Page 63 of The Billionaire Player

Georgia laughed almost as if she was proud of the fact. It wouldn’t put it past her. She always seemed like she was too good for the job even though she had no idea how to do it and now I could see that she did feel that way.

“At least I’m a rich one,” she said.

“Good luck spending Daddy’s money. It must feel good to finally find something that you’re good at.”

“I was good at my job. You didn’t see the story that was right in front of your face. You didn’t want to see that money and the fame you could have had if you had just listened to me. If I wanted to, I could find a thousand places who would be more than happy to hire me.”

“You’re delusional. The only places that would hire you or ones that are going to go belly up from lawsuits or have no reputation. You like to make a splash; you like to hurt people but that isn’t what this industry is about. Eventually, you’ll learn that when you lose enough jobs,” I said.

“I’ll be fine. I always land on my feet. Unlike you who only got the job because the head boss and his BFF wanted you to have it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

“You didn’t know? Remy Bennett asked for you specifically to do the article. Did you ask him so you could get with his son?”

“I have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Sure, you don’t. You wouldn’t be the first person who used their job to bag a man, and you’re calling me unethical,” she scoffed.

Her comment didn’t deserve a response so I didn’t give it to her. But I remembered the conversations I had with JD about his brothers and how they had ended up with the women they were with and a sinking feeling formed in my stomach.

It had seemed a bit odd that I was asked to do the article on JD and his family. It could have and should have gone to a more senior reporter. I had thought it was because of my background in the restaurant business and I was known for my meticulous research. Two things that would be assets when dealing with such a high-profile family as the Bennetts.

What if that hadn’t been the case? What if Remy had specifically wanted me to work with JD so that we might hit it off? Could he stoop that low to do that to me? To his son? And if he did, did JD know? It was all so ridiculous I didn’t want to believe any of it.

“How can you say something like that?” I asked.

“Maybe you didn’t have anything to do with it, but someone did. Are you questioning why you were given the assignment as much as the rest of us? It certainly wasn’t because you were such a good reporter. Maybe Remy was looking for someone to keep his son in line and you were the easiest target. How well do you think you’ll look when that comes out?

“At least I have my Daddy’s money to fall back on. If I were you, I’d hold onto JD and his money, it looks like you’re going to need it,” Georgia said and walked away from me.

I hated that she got the last word. I wanted to yell at her that she was wrong. I couldn’t, because I didn’t know for sure. What she said rang true in my head and it put some of the pieces that had been missing about me and this article into place.

Had it all been a part of some strange sick way to try to get JD and me together? Had his father played matchmaker yet again with him and I? I couldn’t see JD being a part of it, but what if he was? Had he been playing me for a fool too? Did the family even want the article to come out? Or had they even planned the other article to come out as well?

I didn’t want to think that a family I had come to know and even like could be so cruel to me or be so blasé about my career and what this would mean. I needed to get answers and the best way to start was to go into my old office and try to get them. I wasn’t sure that anyone would talk to me, but at this point, I had nothing left to lose.

Chapter 27

JD

“If I have to take a little time away from my restaurant because of all of this, then I might as well do it on the family’s island,” I said to Walker.

It was early in the afternoon and he had called to check on me and I had mentioned wanting to get out of town with Lexi.

“Are you sure it’s wise? Won’t it look like you’re running away?”

“It will look like I’m taking a well-deserved vacation with my girlfriend.”

“Who’s about to publish a tell all story about you and your family. I don’t even have to consult Morgan to know that’s a bad idea,” Walker said.

“Is it?” I asked.

I had called Rosie to see how the restaurant was doing and she had assured me that it was doing great but that there had been a lot of interest in me. She confirmed that it would be best for me to stay away from the restaurant for the foreseeable future. I agreed but if I was, what better way to use the time than to take a vacation, something I hadn’t done in over a year?

“You can’t just will your way out of this like you did when we were kids. Think about how it would look. The one article comes out and then is retracted, the next one comes out, hopefully, and then you hightail it out of the country. It will totally look like you’re running away, that you’re hiding from it or that you don’t agree with the article,” Walker said.

“How could I not agree with it if I’m helping to get it published? If we, as a family, are standing behind it?”

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