Justice is Fake

NOVEMBER 2016

"Can you speed it up?"

"Mr Grey, there is a procedure that we have to follow."

"I need to talk to your boss."

"He's currently in a meeting and will be busy for the rest of the week. It is the end of the year, and I'm sure you know that everyone wants to get things done before the end of the year, Mr Grey."

"Tell him to call me at his earliest convenience."

"Mr Grey…"

"You aren't in the position to question me. He is an old friend of mine."

"Yes, sir." That came out forced but at least it was a promise.

"When's the earliest that I can make an appointment to follow up with the procedure or finalize them?"

"Unfortunately, Mr Grey, you'll have to wait until after the New Year."

A four-hour drive had restored most of her energy but it didn't stop her from yawning when Sawyer shook her awake.

"You're here," he didn't even get to finish informing her of the plan that the boss had laid out regarding her transportation and safety while in the East Coast when the door was pulled open by an eager blonde standing outside, under the rain.

"Steele! You made it! I've been waiting for you for too long."

"Kate," Anastasia stepped out of the car and waved Sawyer off to park the car. That nap on the drive over had probably been the most peaceful and restful one since jetting off to Baltimore on Friday night with Christian. "Hey."

"Have you been sleeping, at all?" Kate narrowed her eyes at her best friend who was seemingly under the weather.

"I have," she conceded having been caught red-handed. "Just haven't been sleeping well, that's all. I have a shit load of stuff."

Kate frowned.

"Did I not tell you?" Anastasia stared at her incredulously. She couldn't believe that there were stuff happening in her life that her best friend didn't know about, maybe she had truly given that title to her boyfriend. He became the one that had to endure her bitching every night and she thought she had been rubbing off on him.

Kate shook her head appearing confused.

"I got promoted," she told the blonde. "I'm now the head of department. Well, I have had this title for a few months now but the transition period is now over and I am now officially the head."

"You never told me that," Kate responded matching the level of enthusiasm the brunette showed.

They ventured into the mall and shedded their coats immediately as the heat indoor hit them in the face. It wasn't even below zero degrees Celsius and public places were already blasting the heat at full force.

"When did this happen?" Kate resumed their earlier conversation, vaguely aware of the same guy who drove her best friend reappearing to collect her coat. She didn't dare question because it only emphasized the point that she had been so out-dated.

"A couple of weeks ago," Anastasia replied. "I guess I told Christian thinking that I've told you that, too, during one of our chats."

Kate shook her head denying the already established fact.

"Anyway, that promotion really got me in a rather shitty position."

They strolled the busy mall glancing at the stores they walked passed. It was their general unspoken rule to always start from the very top of a mall and make their way down as they check out almost every store, while filling their stomach with snacks they bought along the way. That was also implemented when Anastasia took Christian out.

"You've got more work?"

"No… well, yes, but that's expected." They managed to caught the elevator when the door was sliding close and squeezed in the front, and Sawyer barely made it inside if not for Anastasia to move and practically hugged onto his arm and Kate squashed to the corner. "What's worse than the fact that I am only in my late twenties when I got this promotion was the speculation that was going around that Christian had donated a ridiculous amount of money to get me in this position; and it wasn't helping that I'm close to management, and Adam is one of the executives."

"You've got so more shit to deal with," Kate summarized after listening to her rant.

"Yes, and now I've got even more meetings and conferences to attend, even on my day off."

"Like today?"

"Yup, just got back from a conference that lasted for two days in Johns Hopkins. I was invited, or more specifically Addie—the colleague who invited me—wanted me to join her team at JHU."

"Research?"

"And clinical; but if I go it'd be a demotion for me, though I don't exactly care."

"You don't want to leave Seattle at the moment."

"Not at the moment," she confirmed and that was solely because of Christian.

They continued to make small talks as they stepped out of the elevator at the top floor, they were finally away from the crowded space. The both of them unanimously took a turn to the right and started the slow stroll, stopping before a nail shop silently contemplating.

Sawyer sighed, this was going to be a long night. He wished the boss would be here to relief him from the current situation he was stuck in. What he didn't know was that shopping with the two girls in front of him was so much better than shopping with Mia Grey. He shook his head as he followed them into a clothing store, and he dreaded to think the possibilities of them heading into a lingerie shop.

"Ana, what about this one?" Kate held up a dress from the rack.

"What's the occasion?" Anastasia teased when she saw the dress in her arm. It wasn't the casual summer dress or the ones that she would normally wear on a daily basis or to a less stressful day at work, but rather a killer dress to impress someone.

"I didn't tell you about Malcolm right?"

"No," it was now her turn to shook her head. They really hadn't been communicating so frequently lately. Kate had been keeping contact with Ethan but not exactly her since they were both too busy with their work.

"We broke up."

"You didn't tell me anything," Anastasia gasped and removed her eyes from the dress.

"I ended with him a few weeks ago. He came over and proposed the idea of trying poly."

"Like an orgy?"

"No, not to that extent."

"Oh, okay, a polyamorous relationship."

Kate nodded.

"You don't want it."

"I want a monogamous one. So, we kind of got into a disagreement but I ended up terminating the contract."

"Did you two ever date?"

"Nope," Kate's eyes darted to the dress in her hand. "Anyway, back to the purpose of this dress. Guess who I saw in New York's BDSM club a few months ago?"

"Who?" Anastasia humored, she knew she would be told the story no matter how enthusiastic she acted, or the entire opposite. Kate wouldn't contain herself and deprive herself the opportunity of relaying such a juicy gossip.

"Elliot," Kate giggled giddily.

"Grey? My boyfriend's brother?" Anastasia checked. She had gotten used to referring to Christian as her boyfriend to everyone since that was how they address their significant others in the hospital as not everyone knew who they were in a relationship with.

"Yes, Elliot Trevelyan-Grey," Kate confirmed proudly.

"You're kidding," Anastasia gaped, slightly award of her surrounding and the faces that were turning in their direction.

"Nope, am not! He was there, and not only did I see him, he saw me too."

"Do tell, Katherine," she mocked her best friend, only encouraging the smugness on the blonde's face.

"We kissed," Kate shrugged and feigned lameness.

"Stop with the suspense, just spill it."

"Well… we had a scene."

"You did?" Anastasia squealed not so quietly, even making Sawyer wince as he cringed in embarrassment attempting to pretend that he didn't know this woman he was supposedly protecting with his life.

The two women were attracting more attention than Christian could on a casual outing at the moment, and the mall wasn't so empty since it was a Friday afternoon.

"He subbed for me."

Anastasia all but gawked at that revelation. "Holy shit, girl!"

"Guess I'm a switch then," Kate said proudly, putting the dress back onto the rack and picked out another one, pretentiously gesticulating it to her body and twisting her torso before the full-length mirror.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Anastasia giggled when she finally regained composure.

"Nothing," Kate defended half-heartedly, still admiring the newly selected dress; her best friend had long forgotten about updating her wardrobe, she was too interested in the latest development in her girlfriend's sex life. "He approached me actually, and I wasn't planning on engaging in a scene that night, but one thing led to another… it just happened. Elliot told me that he had been a member of that club for a while."

"A while… and you've never met him?"

"Well, a while as in several weeks, maybe?" Kate shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't ask for the specifics but his membership card showed that he's pretty new."

"Is he knew to the lifestyle?"

Kate shook her head as she picked up another dress.

"Then, how was it?" Anastasia whispered scandalously next to her, leaning into her side so her reflection also appeared in the mirror frame.

"Anastasia, what are you up to?" Kate slowly turned her head so their eyes could meet. Squinting at the giggly brunette, she drew out the syllables torturously slow in suspicious.

"Just curious. You know me, I like to gossip from time to time."

"Yeah right, I still think this has something to do with your kinky boyfriend."

She shrugged good-naturedly but said nothing. She never entertained the idea of kinks with Christian but she might be open to it in the future.

"It was good," Kate responded lightly the same time she returned to her gesticulation.

Suppressing a laughter threatening to bubbly through her, Anastasia pressed her lips together and glanced around. Her eyes instantly landed on a tight-fitted short skirt that would definitely give Elliot more than a boner.

"You know what?" Snatching the dress from her hands, Anastasia dragged her best friend by the wrist to the other side of the shop and took the one dress that stood out to her off of the rack. "You can do so much better than the ones in the section you were looking at."

"Ana, do you know the reason why I was looking in that section?"

"Because it's on sale," Anastasia rolled her eyes. "I can't believe there'd be a day when a Kavanagh is planning a budget on a shopping trip."

"You're rich and I'm not okay."

"Okay, let me get this straight," the brunette feigned seriousness. "Just because I have a rich boyfriend, it does not mean that I am rich."

"You two are as good as married. You told me yourself that you use his card when you go out."

"That's completely two different things. But, I digress. Still, you shouldn't say that I am rich just because I am dating a millionaire businessman."

Kate shrugged still unbothered by the clarification. It wouldn't stop her from calling Anastasia rich she would just have to do it in private, or in a lower voice.

"I'll get this one," she decided, picking up the one that Anastasia had chosen for her.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Anastasia leaned against the cashier counter as she waited for Kate to complete her purchase, looking away when she typed in her password for her card. That was quite an expensive dress, and she was somewhat relieved that it wasn't her that was facing this grand figure.

Kate sighed, signing the receipt and picking up the item. Anastasia looped her arms around her elbow and they proceeded to their next stop, with the newly purchased dress in a paper bag on her other arm.

"Believe it or not, I've got an assignment. Gotta investigate."

"Investigate?"

"Ironically, I've been assigned to look into the fall of Coping Together."

"The charity," Anastasia stated trying not to sound stupid. Kate nodded. "What's there to investigate? I'm pretty sure any member of the Grey family can tell you the reason behind it."

"It's really about the Greys failing as parents, isn't it?" Kate knew that her best friend was privy to private information regarding said family, and she had her own theories.

"More or less," Anastasia nodded grimly. "If you really do publish the truth, it's going to expose more cluster fucks that went down in the Grey household."

"As if there weren't enough exposed already," Kate scoffed. That was the universal truth as Christian's personal life had been plastered all over the internet for people to read. "You?"

"Not any better than yours actually," Anastasia grimaced. "I'm off to London."

"Aww… I was actually hoping to crash you and Christian's night," Kate half jested.

"I leave on the Monday of Thanksgiving and return two weeks later, so the first week of December. Then I've got other trips. It's planned so well in advanced that I don't even know what to say to decline it. I can't just tell them that we have shitty budget planners."

"What do you mean?"

"After London I'm going to Congo, and that's a trip sponsored by the hospital board. The board donates money to the hospital each year and if it isn't used, it is required to be returned to the board members according to the percentage of their donation. However, the hospital doesn't want that to happen—obviously—so, there are too much spare this year, and they've decided to send a team to Congo."

Kate winced, that did sound like shitty planning.

"I don't even know what I'm doing on Thanksgiving."

"Where would your boyfriend be?"

"He said he'd try to leave work but I think he's still discussing it with his staff," Anastasia shrugged. "I don't know, I could probably meet my parents or just my maternal family while I'm there."

"They're in Brighton, right?"

Anastasia nodded.

By the time they made rounded to the first floor of the mall, Sawyer was more than ready to shoot himself in between the eyes if the women decided last minute that they needed to visit another place. He was only grateful that they didn't make him the elephant and actually carried their bags on their own.

The boss was already at the door waiting for them and he was instructed to drive the rental car and follow Kate back.

"Who's that?" Kate tugged on Anastasia's coat the moment they stepped out of the exit, and a gust of wind picked up the hem of their coats.

"Christian's rental car," Anastasia replied looking ahead. Sawyer already informed her of her boyfriend's arrival and knew which car would be his.

"No, not straight ahead," Kate's low voice turned into whispers. "Three o'clock, in your peripheral."

Discretely, Anastasia peeked over. A chill ran down her body and she could feel a little bit of her adrenaline being produced and pumped out of her glands. She risked a glance at Sawyer who was now flanking her.

"She looks creepy," Kate continued to stare in that general direction and Anastasia didn't know what to say to her. "Is she looking at you? That blonde hair is so fake, even a worse impression than a blonde wig. Surely she isn't a real blonde."

Under the dim light after sunset, they couldn't make out the facial features.

Anastasia refrained herself from telling Kate to look closer and see if she could recognize the woman standing afar, because she believed that Kate's journalist instinct would sniff out the fake blonde and definitely find her familiar.

"Sawyer will drop you off," she practically ordered her best friend as the door of the rented SUV opened by Taylor. Christian was already inside waiting for her and Sawyer loaded her bags to the back.

"Ana, who is she?"

"I don't know, but just be careful and let Sawyer drive you home."

"What about my car?"

"He can come back and get it for you if you just give him your keys."

"What's going on?" Kate was now on high alert seeing her friend behave in such an authoritative manner.

"It's probably nothing and I'm probably overreacting over my paranoia… I just don't want you to worry but you need to be careful on your way home and I'd feel better if Sawyer's with you."

Kate dropped the subject but that didn't stop her from wanting to know more. They had been missing out on each other's life for too long, and it wasn't helping that they were living in two opposite coasts.

"Okay, I'll accept the offer and hand over my keys," she relented after reading the distress and desperation in between the lines; she was definitely receiving threats lately. And, for the first time, Kate didn't dwell on asking questions on the necessity of Anastasia's close protection.

"Thank you," Anastasia muttered gratefully and got into the car after sending Sawyer a look.

Once in the car, she could sense the tense atmosphere and she knew that not only had her conversation been overheard but both men had also noticed that figure lurking in the shadow.

"I'll make a detour," Taylor answered her unasked question shone through her slightly panicky eyes.

She nodded in appreciation and was immediately pulled into her boyfriend's warm and safe embrace.

"Did you file the law suit?" She mumbled, allowing the fatigue to catch up with her for the first time since they parted yesterday morning.

"Yes," he replied, "and I'm assuming they're looking for her and trying to track her down right now. We submitted all the evidence we gathered, through illegal means or not."

She nodded, understanding the subtle meaning that they at least made everything appeared legal before submitting to court.

"What about your car?"

"It's part of the evidence," he reminded her. "Now, on to the happier note. Though, I'm glad that she hasn't approached you."

"That's because I'm with Kate and Sawyer. I'm sure she'd come ambushing me like last time before Sawyer came back as my CPO."

Christian sighed heavily, connecting his lips to her crown.

"What did you buy today? I've been receiving a lot of texts lately," he teased. "Too many that I'm getting glares from other suits around the table just because my phone was vibrating too much."

"I hope you're not bankrupt yet," she jested. She had been shamelessly using his card and he would receive a text message with each purchase.

"Never. You'll always have money to spend. I'm glad that we got over the issue of who's money is whose. It's really getting tiring," he kissed her sloppily and loudly all over the face and on her hair, making her giggle involuntarily.

"Well, it is helping that you at least allowed me to pay the utilities."

"What about the joint account? Is it time to revisit that subject yet?" He had broached the topic of creating a joint bank account for them but she was adamant that he shouldn't. When he asked her why exactly that was a bad idea, she clammed up and told him that they should revisit this in the future. He didn't give up any chance since to tease her about it.

"Nope, not yet. It's still a no on that bank account."

He pouted.

"Do you think whoever it is that stood there will be going after Kate?"

He shook his head and mumbled a brief answer but that was all the reassurance that she needed.

"I'm just hoping that they don't plead insanity."

Christian sighed frustratedly, he honestly didn't want to talk about any of this heavy shit tonight, he just wanted to be with her. They had been apart for an entire night, and neither of them had slept well. Then, he remembered a conversation that Sawyer secretly reported to him earlier when the girls were shopping.

Normally, he would've told Sawyer off for eavesdropping, but he did find this piece of information very… informative, not in a good way.

She told Kate that she was plagued with nightmares yesterday night, when she spent it alone, and that made him reflect what made his girlfriend go to her best friend instead of him.

"Ana, I need you to tell me something honestly."

She peered up through her lashes tiredly and glared at him, silently challenging him to name a time when she hadn't been frank with him. He deliberately looked away.

"How did you sleep yesterday?"

"I knew Sawyer has a big mouth!"

That stunned Christian into silence. He really didn't know that she was aware of her bodyguard texting him about their conversations.

"I saw him texting right after I told Kate about it," she elaborated. "But, yes, I do have nightmares. Only when I sleep alone in a new environment."

"So, you've never had it when you're with me?"

She shook her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a one-time thing."

"You're going on trips till literally the end of the year, and you can't bring me everywhere no matter how much I want that to happen. How are you going to cope then?"

"However you coped before you met me."

"Baby, I'm seeing a therapist."

"It helped?" She asked sarcastically.

"It did. Honestly, it really did. I only have them when something ticked my memory. I just have to get over all the triggers, and I was well on my way to get rid of them once and for all before you came barreling into my life."

"More like you snatching me away from mine."

"Either way," ignoring her scoff, he continued. "Do you want to see someone?"

"If you insist," she muttered almost inaudibly like a sulking child who got wronged by everyone.

Christian stared at the top of her head wondering if he had heard it correct. That was the first time that she had even entertained the idea of talking to a professional rather than rejecting it out right. Moreover, it was an assent.

"I'll do it if I have time," she then added a condition and that sounded much more like her usual self in his ears. Though, he still preferred the previous answer.

"Promise me that you will come to me when this happened. Call me if you need to, I don't care when."

She nodded at the sternness in his voice.

"Say it," he commanded.

"I'll call you whenever I need you."

He smiled. That was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I love you, baby," he leaned down and crooned in her hair. Her response was snuggling closer in his chest but he had yet to hear a verbal response.

"I need to get documents prepared for the visa application, and... wait," she suddenly stopped and his nuzzling also did simultaneously when he felt her tense up slightly. "Did you know that there is someone waiting for me at the gate? Is that why you and Taylor are already here when Kate and I walked out?"

He nodded against her head. Sawyer had texted them of the distant stalker but he didn't want to alert the follower by warning the two girls who had been shopping in utter obliviousness.

"I'm so proud of you; of how you handled the situation when you two finally saw her."

"Do you know the identity of that woman?"

"Yes, she's Leila. The one who vandalized my car and the only one that hasn't been given a subpoena yet. Though, it will be in her hands probably in the next hour."

"On a happier note, Kate also isn't celebrating Thanksgiving," in her haze to roughly consider the details of her near future trips, she had completely forgot about Kate's encounter with Elliot.

"And what does that have to do with us potentially having to spend it apart?"

"We can go to Brighton where my grandparents are."

"Your maternal wing?"

She nodded. She faintly recalled telling him about her mother's British bloodline.

"I might have to teach you some French now," he smirked, giving her side a gentle squeeze, not enough to make her tickle but still made her squirm.

"Maybe," she giggled lightly. "Is Ros still not letting you off?"

"No," he sighed shaking his head. "I was trying to make her believe that I'm going to some conference or some university for a lecture, but she wasn't buying it."

Anastasia laughed. That was utter bullshit. "I wouldn't believe it if I was her."

"Yeah, but you would definitely be supporting me now. Unless you don't want me there."

"If only I could convince Ros but the moment she throws some corporate shit to me, I'll be like you need to stay, what if something happens to your company."

Christian chuckled. "Just don't let her get to you. Ignore whatever bullshit she's feeding you and put your foot down saying that you need me with you."

"When's the press conference again?"

"The week of Thanksgiving. I'll be leaving right after to join you in… where? Brighton?" He teased.

Rolling her eyes, she was suddenly reminded of the conversation of Kate's latest fling and she wondered if Sawyer also reported that to Christian.

"Did you know that Elliot was here a few months ago?" She blurted out of the blue, her head lifted so she could see his reaction, but she was met with the bottom of his chin. Unconsciously, she studied the stubbles that were starting to show.

He shook his head and peered down having felt her stare.

"How did you know?"

His phone interrupted her reply. He was sure that he had told everyone to not bother him for the rest of the weekend and Monday until he landed in Seattle, so it couldn't be work.

Could it?

"It's a text," he announced as he unlocked his phone. She could see his screen from where her head was positioned.

"From your head of PR," she read.

He clicked into it and it was a link… several links starting with one that redirected them to the Seattle Nooz.

"Oh fuck…" she murmured the moment she saw the title. It was the exact same thing she wanted to tell him before his phone beeped.

Seattle Playboy Venturing into New World, Following the Footsteps of Younger Brother?

"I was just about to tell you this…" she didn't know whether she had said this aloud or that her speech was clear enough for him to understand.

As they scanned through the many articles sent over to him, she briefly wondered just how taboo that lifestyle actually was. Quite frankly, she thought people had already gotten over the fact that Seattle's elite bachelor was one of the many participants in this lifestyle.

Again, it was just a lifestyle. Just like how rich individuals often live a luxurious life and poor ones lived an abstemious one.

Why would people even fuss and judge about having particular tastes and demands in their sex lives? Some people just wouldn't mind their own business and that was how the media outlet earned money.

"His membership card was found," he summarized out loud, echoing her own thought when they stumbled passed one photo after another of Elliot's membership card to the exclusive club in uptown New York.

"Most likely the very one that Kate met him in."

"I honestly couldn't care less about what he does but that fucker just has to drag me into the mud once again!"

She pulled away feeling that he was about to launch his phone at the back of the driver's seat.

"I just wish my so-called family wouldn't be such a let-down each time I make some progress in my life," he lamented.

She felt like he had the right to point them in the nose and blame them for all the failures he had endured in his life. He had worked hard to receive the achievements that he had in the business venture, and made a name for himself. Instead of making his parents proud, they had shown nearly zero interest in his life other than whether he had lived up to expectations.

"What about the press conference? Do you think it'll help your case?"

"I needed it to help solidify my stance that my private life is nothing criminal and that I am not the kind of person that the press has depicted. Despite the counter strategies Sam has used through this year, I don't see the effectiveness."

"Or maybe it was the face that the attack was too relentless that it didn't give you any space to breath and come up for air. It is true that everyone as their spearhead directed at you without giving you a chance to explain yourself. If you defend yourself, they're going to attack more viciously by calling you names."

"Burt suggested that I sue the American media for defamation and slander."

"So, have you done it?"

"It's been filed along with this new piece of evidence earlier this week."

"Is there a date for the court hearing?"

"Next year, still undetermined."

"Mr Grey, your brother's membership card to an elusive BDSM club was found left unguarded on a counter at a bar; he was reported to have been spotted in that establishment a few days ago with a blonde female companion. Insider has confirmed that the membership card is indeed valid, was your brother introduced to the lifestyle through the same mechanism as you?"

"No comment," that was what Christian had been repeating time and time again when another question regarding his personal life with Anastasia had been asked. He wasn't going to let them intrude on his love life, especially now that he got the woman he had always wanted; they were going to be a normal couple.

"Do you think the law enforcement has done you justice?" One of the reporter asked.

"Mr Grey would like to maintain the focus on his company," Sam responded professionally, shutting the reporter down.

"Justice?" Christian scoffed. "Justice is overrated."

The crowd gasped, and he was vaguely aware of the subtle glare Sam sent over to him. He knew he was misbehaving right now, but he couldn't take it anymore. That was the very first word he had spoken other than the usual 'no comment', and he knew he was probably doing himself no good.

Those people were hideous with their ridiculous theories, intruding questions, and irrelevant topics that would do nothing but damage to his company as well as his own reputation.

"If justice exists, I wouldn't be threatened with a gun to gang myself; Ana wouldn't be shot; Elena would've been sentenced to death; the FBIs wouldn't have dropped the balls like they did; and the Seattle PD wouldn't be so incompetent at solving such a high profile case. Oh, and most of all, my parents wouldn't have been so obsessed with fame! So, you tell me, is there justice in this world? The justice system in this country is a joke to me right now!"

The press were obviously having a field day with this outburst. Sam could already sense a migraine approaching as he clutched his head in between his fingers, and massaged his temple.

"It could've been the choices you made that led to the consequences."

He knew this would come up because it was one of the many conspiracy theories circulating around the press, courtesy to Kate keeping him in the loop. He really should have her as his PR, but then, he wouldn't have inside knowledge of what the other media were trying to conjure about him. Better keep her as his ear to the ground; Sam had way more connection.

"I don't deny the fact that if I was a tad bit smarter I would've ended the sick relationship long ago and not wait until six years later. However, I wasn't the one that had been deceived for over two decades."

"So, we're here to play the blame game?"

"If you guys have gotten the stories right and got out of my face so I can live my life without being under public scrutiny, and actually conduct business relationships with other people, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. It wasn't me that made a huge deal out of this, it was you guys, the press, who can't seem to let go of this entire charade. I was the victim, again, yet other than some small businesses, bigger companies were still worried about my reputation. Why? Because I was still being portrayed as someone who brought this onto myself, and was shamed by the public for my private choices in life. What I do in my own time is my business, but since the world cares about me so much, I will stress this once again: the lifestyle that I participate in is called BDSM, which is completely sane, safe, and consensual! Just look at the contracts that weren't published by me!"

The crowd quieted, and the noise of shuffling papers and rapid friction of pen against pages or keyboard clicking was louder than ever. He knew he had said too much, and it probably did the exact opposite of what this press conference was supposed to achieve.

"I think I have said enough. My spokesperson will be answering the remainder of your questions," Christian proclaimed much to Sam's relief. At least he stopped now, which meant they still had hope at turning this in favor of the boss.


Thank you for reading and reviewing!

X