Page 30 of Begin Again, Part 1

Gibby was in the room within seconds. "Yes, Mr Anderson?"

"Tell the group chat admins to take down Eden McBride's photos and block everyone from posting in the chats for thirty days. If they insist on carrying on like idiots, I'll extend the ban by another month. And if they keep pushing, I'll shut down all the chats myself."

"They were curious about her, that's all."

"I don't care. It's an invasion of privacy," Liam said, a little disturbed by the tinge of overprotectiveness he felt out of nowhere. "How would you feel if someone splashed your grandkids' faces all over the chats?"

"Well, they did block out her boy's face," Gibby argued.

Liam ignored her smart comeback. "How did they even get her photos?"

Yes, he'd love to know. After stumbling upon Eden's CV, he'd searched all over the internet for her. After all, he had to know his enemy better than he knew himself. But her Instagram was set to private, and she wasn't on any other social media platforms.

"Her friend is a famous vlogger and plays the second lead in a daytime soap—"

Liam impatiently waved at her to speed things along.

"Lydia, the friend, often documents their lives. Ms McBride and her son are fan favourites—"

"Thanks for the long-winded explanation, Gibby. I want the photos gone, and the uploader should be given a warning."

"Whoa! Isn't that a little harsh?" Julian and Matthew asked at once.

"Agreed, sir, let's remove the photos and chat with Nancy. I'm sure she meant no harm, she was just curious."

"Fine." Liam shooed her away. "Send me the link to the vlog."

"Which vlog?" Gibby asked at the door.

"Eden McBride's friend. Lydia-what's-her-name."

"On it." Gibby nodded, a baffled look in her eyes as she eased out of the office.

"Tsk-tsk, Liam!" Julian clucked his tongue. "You don't want your staff to check Eden out, because you want her all to yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Liam scoffed. "This is business. Marketing wants to work with influencers. Lydia is an influencer. We can sign her."

"That's my department, and we already have someone in mind we want to approach." Matthew smiled as he got up and headed for the door. "But thanks for looking out for me. I'll let Gibby know that the vlog link is not necessary."

"Are we seeing you tonight at Crush?" Julian asked as he followed his brother.

"Sure, but I'm bringing Laura."

"I'd better start drinking then," Julian called over his shoulder.

Liam turned off the TV and left his chair. He spent a few minutes neatening up the seating area and straightening out the Business Insider magazines. This was another reason he disliked visitors. They always left his office messy.

He called Laura and changed their plans for the night. She threw a tantrum. Crush was so beneath her.

Liam held firm. Either they met at Crush, or he'd ask Gibby to pencil her in anytime next week.

"Fine!" She relented with a dramatic sigh. "Just so you know, you are still a shitty boyfriend."

"We can always break up," Liam suggested. It would be their seventh or eighth breakup in two years. He was starting to lean more towards a permanent break. If Laura didn't serve her purpose, he would have cut her loose a long time ago. But so close to retirement, Gibby had begun to wind down from all his engagements requiring a plus-one. Laura was a perfect plus-one. She looked good on his arm and could hold down a serious conversation. But more importantly, she knew his medical condition. She no longer had any expectations in that department. Liam simply gave her the money and status she craved, and he got to keep his semi-permanent girlfriend.

"Liam! Did you hear what I said?" Laura whined.

He didn't, because he was once again glaring at his nemesis' photos in the group chat, annoyed at how pretty she was still after two years. She had no business being so cute. Nancy truly deserved a warning for acting like a groupie and turning a work chat into Eden's fan site.

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