A Waltz With Wolves (Book II in The Harrison Inc. Series) | ✓

Chapter Three: New Acquaintances

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"I am so pissed off at you, I can't even begin to explain!"

Sarah's yelling at Sebastian in the office the producer provided to us. This was expected; we spent so much time going over the script and not only did Sebastian not follow it, but he deliberately went against everything we advised him to do.

"Do you understand what you've done? Putting your father's name out there? Why would you do that?"

It doesn't even seem like a necessary question to ask. We all know why Sebastian's doing this. But at the same time, part of his motive seems unknown to me.

As expected, Sebastian doesn't answer. Sarah, angry and frustrated, stares at him for an elongated period as if he will start cooperating.

"Now we're going to have to edit this out, which the producer won't want to do—"

"No," I say.

Sarah frowns at me. "What?"

"No, no this can...we can work this to our favor actually. A sympathetic approach."

"You're kiddin—"

"Sarah, can you give us a minute?" I tell her. Even I'm surprised the words have come out of my mouth, but I know that nearly a week is too long for this treatment to keep progressing.

"Fine." She says. "Not my battle to fight anyway, right?"

She's irritated. I hate when Sarah's irritated; it's a mood that lasts with her.

She leaves, and for once since "that night" Sebastian and I are alone together. I don't know where to start; maybe I should start at the fact that he almost exposed me on camera, but didn't. I know he was going to, though.

Was he?

He sits against the desk and stares at me, challenging me with his eyes like he always does. The clock on the wall ticks in the silence, sounding louder against my apprehensiveness.

"If you want me to apologize—"

"I wasn't going to ask." I snap back abruptly. He knows that a nerve has been hit with me, and I'm sure he secretly enjoys it.

"What I was going to ask, Sebastian, is why you did that?"

"What I did during the interview?"

"Yes, that. What else could I be asking about?"

He laughs, and I hate myself for enjoying the sound like I used to before our situation became rocky.

"We both know there's a lot you could be asking about."

I clench my jaw, doing a horrible job keeping my rising anger and anxiety caged. "I would prefer we keep personal and professional matters separate."

"You already failed at that," he replies smartly.

"If you want to have a mature, productive discussion about what happened between us, then I'm more than willing to. But now isn't the time."

"Fine. Do you want to know why I didn't say your name?"

My mind says yes, but the other part of me that I hate listening to knows that I won't be ready for the answer. So I remain quiet, as Sebastian waits for an answer.

He scoffs. "I didn't say your name because I knew saying my father's name would open up an opportunity."

"An opportunity for what?"

"An opportunity for the revenge I never got. I'm taking over Harrison Inc. soon if things go well with the Board and this "exposure" on his shoulders with everyone thinking he gave away the journal will get him off my back. The last thing I need is a power struggle while I'm CEO, so this will let him know that I don't want to be fucked with any longer."