Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 121054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
I suppose I should have arrived at that conclusion on my own. But it wasn’t until Neil said, “And that rich man is about to get married. Perhaps his fiancé’s family wouldn’t be thrilled to imagine their young relative being tied up in the bedroom.”
I almost argued that he was overreacting, that his relationship with Stephen had been years ago, and people would naturally assume that he’d been going through a phase. But before I could say it, I knew how wrong that was. People never forgot stuff. People never assumed that others could change.
If someone—my mother, for example—read that book…
“We’ve got to do something.” My eyes grew wide as I stared at Valerie. “You have to get him to take those chapters out.”
She shook her head. “I’ve tried. Believe me, I’ve tried, Sophie. Stephen says that I have to stop ‘clinging to the past.’ He chalks my objections up to a matter of decades-old unrequited love.”
“What about… Could we sue him? For libel?” I looked from Valerie’s grim expression to Neil’s.
“It’s only libel if it’s not true,” he reminded me. “And I did sleep with him. A lawsuit will only bring more attention to this.”
“Our best course of action would be to buy Splendor publishing, if we can, and put a halt to the book entirely,” Valerie explained. “I’ve already put the lawyers on it.”
“Reynholm Media will never part with the publisher.” Neil rubbed his hands on his knees then stood. Sitting was inertia, and he wanted action. The tension vibrated off him.
I also hated the feeling that nothing was being accomplished. “Okay, let’s take a look at the situation. You’re going to try to buy the company. If it works, no problem, the book gets squashed. How does that happen? You just don’t publish it at all?”
“There’ll be a clause in the contract guaranteeing the return of rights if the book isn’t published in a certain time frame.” Valerie sighed, as though all of this was too much to explain to an outsider. I was pretty sure she’d forgotten that I used to work in the media—at least, in an arm of the media—and had relegated me to official trophy wife status. But she went on. “If the rights are returned, he can simply sell it elsewhere. But we could draw it out, reject the manuscript, demand revisions, and remove the chapters.”
“Okay, then…problem mostly solved, right? If it doesn’t work, we go a different route?” I asked.
Neil had paced to the window. He looked out as though he could see all manner of my enraged relations marching down the street toward our house. “Our problem, right now, is that it takes a long time to buy a company. It might take them considerably less time to put this book on the shelves.”
“And, once it’s out, the only thing left to do is damage control, which runs the added risk of calling more attention to it,” Valerie said. “Public perception is important to our jobs. We’re not celebrities, but if a business rival or potential partner forms an unsavory opinion of Neil, it could damage the company.”
“Even if he’s not working there anymore?” I didn’t understand. Neil had retired. He didn’t need to worry about his perception in the business world, right?
“It appears that if we make this possible purchase, I may need to come out of retirement. At least for a time.” He swore under his breath. “I can’t believe he’s doing this to me.”
“Call him,” Valerie urged, and it didn’t sound like the first time she’d suggested it. Was that why he was so angry when I’d come downstairs? “I’m sure if you talk to him—”
“Talking to him never did any good for me before!” he shouted. Neil didn’t like losing control in front of people. This seemed to be shaking him up more than it should. Not that I knew how upset one should be when discovering that their former lover was writing a tell-all about them. But a cold chill crept up my back, a feeling that this wasn’t all about our upcoming wedding and how my family might view him.
My stomach turned over. I think I knew what was upsetting Neil. Pure horror replaced the blood flowing through my heart at the thought that I might be right.
I stood up abruptly. “Thank you, Valerie, for letting us know about this. Neil will be in touch.”
She didn’t even acknowledge me. “Neil, do you want me to go?”
My back teeth ground. This was my house, too. I could kick her out if I wanted to.
Before Neil could answer, I said, “We need to have some time alone to discuss this. How long will you be in London?”
“I’ll be here through the week.” She sounded bewildered that I would presume to make a decision for Neil.
“We’re leaving the day after tomorrow. If we need anything, we’ll call.” I wasn’t mean, but firm. I had to talk to Neil right away, and I didn’t want Valerie to be here for this conversation.