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Mission accomplished.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“I think he blocked me!” Tessa said, unable to believe Damon would do something so hurtful.

“And me,” Auntie Athena stated.

Trevon sighed heavily. “Bro even added me to the list. Damn.”

They were in the den, where Trevon and Athena had gathered around Tessa to support her.

“I know he’s been in a weird headspace lately because of Lissa,” Athena said, “but blocking all of us? That doesn’t sound like him.”

“Maybe he just can’t face anyone right now because he hurt Tessa,” Trevon suggested.

His huge, muscular arm was heavy on her shoulder, but it felt good when he hugged her.

“We’re here for you,” he told her. “If you want, I can go pick up his little car or something and drop it off the side of the mountain he lives on.”

Tessa chuckled through her tears. “No. But thank you.”

Trevon was probably just being silly. No human could lift a car. Right?

If anyone could, it was him.

That wouldn’t solve anything though.

“We could call Iris or one of the Daddy Guard members,” Athena said. “See if we could use their phone.”

“No, but thank you,” Tessa said again. “I guess he doesn’t want to talk to me.”

She thought of the beautiful dress hanging up in her room, just waiting for the Oscars. Going to the ceremony would be cool, sure, but her sadness wasn’t even about that.

It was about who she would have gone with.

Who she thought might be her Daddy.

I was so foolish to think this would ever happen! He didn’t want me to be his Little. He didn’t want me to be his girlfriend. He was just using me as part of his scheme to get Lissa back. And it worked. I brought this on myself.

It was a weird paradox: if she hadn’t agreed to go along with Damon’s plan, he might not have gotten Lissa back. But she probably wouldn’t have gotten to know him and therefore wouldn’t have so completely and helplessly fallen for him.

None of it made any sense. Perhaps she should just wash her hands of the whole mess. What else could she do?

Maybe she should even go home to Pennsylvania.

No, she thought. She came to work for a studio. There was no reason why that dream couldn’t still come true. And surely she’d meet another guy. There were plenty of Daddies to be found. Auntie Athena might even introduce her to just the right one soon.

Tessa had no idea what the future held. Right now, she could only take life moment to moment.

“Honey, I hate to remind you, but Iris and the girls are coming over to watch the big ceremony. Do you want me to cancel our watch party?”

Tessa remembered being told about it—they were all gathering to cheer Damon on and watch Tessa on the red carpet, being escorted by one of the world’s most famous movie stars.

That wouldn’t happen now, obviously. But it was still film’s biggest night.

“No,” she answered. “I know it might be weird, but I’m still rooting for him. I want him to take home the statue.”

Athena hugged her. “Oh, honey. You’re such a good person. I’m proud of you.” She chuckled as she pulled away. “And here I’m supposed to be the mature one. I was kind of hoping he’d lose.”