I knew it.

“Shanna did that?”

“Or someone else, but it was approved by her. If not, heads would be rolling so she could find the leak.” She put her phone away. “I know you’re probably livid about this, but you falling in love with that girl is going to sell gold. You were riding the line between the bad boy everyone loves to love and the bad boy who’s just disgusting. You were going into the disgusting category. There’s a short video of you squaring off against Peter Kellerman. It’s obvious how much you love her. The press is going to go nuts once Shanna leaks footage of Morgan, and she will.”

Goddamn.

I felt sucker punched, but I shouldn’t have. I should’ve been prepared for this. I should’ve been ready to strike back.

I had nothing.

I was scrambling for cover in a situation everyone around me was saying would help me.

The door opened again, and Gayle climbed in. The bags were put in the trunk, and when the driver got behind the wheel, I turned to my manager.

“Did you know Shanna was going to use my connection to Morgan?”

She’d been reaching for the seat belt, but she paused, her eyes shifting between Kara and me. “What?”

She was so still, though.

Too still.

I knew then. “You knew, didn’t you?”

Kara said, “I showed him Persons’ headline.”

Gayle swore under her breath, her hand letting go of the belt as she leaned back against the seat. “Why did you do that? He wouldn’t have noticed.”

Betrayal settled right next to the sick feeling. All of it was rolling around and around with my fury. I was keeping it in because I didn’t trust myself.

God, I needed Morgan.

She would’ve known what to say, how to calm me.

A touch. A smile. A joke about Shiloh was all it would take to make everything right with me again.

I focused on breathing through my nose. I didn’t dare open my mouth. I didn’t know what I would say.

Kara was rolling her eyes again. “At least you aren’t hiding it. Did you plant the story?”

Gayle went completely still again. Her eyes rounded and she blanched. “God no!” She looked at me. “After your outburst, I knew Shanna would use your relationship with Morgan. I just didn’t think she’d do it so quickly. She’s hungry, Brody. She wants this movie to launch her next one, and it’s going to have a blockbuster budget. She will leak everything she can to get people salivating.” Her hand rested on mine.

I pulled away.

It didn’t deter her. “You and that horse prodigy girl are her ticket. And there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Have you even tried?” I bit out.

“Yes.”

I looked at her. Waiting.

“I looked over your contract. There’s nothing we can do to stop it. This is all in her right as the movie director, especially since Peter and Matthew Kellerman okayed everything.”

“My God, sit down and realize this is all helping you.” Kara flung her hands in the air. “Why do you think I’m so jealous? I’m sitting in it up to my chest, and it isn’t because you’re sleeping with her and not me. I’m jealous of you, Brody. And you’re so pissed and worried about your girl, that you can’t even see how all of this is benefitting you.”

I sat back, and I was quiet as the car left the airport.

Kara was dropped off first and then Gayle.

She lingered in her seat and asked, “Are you okay?” She reached for my hand and squeezed it.

I was tempted to pull away, but I was wrestling with so many demons inside.

Kara’s words hit hard, and I knew from their perspective I was being idiotic. They didn’t understand. Then again, I thought back to Morgan’s reaction. She hadn’t even been so worked up about it, but it was because she didn’t realize what this meant. The world wouldn’t be content to let her remain hiding. The world would go to her.

The press would be nuts.

They’d camp out around the land.

They would go and get long-distance zoom lenses, and images of her would be sold left and right.

Her life was going to change, and she had no idea how much. And it was her loved ones who had shoved her over the cliff’s edge.

I didn’t give one shit that this might erase any last concerns about my career.

“They’re going to destroy her.”

“This was going to happen whether you were doing the movie or not. You know that, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“As soon as the script was written, as soon as they got Morgan to sign off on it, the world was coming to her front door. No one could’ve stopped that, you included. You were captivated the first moment you saw her, right?”

I gave a begrudging nod.

“It was no different for the rest of us. Even last night when she was standing on that horse. I saw her out there. She defies gravity. She’s what movies are written about, and once Shanna gets ahold of some pictures of her to leak, everyone else will fall in love with her too.” She leaned forward, ignoring the open car door and driver waiting for her to exit. “She has you, though. Kellerman didn’t plan for you.”

My head whipped to hers. “You’re saying Kellerman wanted this?”