Page 158 of Say Yes to the Nemesis
I turn slowly to face him. Something in my expression must finally register because he sits back slightly in his chair.
“You think this is funny?”
“No,” Rich replies, still cool as ice. “I think this is money. Big money. And if you want to see any of it, I suggest you sit your ass down.”
I don’t move. I keep standing there, staring him down, letting him see exactly how close I am to losing it completely.
Elena exhales, sounding annoyed for the first time. “Let’s be very clear, Ryan. If you talk to Wren off camera, if you even try to explain anything to her, you’re in violation of your contract.”
“So what?” I ask. “You’re going to sue me?”
“No,” Rich says, and now he’s smiling. Actually smiling. “We’re going to withhold your entire payout. That’s seven figures, Haart. And we’ll make sure the network lawyers have a fucking field day with your image clause. You’ll lose more than money.”
Elena adds, “We’ll also cut you from the finale. You’ll just be a guy who dumped America’s sweetheart and disappeared. We’ll tank your entire career. Sponsors. Endorsements. Gone.”
The threat hangs in the air between us. Seven figures. My entire career. Everything I’ve worked for.
But all I can think about is the look on Wren’s face when I handed that rose to JacqLyn. The way her face went completely blank, like she was shutting down to protect herself. The way she looked at me afterward, waiting for some kind of explanation that I couldn’t give her.
“She’s not America’s sweetheart to you,” I say. “You never even saw her.”
“We saw her perfectly,” Elena says. “Shy, sweet, heartbroken. That was your best moment yet.”
I take a step forward. Both of them tense slightly. Good. They should be nervous.
“You ambushed her,” I say, my voice deadly quiet. “You humiliated her. You broke her heart to make a promo reel.”
Rich shrugs like we’re talking about the weather. “This is what you’re paid for, Ryan.”
I stare at him. Just stare, breathing hard, trying to process the casual cruelty of it all. These people took something real, something beautiful, and they twisted it into entertainment. They took the woman I love and they broke her heart for ratings.
Elena stands up, slow and deliberate. She slides something across the desk toward me.
“Give us your phone.”
I don’t move.
She smiles, all teeth. “You’re not going to call her. You’re not going to sneak into her hotel. You’re not going to send a friend. We own your time, your image, and your loyalty until the finale airs. You want to fix this? Then make it count. And make it on camera.”
I look down at my phone in my hand. My lifeline to Wren. The only way I could possibly reach out to her and try to explain what just happened.
I know that once I hand it over, she’s gone. I can’t reach her, can’t explain, can’t apologize. Just silence. Just damage.
The second the cameras cut earlier, I yanked out my phone and texted three words with shaking fingers. No punctuation. No time to explain. Just a Hail Mary to the woman I’d just destroyed.
Slowly, I pull it out and set it down on the desk.
“Smart choice,” Rich says. “You’ve got one episodes left. Just get through the finale and then you’re gold. We suggest you lean in. Fake it. Cry a little. Pretend like you’re searching for love again.”
I turn to leave, but Elena’s voice stops me.
“Oh,” she adds, and there’s something in her tone that makes my chest tighten. “And we will be bringing her back for the finale. Not because you asked. Because we want to.”
I freeze. My heart starts pounding.
“She’s too valuable not to,” Elena finishes with a smirk.
I don’t say anything. Can’t say anything. Because if I open my mouth right now, I’m going to say something that gets me sued into oblivion.
