Page 96 of Endgame

‘Ariella,’ Samir starts, much more softly this time. ‘Can we finish the conversation in my office please?’

‘I’d like to join that conversation,’ I say. Fuck Samir. I’m tired of his shit. He’s not going to treat my girlfriend how he likes.

‘Lydia?’ Bryce says, standing.

‘Yup.’ Lydia stands too.

And the four of us follow Samir into his office.

‘I want to know everything, right now,’ he demands.

‘What would you like to—’ Ariella doesn’t get to finish.

‘You can stop with the innocent?—’

‘Hey!’ I interrupt. ‘Don’t you dare talk to her like that. I don’t know who you think you are, Samir, but before you rocked up with your fancy suit, watch and shoes, we were here. We built this. From nothing. Every client we currently have is less than a year old. She led that. Bryce stood at the gates and protected us. Lydia made sure we were all functioning. Was it perfect? No. Arewe here today? Yes. So you can show some respect and let her finish her thought.’ I turn to Ariella. ‘Mason?’

‘Samir,’ she starts, finally taking a seat. ‘You need to recruit your new COO. There is an irreparable disconnect between you and me. You deserve to have someone who you can trust to make the changes that you wish to make. I’m not that person. I’ve delivered as much as I can of your vision, but morally, strategically and philosophically we are not aligned, and I’m tired of fighting and making excuses for you.’

‘And you’re a horrible person,’ Lydia adds.

‘Leave my office now. All of you,’ Samir demands, clearly at the end of his tether.

TWENTY-THREE

ARIELLA

‘Samir called. He has absolutely no idea what to do with you.’ Dominic laughs down the phone. ‘That’s a first.’

It’s nice to hear Dominic laugh, especially after our last conversation. It has been a long day and I’m looking forward to getting home as I hop in a taxi.

‘He needs to hire a COO, Dom. I don’t understand what’s taking him so long.’

‘Maybe the people he had in mind have been swept up in the wave of arrests Melissa set off.’ He chuckles.

‘That was wild. How is Kevin doing?’

‘Not well. His father is doing everything in his power to find Melissa.’

‘I’d start by querying the internet for five-star-plus-hotel bartenders named Gustaf.’ Dominic and I erupt with laughter. ‘Did you know all those things about him?’

‘Of course not. No one is ever really completely clean in business, but I wasn’t expecting that.’

‘I was so happy that DMVI didn’t come up.’

‘So was I,’ he says, sounding relieved. ‘Some of our clients weren’t so lucky. I was scared that next week’s dinner partyguest list was going to be three people, including me. Thankfully I haven’t lost anyone yet. Well, apart from you.’

I knew Caleb’s post was bound to come up.

‘Dom, you haven’t lost me. We’re still friends.’

‘He’s kissing your head while you’re sleeping peacefully and posting it online for the world to see. I’ve lost you.’

He sounds deeply hurt.

‘Dom—’

‘You told me. Repeatedly. Life happens. Are you happy?’

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