Chapter 55

I’m frozen in place.

Surely Miles didn’t just suggest, here in front of everyone, that I should be the one interviewing him. As Amber was the one who convinced him, shouldn’t she be the one taking the lead?

That’s what everyone else thought, and in a way, I did too, even if it hurt me.

When I don’t immediately come forward, Miles frowns deeper. “Hugo!” he calls loudly. “Hugo, where are you?”

“I’m here!” Hugo shouts in reply, appearing from one of the nearby offices. He hustles toward Miles.

Miles starts talking before he even gets close. “When I agreed to this interview, we had a specific set of terms.”

“I remember,” Hugo says. “And we’ve seen to all of those terms. After the interview, we can –”

“It’s not after the interview that I’m concerned about,” Miles says. “It’s the interview itself.”

“Oh?” Hugo says. “I can assure you that our questions have been vetted –”

“It’s not the questions either.”

Hugo’s patience is immense, but his growing agitation is clear in the terse what he holds himself, and in the way he starts to clip his words.

“I’m at a loss,” Hugo says. “You’ll need to be upfront, Miles.”

“Amber is not the interviewer we agreed on,” Miles says.

At once, Amber says, “I’m not?” just as Hugo asks, “She isn’t?”

The two look at each other. Then Hugo starts again, speaking alone this time.

“You said you wanted the person responsible for convincing you to do the interview,” Hugo says.

“Yes,” Miles says. He gestures to me. I’m holding an empty paper coffee cup. I’ve been so transfixed on the scene that I have yet to pour. “Esther Graham.”

Hugo’s eyes widen a small amount before quickly being schooled back to normal. He glances over at me. “Esther?”

I don’t know if he’s calling me or asking Miles to clarify, but I figure I had been head over there all the same. Heart racing in my chest, I place the empty coffee cup back on the stack and start walking toward them.

Around us, everyone is staring. Amber glares with open hostility.

“She didn’t say anything about it,” Hugo says to Miles, while stealing glances at me as I come to a stop at his side. “We all assumed Amber was the one to finally convince you.”

“She was not,” Miles says firmly. All eyes shift from me to Amber, who is starting to pale.

“How was I to know that I wasn’t the one?” Amber says. “All these months, I’ve been trying to get you to come around. It was only a matter of time until you finally cracked.”

“If it had been you alone, Amber, I would have never agreed,” Miles says. “You only ever wanted me here to improve your own influence in the company. You didn’t care a thing about how this company could help or hurt my campaign.”

“Of course it would help,” Amber says. “That was obvious.”

“Was it?” Miles asks. “Could I not go to any news station and have an interview of equal value? Why should I choose this one about all the rest?”

Amber crosses her arms. “Because Harbinger is the best, obviously.”

“It’s third in the nation’s rankings,” Miles says.

Amber pouts slightly at the answer. Hugo watches her closely for a moment, before sliding his gaze back to me.

“Esther,” Hugo asks. “What did you say to Miles to get him to agree?”

“I merely pointed out the many benefits Harbinger could offer him, both in our vast resources as well as our connections of… specific board members,” I reply. I’m not about to out board members of the company I work for as belonging to a secret club. At least not here in such a public space.

Hugo already knows, anyway. Though he seems surprised that I know. “We need to talk about how you stumbled onto that information,” he says. “And also how you used that information…”

“You should be glad she did, Hugo, or I wouldn’t be here right now. Besides, you know I have no intention of abusing the privilege. No one has anything to fear from me,” Miles says.

The Whisperers wouldn’t fear anyway. If they perceived Miles as an enemy, they would work against him. Miles only wants into their club so that he can be on their good side and use their influence for his own benefit. He’s not here to make enemies. In actuality, it’s the opposite.

Yet even if the words annoy Hugo, they also clarify the truth. I am the one who was able to convince Miles – which frankly is news to me too.

Last time I heard from Miles about this, he’d turned me down flat. Did something change? I want to ask him, but I can’t in front of Amber and Hugo, with so many others watching.

“You told me he rejected you,” Amber hisses at me.

“I…”

“Whatever was said at that meeting,” Miles says, “Esther and I reached an accord. She is the one who convinced me to do this interview. Therefore, Hugo, as per our arrangement, she’s the one who should be asking the questions.”

“He’s right,” Hugo says. Looking at me, he says, “I’m sorry, Esther. I never would have suspected…”

“It’s fine,” I say. I don’t want to hear about how little he thought me capable. After all, he couldn’t have known otherwise. With Lila stealing my work, I haven’t had a chance to prove myself since my arrival. Hugo has had no reason to think I was doing anything other than slacking off all this time.

Hugo nods at me, and I see the apology in his eyes. It hardens as he shifts his focus onto Amber.

“Amber, you could have told me that Hugo rejected your offers, instead of bringing everything to a head like this.”

“I pursued him the longest, Mr. Harbinger,” Amber says. “You can’t let this newbie come in here and take everything from me… All she did was bat her eyelashes –”

“Don’t be petty, Amber,” Miles says. “It’s not personal. You and I are still friends.”

Amber looks at him fiercely. “This is a betrayal, Miles.”

“You shouldn’t have taken the credit from Esther,” Miles says.

Amber snaps, “Esther is a housewife, not a reporter! She shouldn’t even be here!”

“That’s enough,” Hugo says, voice suddenly booming. In a flash, he shifted from well-meaning employer to badass boss who isn’t going to put up with any crap. “Go straight to my office and wait for me, Amber. Esther.” He looks at me again, and the hardness softens once more. “Get to hair and makeup.”

I still can’t believe this sudden change in fortunate. “Me?”

“Congratulations,” Hugo says. “You are about to conduct your first interview.”

I swallow thickly, my nerves mixing with excitement and starting to rise up my throat.

Amber looks between the three of us, then, with a huff, pushes past us and storms away.

“I trust everything is in order now?” Hugo asks Miles.

“Yes, Hugo. This is now acceptable.”

“Good. If you will excuse me…” Hugo steps away, leaving Miles and I standing together.

“I don’t understand,” I say, so confused. Now that the others are gone, I am safe to ask, “If I was the one who changed your mind, why did you reject me?”

“I changed my mind,” Miles says.

“What happened to not mixing business with pleasure?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Maybe I don’t mind so much, if it’s you.”