Lisa

"Jennie Kim's 21st birthday ended with one dead"

"Billionaire CEO under fire for past indiscretions"

"Is this the end of Flawless's IPO and CEO?"

"We're under attack," Seulgi said, her lips clamped around the stick of a lollypop she'd chewed to pieces an hour ago. "These stories are everywhere."

"Goddammit, I want to talk to your city editor now," I snapped into my cell phone at the unsympathetic customer service rep. I wrestled my tie open. "Then tell him it's about a pending defamation lawsuit." Grating hold music did nothing to soothe my temper.

I picked up the desk phone and dialed Jennie's number again. No answer.

The stories were everywhere. Someone had orchestrated a media blitz, doling out old college photos and new accusations faster than I could threaten lawsuits.

Jennie was being attacked on all fronts, and I was fucking helpless to stop it.

"Fuck." I hung up both phones and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Okay, gang. This is what's going to happen. Seulgi, you're going to call Joy Park on Flawless's legal team. Get her here. I don't care what it takes."

"On it," she said, popping a new lollypop into her mouth. "I always wanted to abduct someone."

"Ancarla!" I shouted.

She swiveled away from her workstation. "L?"

"Run down the college sources from those goddamn articles and get me everything on them. Then get me Nina Nowak on the phone."

"Yup."

"JK?" I said in the general direction of the phone. "Where is she?"

JK's voice filled the conference room from the speaker. "On the move. Just walked out. Big, cat full of canary feathers smile on her face. I'm following."

"Stay on her." I dialed Jennie's number again. It went straight to voicemail. I hung up and fired off a text.

Me: Trust me. Please.

There was no response.

It killed me. Jennie needed me now more than ever. But she wouldn't let me near her. And I couldn't blame her. I'd let her down. I'd failed her. Spectacularly.

"Fucking Irene, you know?" Ancarla complained, hitting redial with a restrained violence. "She set this whole thing up just to tear her BFF down. Who does that?"

Fucking Irene was right.

I dialed her number.

"Well, well, well," Irene purred. "How are you going to fix this one, Lisa?"

"I'm going to tell the world that you're behind this. Let them rip you to shreds."

"Oh, too bad. I was expecting something a little more creative from you. Besides, I already told Jennie this is all your fault. You came on to me. I bravely resisted. Because I'm the loyal friend. You stole the formula from the lab. You do have sticky fingers, don't you? Once a thief. Always a thief. And Jennie and I have history. We've been together since the beginning."

"You've been biding your time and waiting for your opportunity to destroy her since the beginning."

"And look how patience pays off. I have my choice, either be CFO of La Sophia's American market or, as of half an hour ago, the Flawless board members wisely offered me CEO. Isn't that a conundrum?"

She'd choose Flawless. Just to sit in Jennie's chair.

"It sounds like you're getting just what you deserve."

"It does, doesn't it?" She gave a girlish giggle.

"That was sarcasm, you abominable twat."

"My first act of business will be dissolving your contract with Flawless. Your services are no longer needed seeing as how I've destroyed your girlfriend who probably isn't taking your calls after those pictures of us surfaced. You certainly are photogenic."

"What's she saying?" Roger hissed from the opposite end of the table.

"Lisa called her an abominable twat," Seulgi whispered back. "I don't think it's going well."

"You won't get away with this, Irene."

"Did you know that reporter who's been following her around like a puppy was there when the news broke? There's no way you can fix this. No way to spin it. Jennie is going down finally. You should have accepted my offer, Lisa. I'd let you be on top."

I should have decked her in that restaurant.

"If you wanted to be CEO, why did you tank the stock offering? More money in your pocket," I asked.

She laughed mirthlessly. "I didn't want CEO. At least, not specifically. I wanted her to fail. The IPO will be pushed back. After the requisite investigation, I'll be the one finally reaping the rewards. And there's no way for you to fix this."

"You haven't earned any of this, Irene."

"I've been there since the beginning. Flawless is mine."

I disconnected the call and dialed Jennie again. No answer.

I needed to think. I needed to fix this. I needed Jennie.

"What in the fucking fuck did you do, Manoban?" Alison stormed into the office with her hand on her stun gun.

"Oh, shit," Roger whispered.

"Alison, I don't have time to fight with you right now. You can stun gun me later."

"How fucking stupid are you?" she demanded, ignoring my belated stun gunning offer. "You had to know Irene was up to something!"

"I didn't know it was stealing formulas and staging affairs," I yelled back. Frustration and anger and, worse, helplessness warred inside me. I should have known or at least suspected. I'd underestimated her to be just another greedy, jealous viper. "Did you?"

"Of course not," she shouted. "I would have stuffed her in a trunk and fed her to Steve if I realized what she was up to. You need to fix this!"

I didn't know if I could. I could spin things and threaten lawsuits. But how could I ever win back Jennie's trust? It was such a delicate, tenuous thing. And I'd walked right into the trap.

"What are you doing here?" I asked wearily.

"I have Nina Nowak's address. Thought you might want to tag along and see why she suddenly decided to destroy the woman who fixed her face. Maybe if I don't like what she says, I could mess it up again."

At least there was something I could do for her. Something I could fix. And something I could prevent Alison from going to jail for.

"Seulgi, when the attorney gets here, give her access to anything that will help make this all go away."

"On it! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to fix this."

"Don't get arrested! We don't have enough in petty cash for bail."

I followed Alison out the door.

"Where is Jennie?" I demanded.

"She went home early because she has until nine a.m. tomorrow to resign from Flawless."

My fist left a sizable and satisfying hole in the drywall.