Page 93 of The Protégé

“Aren’t you stalking me? Isn’t that what people do when they’re interested in someone?”

“In my book, it’s calledresearch.”

His smile widened. “Tell me about Musepaper. Why don’t you have more articles? From the comments I’ve read, people love what you’ve done.”

Liam was never interested in my work. Elliot had listened to me, but he was my best friend. Still, it was different to have Orion ask me.

“I enjoy sharing stories that inspire and motivate people. Right now, it’s just local stuff. I hope to expand on it someday.”

“Musepaper.” He repeated to himself. “I love the sound of it. It’s so you.”

“I’m covering a few events for Vivian and Audri.”

“You should bring Madame Sarcasm back.” His eyes sparked. “I have a crush on her.”

“I should be jealous.” I pinched his cheek playfully. “That idea has crossed my mind, but I’m already struggling to keep Musepaper afloat. I have two interns helping me part time. It’s a lot of work. I don’t have the team or the funds?—”

“I’ll invest in Musepaper. But the catch is you have to bring back Madame Sarcasm. Her comeback should be extravagant.”

I laughed. “Why? Don’t you have other things to work on?”

“Part of being successful is having the eye to spot a precious opportunity. You’ve got to grasp it before it disappears. It’s like seeing a shooting star. You have one second to make a wish before it’s gone.” He gripped my chin with his fingers, looking at me with those intense eyes that sent a flurry of nerves dancing in my stomach. “I invest in things with potential for growth. Madame Sarcasm helped me at a time when even therapists couldn’t. She deserves a second chance.”

I’d never had a man believe in me this much. My internal recycling bin tipped over, and all the self-doubts, fears, andnegative thoughts I’d collected over the years poured out, leaving me empty. In that emptiness, I could see how they had weighed me down, blocking my joy and self-worth.

“You can incorporate her into Musepaper. A weekly column for Madame Sarcasm. All her followers will flood to Musepaper, which will become your one stop for all the things you’ve ever wanted. I also enjoy Random Riddles. You can expand on that. Reach out to get sponsors to tag along with the riddles. It has the potential to make you a lot of money.”

Excitement whirled through me as several ideas popped into my head.

“I saw the passion in you from your show, Uncover the Truth. The truth matters, and Musepaper could be the place where people come for the truth.” He reached for a lock of my hair and wrapped it around his finger, twirling. “There are several media companies in the world, but they’re all owned by a few communication giants. These giants have agendas, and those agendas sometimes require them to twist the truth.”

“Why?”

He tapped my forehead. “Control. Money. Power. You know, all those things that have created wars in history.”

“You could be a very interesting villain.”

“What makes you think I’m not? I’m a thief, after all.”

“But a different thief.” I retorted. “I think you find it more fun playing against the bad guys. You’re a hot and dangerous vigilante.”

He smiled. “You’re not wrong. The WaterFyre Rising boys and I are part of a group called VATV—Vigilantes Against the Villains.”

“We girls have our SSG—Super Spy Girls.”

“Oh yeah? What do you do?”

I couldn’t tell him about my mission, The Thief Who Loved Me. I didn’t want him to be influenced by it. He needed to showme that on his own accord. It was the only way I knew it was true.

The mission had morphed from its original purpose. I didn’t want to know if he liked me. He’d opened my heart, and now I wanted more. Could heloveme? I might reach too far there. I might fall off the cliff, but I wanted to know anyway.

The more I talked to him, the more I fell for him. It scared and thrilled me. I had to be careful though because this thief could steal my heart and run away with it, leaving me shattered—heartless.

“We all have our missions,” I said. “I’ll tell you about mine later.”

He eyed me suspiciously but didn’t press on. “Okay.”

Changing the subject, I said, “I’ll do it. I’ll bring Madame Sarcasm back with your help.”

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