Page 33 of Fractured Faceoff

"Figure it out," I snapped, my grip tightening around the phone.

"It's not that simple?—"

"It is that simple," I cut him off. "I’m done with you,Brody. You should’ve thought about that before you slept with your co-host."

A heavy silence hung in the air before Brody spoke again, quieter this time. "We still need to settle this."

"We'll settle it in court if we have to," I said coldly. "I'm not discussing this any further."

I slammed the phone down and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

"Everything okay?" Jared asked, his voice softer now.

"Fine," I replied sharply, refusing to let him see how rattled I was.

He took a step closer, concern etched on his face. "You sure?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a client coming in."

Jared opened his mouth, probably ready to lay on that Southern charm thick, but I cut him off.

"I'm not in the mood," I snapped, my voice colder than the ice outside.

"You could get your own form of revenge," he said, stepping forward with that easy grace of his.

"What?" I crossed my arms, not buying whatever he was selling.

"Oh, come on," he leaned in, his voice dropping to that honeyed drawl. "Imagine Brody's face when he sees you moving on with someone like me. He'll be green with envy."

I shook my head. "That won't work. Brody's too wrapped up in himself to care about what I do."

Jared’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "You underestimate the male ego, sugar. Trust me, he'll care."

I studied his face, searching for anysign of doubt. He looked annoyingly confident. "And what makes you so sure?"

"Because I know men like him," he replied smoothly. "He wants to think he's still got a hold on you. Show him he doesn't."

I frowned, weighing his words. "So, you think parading around with you will make Brody jealous?"

"Not just jealous," he corrected, stepping even closer until I could feel the warmth radiating from him. "It'll drive him crazy."

"And Ava?" I asked skeptically.

"Ava will realize she’s not irreplaceable," he said simply.

I chewed on my lip, still unsure. The idea of getting back at Brody had its appeal, but this whole scheme seemed risky and complicated.

Jared must have sensed my hesitation because he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Look at it this way—what have you got to lose?"

"Everything," I shot back without thinking.

He chuckled softly. "Or you could gain everything."

The weight of his words hung between us, and for a moment, I wondered if he was right. Could this really work? Or was I setting myself up for more heartache?

But then again, what did I have to lose?

"If we did it, and that was a big if, we would have to file with HR," I said, shaking my head. "After Ryker and Paige and all the other scandals here, the last thing we need is another one."

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