Page 15 of Blackmailing the Mogul

“And let's see what Ryan thinks of you when he finds out you're nothing but a backstabbing bitch; I hear you’re getting chummy these days.”

And with that, he ends the call. I drop my head in my hands as a small sob escapes my lips. My chest feels too tight, and I feel like I can't breathe. I've never felt so trapped and frustrated. I'm on the verge of losing everything; my anonymity, my career, and possibly my life because if it gets out that I'm Ghost002, I'll be in a lot of trouble.

But more than anything I'm worried about what Ryan would think of me… I shouldn't even care about his opinion, but I do. I can almost imagine the disgust in his eyes when he finds out the truth and the thought has me crying harder into my palms.

I wish I never got myself involved in this mess in the first place. I wish I didn't succumb to Henry's threat. I wish I’d never started working at MedPlus and I definitely wish I had brushed off Ryan’s advances, but most of all, I wish I hadn’t fallen in love with him.

“Jenna?”

I look up to see Ryan standing in front of my desk, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and concern. “Why are you crying?”

This is the worst possible time for him to return. And he looks perfect as always. Just. My. Luck.

Why are there butterflies fluttering around in my stomach?

"Jenna?" He calls again, his frown deepening as his eyes search my face.

Maybe it's the way he called my name or the genuine concern in his infinite brown eyes, but something breaks inside of me. I'm suddenly assaulted by a mirage of intent emotions; sadness, confusion, anxiety, but most of all, anger… I'm angry at Henry for dragging me into this mess, at Ryan for making me feel so small, but mostly at myself for being a fool for both men.

It all ends now.

I sit up straight in my chair, taking a deep breath. “I have something to tell you, Ryan.”

Chapter Seven

Ryan

I saw the moment she decided to tell the truth even before the words fell from her lips. She raises her chin, her tear-filled eyes glinting with nervous determination as they lock on mine.

“You might want to sit for this,” she says with a small sniffle, and I suddenly want to sock myself in the guts.

I bet I'm worse off than whoever made her cry. I'm the biggest jerk of all…

“Go ahead,” I say, perching on the edge of her desk.

She swallows visibly and clears her throat lightly. “Your ex-partner, Henry Henson, is my stepbrother.” She drops her gaze from mine, but not before I see the pain in those dazzling green depths of her eyes. “He somehow found out about my alter ego and threatened to reveal to the world that I'm Ghost002 if I didn't…”

“Wait… you’re Ghost002?” I cut in, unable to believe my ears. She nods and I stare at her in disbelief, my brain scrambling to connect the dots. I've followed Ghost's work since he surfaced five years ago, and I'm always fascinated by him. Ghost is brilliant, righteous, and ruthless; a total badass and it's my secret wish to meet him. And now, Jenna Henson is sitting in front of me, claiming to be Ghost. I'm finding it hard to reconcile the image of the soft, dainty woman in front of me with that of the ruthless, domineering hacker in my head. Yet, somehow, it makes sense… that silent strength about her, her resilience, and the intelligence that I always glimpse in her eyes. It's all the evidence I need.

“Henry threatened to reveal my identity to the press if I didn't help him,” Jenna continues, keeping her gaze fixed on the tabletop. “He lied to me that he was framed and that you were the corrupt one and I needed to find evidence of your corruption. So, I- I bugged your computer and I've been poking around your systems. I- I'm so sorry for my part in this. I…” she lets her voice trail off, then peers up at me, her expression filled with remorse. Then she pauses, her brows deepening in a slightly perplexed frown as she searches my face. “You don't seem surprised.”

“That's because I already knew about you,” I replied, then shrugged. “Well, most of it, anyway. The fact that you're Ghost is news to me.”

“You knew?” She whispers in a stifled voice, her expression morphing into a mixture of shock and disbelief.

I nod in response. "Yes, I knew you were Henry's stepsister right from the beginning. I had you investigated by my PI. Also, I discovered the bug you planted in my computer after the first day you stayed back to assist with the executive meeting. I knew about your intentions for working here and I was going to get my revenge. I planned to seduce you and get you to reveal Henry's plans and I was going to use that against you both."

Jenna doesn’t say anything for a long time, so I just watch her. I watch the series of emotions cross her face as she takes in the information I just told her. Everything from betrayal, to hurt, to anger, to sadness, and finally, defeat, crosses her face.

“I see,” she says, her voice quivering slightly. “Well, with that, I should probably get off the premises. I did enjoy our time together, for what it’s worth,” she gives me a sad smile before walking out the door.

I run across my office, grabbing her wrist just as she’s entering the hallway. “Jenna! Wait!”

“I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other, you manipulated me, I manipulated you. It’s better for us to party ways,” she says softly, barely restrained tears bubbling in her eyes.

“Jenna—I don’t want you to go. I want to be with you… the last three days away have been torture without you. I don’t care who your stepbrother is or what he sent you here to do. The past three days have been the hardest of my life; the thought of losing the woman I love for someone as vindictive as Henry has driven me crazy. Please, baby, stay,” I plead, still grasping her wrist.

“Did you say you love me?” She asks, staring at me in wide-eyed disbelief.

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