Page 23 of Mr. January

I thrust my phone in front of his face, the article displayed prominently. "This! This article about us, about my family. How could you share all of this with Genesis?"

Knox's eyes widen as he reads the article, his expression shifting from confusion to realization. "Robyn, I didn't... I didn't know she would write about us like this."

"Like this?" I snap. "She knows everything now, thanks to you. And it's not just her. It's going to be in Forrester Media's Bachelor Series. Our entire relationship, our private moments, are going to be shared with their audience."

I can see the regret and guilt in Knox's eyes as he processes the situation. "I'm sorry, Robyn. I never intended for any of this to happen. I should have been more cautious."

But his apologies fall on deaf ears. The damage is done. Feeling exposed and betrayed, I know I can't stay at Forrester Media any longer. I have to protect my privacy and my family's reputation. Without another word, I get out of bed and start getting dressed. I text Genesis that I need to speak with her immediately about this article.

“Robyn, please, we can fix this, sweetheart,” Knox silently pleads behind me, his voice filled with desperation. But this is beyond repair. I have to do damage control before Rachael Forrester sees the article.

“Knox, there are just some things love can't patch up.”

That day on New Year's pushes me to the brink. The moment I read that Mr. January article, I feel like I've reached my breaking point. How could they—Genesis, Reece, Talon, and especially Knox—think that it's okay to expose our private lives like this? It's beyond comprehension.

In the driveway of the Forresters' Hamptons estate, I let loose a torrent of anger and frustration. I go off on everyone, not holding back my disappointment and betrayal. They all play a part in this, whether through writing or allowing it to happen. It feels like a betrayal of the highest order.

The following Sunday is spent in seclusion, dodging phone calls from Genesis and Knox. I need time to process everything, to find a solution to the mess that's been created. But deep down, I know there's only one way to resolve this—by confronting the situation head-on.

As I step into the office on Monday, the weight of what I'm about to do hangs heavy on my shoulders. It's time to face the fallout of the article, to make a decision that will reshape my life. I can't let their actions define me, and it's time to take control of my own narrative.

I find myself in Reese's office first thing in the morning, pacing a hole in his carpet. He watches me with a concerned expression, clearly aware I'm upset beyond words.

"Robyn," he begins, his voice gentle, "I know this is a lot to handle, but we need to talk about what's happening."

I turn to face him, frustration and anger bubbling within me. "Talk? Reese, do you have any idea what this Bachelor project has done? I called it before it even happened. I told you this would happen when your mother hatched this little scheme." My voice trembles with a mix of emotions. “She made Knox first in this line of this circus because she wanted to know what was going on in his love life, and nobody would give her the information she wanted, so she got it herself. Don't think you and Talon are free and clear from her scrutiny as well. You wait until your articles are up, and you’re next, buddy!”

He sighs, his shoulders slumping as he runs a hand through his hair. "Robyn, I had no choice. When my mother gets an idea in her mind, she sinks her teeth into it like a rottweiler, and there is no letting go until she gets what she wants. And now, to add insult to injury, she had I.T. retrieved the email with the article. She's read it already, and she's demanding I fire you." He laughs bitterly.

I can't believe what I'm hearing. The audacity of this woman to not only pry into our lives, exposing all our secrets, but now she is demanding my job on top of it!?

"She did this on purpose. This damn article exposed everything, Reese," I say, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. "The world will know about me counting cards at the casino, about Knox letting me get away with it and us being intimate, about Anika's cancer…” And my voice cracks as I think about this. “She was only six years old when all this happened. I don't want her to think any differently of me… poorly… How could you let this happen? You said you would protect me… Knox said he would protect me?"

Reese looks torn, caught between his loyalty to me and the pressure from his mother. "Robyn, I never wanted any of this to happen. I told my mother not to go forward with this project, but she's ruthless, and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants."

I can't hold back my tears any longer. "You don’t think I already know that!? I just spent the last year in Europe on the back of her relentlessness! I did all of that so she wouldn't find any of this out, and little do I know, as soon as I come back, it's waiting for me at the door like I never left. What was the point of me going?” My voice is to the point of shrill. I know I am directing all my frustration at the wrong Forrester. Of course, their mother is largely to blame, but Knox is not without fault, either. Why did he feel the need to share all of this information? I will figure that out later, but for now, I need to know where I stand here at Forrester Media. My plan was to quit, but it sounds like they are handing me my pink slip before I can even say anything about it.

“So, what's the move, Reese? Are you going to fire me to appease Rachael?"

He hesitates, his gaze filled with conflict. "I can give you a handsome severance package, Robyn. You won't be left with nothing."

I shake my head, wiping away my tears. "I'm tired of hiding, Reese. I'm tired of being told who I can and cannot love. Just print the article as it is and let the chips fall where they may."

Reese looks at me with a mixture of admiration and sadness. "Robyn, you're brave, and I admire your strength. But I won't let my mother ruin your life. There is one way to get back at her: she really doesn't want this article getting out as is. It would be a scandal. Not only did she demand that I fire you, but she also asked Genesis to rewrite the story, making my brother glow like a star. But we can leave the article as is and omit your name—that way, no one really knows it's you…"

I take a deep breath, my decision firm. "Reese, it'smylife, and I'm done letting her dictate it. If this is what it takes to finally be free, then so be it. Thank you for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to be editor-in-chief and to learn the ways of Forrester Media. I will be forever in your debt for that."

"Robyn, you don't have to..." he tries.

But I shake my head, stopping him, take off the building pass attached to the lanyard around my neck and lay it on Reese's desk. As I walk out of his office, I know I'm taking a risk, one that could change the course of my life forever. But I'm done hiding in the shadows, and I'm ready to face whatever consequences come my way.

Chapter Eighteen

Knox

Early Monday morning, I'm on the phone with Reese and Talon, and the news they just delivered hits me like a freight train. Robyn quit her job as editor-in-chief at Forrester Media. My heart clenches at the thought of her leaving... again, and I can't help but feel a sense of dread wash over me.

"What the fuck!?" I yell, my voice filled with frustration and worry as I slam a fist against my steering wheel.

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