Star Struck(BBW Rocker Romance)(51)

Zuriel shrugged, tossed back her curtain of black silky hair, and turned to walk over to the door while Mandy bristled with outrage at what had transpired in the past ten minutes. She still couldn’t believe this was really happening.

Zuriel looked over her shoulder as she held the door open and met Mandy’s stormy gaze. “Don’t end up looking like the victim, Mandy. Trust me, I know from experience you never want to be the one who’s let go. Ethan will figure out how much damage you can cause to his career and his heart, especially if he’s made to think you’ve been with him all this time just to get further in your fledgling profession. Do things my way and it’ll be the best for all concerned.”

“Get out.”

Mandy found satisfaction in managing to grit out those two words. She saw Zuriel’s features flash with a black fury before she smiled one last time and walked coolly out of the office.

Mandy stalked over and slammed the door shut. Everything Zuriel had said kept ringing in her head, and Mandy wanted to smash something as she felt a violent rage for the first time in her life. She imagined how her motives could be twisted and used against her, and it made her heart sink even as she rebelled against the feelings. She did love Ethan. She’d never asked him to give her the job in the first place; he’d chosen her to come to London with him. And when he’d chosen to make Jessica Charles the band’s stylist, Mandy had never had to cajole him into it or even mention it once. It had all been Ethan’s doing, and now Zuriel and whoever was supporting her in this would turn it into something it wasn’t.

Mandy wondered who Ethan would believe if Zuriel came out with the lies. Would he think Mandy had been interested in furthering her career all along? Mandy stared around her brand new office and suddenly hated everything about it. She knew now how it would seem to onlookers. She’d returned from the London tour with the good news that The Strum wanted to bring Jessica’s firm on board as their stylist – on the condition that Mandy be in charge of their tour wardrobe. Jessica had wasted no time in agreeing and within two weeks had led Mandy into this very office and told her she was now a bonafide employee of Jessica Charles Inc. Then she’d handed Mandy a portfolio of several top clients and that had been just the beginning. Mandy’s reputation grew, especially after making so many contacts of her own during the trip to London with The Strum. Now she was booked for months in advance and her career had more than taken off. Just as Jessica had promised.

So why did it now leave Mandy feeling empty inside?

She slumped into her chair behind her desk, her euphoria from the past several weeks deflating. She hated to think that anyone would paint her as an opportunist. She also hated to think that Ethan hadn’t been completely straight with her all this time. She just didn’t know who to trust or believe at that moment. She wasn’t sure she even trusted herself. Why had she fallen so easily? Why hadn’t she stepped back and thought things over before letting it get this far? She wasn’t cut out for all this intrigue and drama. She’d had enough to handle with the paparazzi hounding her just because Ethan chose to be with her instead of any of the celebrity debutantes he could have been with.

I have to get my life back, Mandy thought resolutely, pushing her hands through her hair and taking a deep breath. She’d always known she had something to prove when she started her career. She was young, maybe even naïve. The way she’d succumbed so easily to Ethan’s conquest was proof enough of that. But she’d been so ready to do anything for love. And now whatever could have been between them would be forever cheapened if she let Zuriel get her way. But what else am I going to do, she thought as her hands lifted to cover her face. She felt so lost and alone. And yet as the minutes ticked by, she realized what steps she had to take. There was no other choice...





Chapter Thirteen



“Why did she do it?”

Ethan heard his own voice like it was coming from some far away cavern. Behind him, Zuriel moved forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“She had a choice between her career and you, and she picked her career,” Zuriel said gently.

Ethan didn’t want to believe that. He wasn’t ready for the realization that he’d been so wrong about Mandy.

He shook his head rapidly as if to clear his senses, but it wasn’t working. It was hard to think straight while faced with the reality that he may just have lost Mandy for good.

“Just what did she say to you?” Zuriel asked in such a calm tone. He felt prompted to relive those hellish moments when she’d told him goodbye.