Chapter 1
"Lilly. Please, Lilly, look at me."
It's Clive's voice. I'm crouched into a ball, my arms wrapped around my legs. I press my lips so tightly into my knees that I can't speak. I won't speak. I don't know what I could possibly say to him. He's the one who had my picture in his pocket. He took it and destroyed it. Those are the only words that I can hear reverberating through my mind.
"Someone needs to take that god dammed picture down," Clive yells into the chaos.
There are voices everywhere. I see feet scrambling past me. I can feel hands on my shoulders trying to pull me up but I'm frozen. I can't move. Everything I've worked so hard for has vanished because of that picture.
"Take her out of her now, Alec," Clive seethes.
"What the fuck is going on?" Alec's voice is laced with anger. "Who the hell did this?"
"Lilly," Lance, Alec's assistant, is crouched in front of me. "I need you to come with me now. I can take you to a quiet room. Let me help you get up."
I pull my gaze up to his boyish face. He's not much older than me. The first moment I saw him weeks ago I thought about how he looked like an older version of my brother, Reave. Reave was only ten when he died. I wish he was here. I wish they were all here still. I've tarnished their memories forever now.
"Everyone stays in this room," Clive voice bellows over all the noise. "Sit the fuck down. All of you sit down."
There are muffled shouts thrown back at Clive from the audience of reporters and tech bloggers. I can't clearly make out anything. I feel Lance's hand grab mine and I cling to it. I need his strength to help bring me to my feet.
"If any one of you prints or posts the picture of Ms. Randall, I will personally see to it that your ass is dragged into a costly litigation." The room quiets as Clive continues," I own the copyright to that picture. If you've posted it on any social media sites now is the time to delete it. If you don't, I promise I will hunt you down."
"Lilly." Lance pulls harder on my hand, trying in vain to pull me to my feet. "We need to go. You can't stay here."
"Okay," I agree softly. "I'll go."
I feel weightless as he drops my hand before sliding both of his around my waist. I reach for his shoulders to steady myself. I doubt that my feet will support me so I'm grateful that he's carrying the brunt of my weight.
I don't turn to look at the audience. I can hear my name being tossed out but anything beyond that is unintelligible and lost beneath the low hums of the people standing on the stage. I know they all are thinking the same thing. The reckless abandon of my pose in the picture, and the fact that I had a broad smile on my face as I held open my barista uniform to reveal my nude breasts, draws instant conclusions. They all think I'm a joke. No one in the tech world will ever take me seriously after this.
"We're going down this hallway." Lance gestures with his chin towards a long, narrow hallway that leads back to the room I was in with Clive not more than thirty minutes ago.
I let him lead me all the while trying to keep my head down. I can feel the heated glares of my co-workers from Hughes Enterprises as we walk past them. I've let Alec down. He gave me an incredible opportunity and I not only squandered it away, I damaged the reputation of his company.
"Lilly." As if on cue I hear Alec's deep voice right behind us. Another arm wraps around my waist and I can only assume it's his. "Are you alright?"
I nod knowing that I can't form a concrete response. I'm not alright. I can't wrap my brain around what just transpired on the stage.
"Get her some water," Alec barks at Lance as we round a corner and step into the same room I was in with Clive before I stepped on stage for my presentation. "Lilly, sit down."
I feel him lowering me onto a soft chair. I push my hand back to steady my body not wanting to teeter forward. I'm light headed and weak. I clear my throat softly. "Where's
"Lilly. Please, Lilly, look at me."
It's Clive's voice. I'm crouched into a ball, my arms wrapped around my legs. I press my lips so tightly into my knees that I can't speak. I won't speak. I don't know what I could possibly say to him. He's the one who had my picture in his pocket. He took it and destroyed it. Those are the only words that I can hear reverberating through my mind.
"Someone needs to take that god dammed picture down," Clive yells into the chaos.
There are voices everywhere. I see feet scrambling past me. I can feel hands on my shoulders trying to pull me up but I'm frozen. I can't move. Everything I've worked so hard for has vanished because of that picture.
"Take her out of her now, Alec," Clive seethes.
"What the fuck is going on?" Alec's voice is laced with anger. "Who the hell did this?"
"Lilly," Lance, Alec's assistant, is crouched in front of me. "I need you to come with me now. I can take you to a quiet room. Let me help you get up."
I pull my gaze up to his boyish face. He's not much older than me. The first moment I saw him weeks ago I thought about how he looked like an older version of my brother, Reave. Reave was only ten when he died. I wish he was here. I wish they were all here still. I've tarnished their memories forever now.
"Everyone stays in this room," Clive voice bellows over all the noise. "Sit the fuck down. All of you sit down."
There are muffled shouts thrown back at Clive from the audience of reporters and tech bloggers. I can't clearly make out anything. I feel Lance's hand grab mine and I cling to it. I need his strength to help bring me to my feet.
"If any one of you prints or posts the picture of Ms. Randall, I will personally see to it that your ass is dragged into a costly litigation." The room quiets as Clive continues," I own the copyright to that picture. If you've posted it on any social media sites now is the time to delete it. If you don't, I promise I will hunt you down."
"Lilly." Lance pulls harder on my hand, trying in vain to pull me to my feet. "We need to go. You can't stay here."
"Okay," I agree softly. "I'll go."
I feel weightless as he drops my hand before sliding both of his around my waist. I reach for his shoulders to steady myself. I doubt that my feet will support me so I'm grateful that he's carrying the brunt of my weight.
I don't turn to look at the audience. I can hear my name being tossed out but anything beyond that is unintelligible and lost beneath the low hums of the people standing on the stage. I know they all are thinking the same thing. The reckless abandon of my pose in the picture, and the fact that I had a broad smile on my face as I held open my barista uniform to reveal my nude breasts, draws instant conclusions. They all think I'm a joke. No one in the tech world will ever take me seriously after this.
"We're going down this hallway." Lance gestures with his chin towards a long, narrow hallway that leads back to the room I was in with Clive not more than thirty minutes ago.
I let him lead me all the while trying to keep my head down. I can feel the heated glares of my co-workers from Hughes Enterprises as we walk past them. I've let Alec down. He gave me an incredible opportunity and I not only squandered it away, I damaged the reputation of his company.
"Lilly." As if on cue I hear Alec's deep voice right behind us. Another arm wraps around my waist and I can only assume it's his. "Are you alright?"
I nod knowing that I can't form a concrete response. I'm not alright. I can't wrap my brain around what just transpired on the stage.
"Get her some water," Alec barks at Lance as we round a corner and step into the same room I was in with Clive before I stepped on stage for my presentation. "Lilly, sit down."
I feel him lowering me onto a soft chair. I push my hand back to steady my body not wanting to teeter forward. I'm light headed and weak. I clear my throat softly. "Where's
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