are you worried about conflict of interest accusations?”
“Are you planning to continue working with the team?”
The questions are invasive and cruel, but I keep my head up and push through the crowd. Someone shoves a microphone in my face, and I have to resist the urge to knock it away.
“No comment,” I say firmly, reaching the building entrance.
I burst into the lobby and shut the door. I’m safe for now, but I know they'll be there when I leave in the evening.
My team is waiting for me when I reach our floor. Jessica, James, and Amber immediately usher me into the conference room, their faces full of concern and support.
“We've been fielding calls since seven AM,” Jessica says gently. “How are you doing?”
“I've been better.” I sink into a chair, suddenly exhausted despite the day having barely begun.
“For what it's worth,” Amber says, “I think you and Cole make a beautiful couple. That photo of you two at the auction, everyone can see how much you care about each other.”
“Thanks.” The kindness in her voice almost makes me cry.
“What do you need from us today?” James asks.
“Normal. I need everything to be as normal as possible.” I stand up, straightening my shoulders. “I'm going to review our current project timeline. Can you handle any media calls that come in?”
“Of course,” Jessica says. “We've got your back.”
In my office, I try to lose myself in work. I review vendor contracts, update project timelines, and respond to client emails. For a few moments, I almost forget about the chaos outside.
Then James knocks on my door, his expression grim.
“What is it?” I ask, though I'm not sure I want to know.
“Clients are calling,” he says quietly. “Some of them are pulling back.”
My heart stops. “What do you mean pulling back?”
“The Morrison wedding next month. They've decided to go with another planner.” He looks uncomfortable delivering the news. “And the tech startup's product launch event. They want to reassess their vendor relationships.”
“It's only been a few hours since the news broke,” I say, more to myself than to James.
“I know. I'm sorry, Harper. But there might be more calls like this today.”
After James leaves, I sit alone in my office, staring at my computer screen without really seeing it. The thing I was most afraid of is already happening. My professional reputation is being destroyed, and there's nothing I can do to stop it.
I stay holed up in my office all day and leave a lot later than I normally would. There are only a few paparazzi waiting, and I don’t bother hiding my face. They can take all the pictures I want.
Cole and I end up staying in his apartment, ordering takeout for dinner, and trying to pretend everything is normal. But I can feel myself pulling away from him emotionally, building walls to protect what's left of my heart.
“The media was camped outside my office all day,” I tell him, picking at my Thai food.
Cole's jaw tightens. “I'm sorry. I knew there would be attention, but I didn't think it would be this intense.”
I don't tell him about the lost contracts. I can't bear to see the guilt in his eyes, to have him blame himself for something that's not entirely his fault.
“Everything will be all right,” he says, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “This will blow over.”
“I hope so,” I say, not pulling away but not squeezing back either.
“I have a meeting with management tomorrow,” Cole says. “They want to discuss the situation.”
