Chapter 3: Playing the Long Game

Watched him flirt with women.

At this point, “assistant” didn’t even begin to cover it.

The manager knew the team next door was trying to poach me. Afraid I’d leave, he offered me a promotion and a raise.

"Em, you can’t go! If you leave, I’m finished!" I could practically hear the eye roll in my own head.

I raised three fingers and swore, all serious.

"Of course. No matter how much you pay me, I won’t leave the boss."

—not until Tyler Ashcroft is ruined, dead, and buried.

How could I possibly leave?

I said it offhand, but he took it seriously.

Tyler put down his phone and eyed me suspiciously.

"Emily Jacobs, you’d better not have ulterior motives, huh."

"Ha, what could I possibly want from you?" My heart skipped a beat.

He sneered, sizing me up.

"Most women who come to me have their own agendas."

"…I’ve seen plenty like you."

God, so narcissistic.

But to be a star, you need a certain level of narcissism.

I asked, "Boss, with so many girls confessing to you every day, how do you handle it?"

"If I’m interested, I pay attention. If not, I forget them fast."

He found my question laughable.

"What, you want me to respond to every single one? That’d kill me."

And he really lived by that.

I already had dozens of gigabytes of dirt on him, all evidence of his flings—TMZ would feast on this stuff.

Just leaking a little would destroy his career and fanbase.

But that wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.

The Ashcroft family is powerful—several school buildings at Maple Heights High were donated by them.

So when my sister was bullied, the teachers didn’t dare defend her. They even transferred her out of the honors program.

At that school, pedigree was everything.

The top students are always the rich and powerful, getting the best treatment.

When it comes to school matters, background is everything.

Even if Tyler’s career collapsed, he’d still be a rich heir.

Before taking him to the TV station, the manager looked worried.

"That crazy fan sent another letter smeared with blood. We need more security."

I eyed the bloodstained package in his hand, thinking.