第3章

The next morning I woke up to my phone ringing over and over.

The caller ID said Mom.

I picked up, and before I could get a word out I heard my mother trying not to cry.

"Kade, is any of what they're saying online true?"

"Did you really hit Mara?"

"Did you really... make her go to places like that?"

Something dropped in my chest.

Mara's stream had reached my parents, hours away from here.

"Mom, none of it is true."

I kept my voice as level as I could.

"She's working an angle. Don't believe it."

"But... but somebody sprayed red paint on our wall."

Mom's voice was shaking badly.

"There's a dead rat hanging on the front door."

"Your dad got so upset that he had a heart attack. He's still in the hospital."

My ears rang.

Rage surged through me.

Mara had not just set the internet on me. She had dragged my parents into it and sent people to harass them at home.

"Mom, don't be scared. I'll take care of it right now."

"How's Dad?"

"The doctor says he's out of danger for now, but he needs rest."

"Kade, who on earth did you get mixed up with?"

"If there's no other way... just apologize to Mara."

"She's still your wife."

Hearing Mom say that put a tight ache in my chest.

I was the controlling owner behind the three biggest record labels in the world, worth thirty billion dollars and responsible for more livelihoods than I could count.

Yet my parents were sitting at home frightened because of an influencer who did not know her limits.

"Mom, stay out of this. I'll solve it."

I calmed her down and hung up.

I stood in the living room, breathing hard.

Mara, you finally crossed my line.

I opened X. Five of the top ten trending topics were about me.

#InfluencerMaraAbused

#KadeMercerTheFreeloaderExposed

#KadeMercersHometownUnderFire

#KnoxVowsToBlacklistKade

Every one of them opened into a flood of vicious abuse and personal attacks.

My Social Security number, my home address, and my parents' names, Diane and Robert Mercer, were all online.

A carnival, running under the flag of justice.

Mara posted a photo of herself on an IV drip in a hospital.

The caption read, "Thank you all for caring about me. I'm still holding on. Tonight at eight, I'll see you on my stream. Mr. Cole is joining me, and I'll show you who that monster really is."

The replies were nothing but sympathy and support.

"Stay strong, Mara! We'll always have your back!"

"Tonight that scumbag has to go down!"

"Can't wait for Mr. Cole to step in and set things right!"

I looked at that photo for a few seconds. The needle mark on the back of her hand was clear enough.

She had committed to the performance.

If I did not know she had opened three bottles of Ace of Spades in a club booth the night before, I might have believed it.

I laughed once, without any warmth in it, and dialed a number.

"Ms. Reeves, where are we on the evidence?"

The voice on the other end was brisk.

"Boss, everything is ready."

"We have locked down proof that Ms. Quinn forged the injury report, misappropriated company assets, and incited a harassment campaign."

"Say the word and we can file."

"Good."

I walked to the bar cabinet and poured a glass of water.

"Also get our legal team ready to take control of every account under Mara's name."

"Those followers she's so proud of and all that reach are company property."

"If she's done working, we take all of it back."

"Understood, Boss."

I hung up. Outside the sun was out and the sky was clear.

Mara's world was about to come apart.

She thought she was moving the pieces. She did not know she was already a spent pawn on my board.

I gave her the stage and she tried to tear mine down.

So she could not blame me for dropping the curtain on her.