Laura
After Jake left, I went upstairs to freshen up so I could clear my head too and able to think.
Arlene came to my mind then. We haven't talked in two days and I thought to check on her.
Just as I swiped up my phone, her call came in and it made me smile.
"You won't believe I was about calling you." I let out.
"Have you seen the news? The internet is on fire, no… no… Jake is on fire! He's receiving hot arrows from all sides!" She exclaimed.
"I know right. The blogs are even making matters worse. They keep coming up with ridiculous narratives every minute. I really feel bad for him. I wish there was something I could do to help." I let out.
"Don't feel bad, have you tried talking to him though? Is any of it true though? Did he do it?" She asked.
"He had no choice. He did what he had to do for his company, and I honestly don't see anything wrong with that. Maybe his approach was wrong, but I wouldn't sit by and watch my hard work go to waste." I affirmed.
"Same here. I hope he pulls through though."
"Let's leave Jake for a minute. How are you? How are you holding up?" I asked while she sighed.
"Me? I'm good! You don't have to worry about me. I'm living my best life, I miss you a bit though!!" She exclaimed but I could tell she wasn't been truthful.
"Okay now that you've told yourself that, I want the truth. How are you holding up?" I asked again and this time when she sighed, it was deeper.
"Honestly, I'm just trying. I'll be fine though. He reached out to me and I told him never to call again. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep the baby yet but until I make a decision, I'm not going to let him get another free pass. Uhn uhn… that's not going to happen." She said firmly.
"Oh my goodness, you really don't know how happy I am hearing that. That silly ass doesn't deserve you one bit. And whatever you decide to do, know that I'm here for you. We are in this together, huh? I miss you so much too. I can't wait to be back in the house with you." I let out.
We laughed, talked and hung up while I went back to thinking about Jake and how to help him.
My phone suddenly buzzed then and it startled me awake. I rubbed my eyes and tapped the screen to find a link to an interview, and the name "Jake Robbins" splashed across the preview image. I froze, already feeling the panic setting in, and clicked it immediately.
Kurt's face appeared on the screen, confident and smug, as he spun a version of the truth so twisted I could barely believe what I was hearing. He painted Jake as a ruthless, selfish businessman who only cared about his gains. Each accusation Kurt threw at him was more damaging than the last, and my heart sank, knowing exactly what kind of chaos this would bring to Jake's company.
I closed the video and took a deep breath, grounding myself. Jake was in the middle of this disaster alone, and I couldn't let him shoulder it by himself. There had to be a way to turn this around. And then, like a flash, an idea came to me. If Kurt was going to use the media to spread lies, then we'd fight back by sharing the truth.
I threw on some clothes, grabbed my bag, and called my driver. Jake had assigned one to me as he didn't want me driving by myself or alone out there. That was his condition for letting me go out of the penthouse. It was thoughtful, and now, more than ever, I felt grateful for it.
The driver was already waiting by the time I got outside. I got in the car and we zoomed off. I pulled out my phone and dialed the head of the PR team.
"Rachel, it's Laura," I said quickly, skipping past any pleasantries. "I need your team on standby and ready to take action by the time I get there. I have a plan." I said hastily.
Rachel didn't hesitate. "That's good. We're here to help. What's the plan?" She asked.
I could hear her typing as I explained the idea. "Jake needs to tell his side of the story. Kurt's version is out there, and it's full of lies. We need a counter-interview, something that lets Jake take control of the narrative. Can your team prepare the setting, have it all ready for when we arrive?"
"I haven't told Jake yet but I will get him in line once I get to the office."
"Absolutely," Rachel replied, her voice determined. "We'll have everything prepped for when you get here." She affirmed.
Relieved, I ended the call and leaned back, watching the city blur by as we made our way to the office. My mind was racing with details and scenarios, trying to anticipate any hiccups we might encounter. But more than anything, I kept picturing Jake's face, how defeated he'd looked last night, how hard he was fighting to stay afloat. He deserved a chance to clear his name, and I was determined to make sure he got it.
When we finally arrived, I could feel my heart pounding as I rushed into the building. I headed straight to Jake's office, where he was pacing by his desk, his face pale and drawn.
"Jake," I called, stepping inside. He turned, surprise flickering across his face.
"What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" He asked, almost hiding the frown which quickly turned to a subtle smile once he saw me.
"I have an idea." I exclaimed, ignoring his questions.
"I have a plan, Jake! We're going to take Kurt's interview and turn it on its head."
"What do you mean?" He asked, his brow furrowing.
I took a steadying breath. "Kurt's already poisoned the well by doing that interview. People think they know the story, but they're only hearing his side. They'd why they're coming after you. They don't know you the way they think they do. You need to tell your side of it. Let people hear the truth, straight from you." I let out while he was silent for a moment, and I could see the hesitation in his eyes. "Laura, I don't know. Going public with this…"
"I know it's a lot," I said, cutting him off gently. "But you can't just sit back and let him destroy everything you've worked for. People need to know the real story, and they'll listen if it's coming from you."
"But…"
"No buts, just trust me on this. This is the best way we can tackle this. I know you're scared, you don't want to make more mistakes and stir the waters. But trust me, this issue isn't going to solve itself and the more time we delay, the more worse things become." I persuaded him.
He looked in my eyes briefly and then looked down, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly torn. I could feel my heart pounding as I waited for his response.
After a few seconds, he finally met my gaze, a hint of trust in his eyes. "If you think this can work… then I trust you. Let's do it."
"Yes!!" I exclaimed while he smiled.
Relief flooded through me, and I gave him an encouraging smile too. "It's all set up, Jake. I called the PR team on my way here, they're ready for you." I chimed in.
He didn't say a word ahf just stared at me. For a second, it felt like the tension was getting heated between us and he was going to hug me but I shook off the feeling. Even though we have a plan on ground, the mess was still there and the last thing I should be thinking about is hugs.
"You really had this thought ou…" he hadn't finished when the door opened and the intern walked in.
She suddenly stopped when she saw us, and I quickly moved away from Jake before she starts having the wrong impression.
"What is the problem this time, Carly?" Jake asked
"Miss Rachel just called. The PR team is waiting in the conference room, Sir. They're ready whenever you are." She said in a hurry.
Jake turned to me while I reached over and squeezed his hand, giving him one last look of reassurance. "Come on," I said softly. "Let's go show everyone the real Jake Robbins."
"You've got this…" I muttered to him while he then packed some things and ordered Carly to get them. She wanted to say something and a glare from Jake made him have a rethink. I couldn't help but smile inwardly as it reminded me of my early days with Jake…