Semua Bab Let Me Go, Boss!: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Riley’s POV I sat by the window at Tori’s Café, the same corner seat I always took when I needed to think. My earbuds were in, not because I was listening to anything—just to avoid conversation. The cappuccino in front of me had gone lukewarm, barely touched. My phone sat face-up beside it, screen lit with the same video that had followed me for the last twenty-four hours. “You’re fired.” Those two words echoed out of Jax’s mouth on repeat. Angry, cutting, public. The comments were brutal. “This man’s ego needs a leash.” “No way he didn’t get sued yet.” “She should OWN his company after that humiliation.” I dragged my thumb across the screen to refresh, but the headlines were all the same. Different fonts, same shame. “Maddox Under Fire for Firing Loyal Employee on Camera.” “Executive Assistant Wrongfully Dismissed—Sources Say It Was Over a Lie.” “Calls Grow to Boycott Maddox Brand.” I didn’t know whether to feel vindicated or exhausted. Probably both. Then my phone lit u

Jax’s povI was halfway through a video call with the sponsorship team when the door burst open.“I’ll call you back,” I said, cutting the Zoom without waiting for their reply.Caleb tossed his tablet onto my desk, screen up. “You’ve seen this?”I leaned over, frowning.The headline wasn’t from a major outlet—yet. But the blood in my chest ran cold anyway:“Underground Tennis Circuit: Which Prodigies Risked It All for Money?”The site was nothing more than a glorified blog, but the story had over twelve thousand shares. Reddit had picked it up. X too. People were talking. Which meant a bigger outlet would be sniffing around soon.“They haven’t named names,” Caleb said. “Yet.”I leaned back, the leather chair groaning under the weight of my tension. “Why the hell are they even digging this up?”“Apparently, someone’s talking. One of the old players, maybe. Or a coach. It’s all anonymous right now, but the timeline lines up with you. Everyone’s speculating already.”I raked my hand thro

Riley’s PovA knock came in just after I had forced myself to eat some silly food. The leftovers still sat on the coffee table: half-picked noodles, a glass of water, and the same flickering muted news channel that had been buzzing in the background all day.I stared at the door and another two soft knocks rang from behind it. My stomach sank. Please no more reporters. Not another neighbor with questions they were too polite to keep to themselves.I approached the door slowly and looked through the peephole.Caleb.I sighed out in relief. At least, this I could deal with. I opened the door partway. “What do you want?” I asked, placing my hand on my waist. He smiled a bit, “Can I at least come in?”I didn’t move, I just stared at him. “I’m not here to fight,” he said, holding up a folder like it was supposed to be a proof of peace. “Just here to talk. Give me five minutes.”I stepped aside without a word.He walked in like he’d been here before. Like the space didn’t feel too small

Riley’s Pov The second I stepped into my house, I dropped my purse onto the couch. A copy of the contract was still tucked inside. I didn’t need to pull it out—I could already feel it burning through the fabric, reminding me that I’d signed away something I couldn’t get back. I kicked off my heels and waltzed toward my bedroom like someone walking through water. Each one of my limbs felt heavy and my thoughts even heavier. The bed welcomed me like it knew what I was going through. I collapsed onto it, not bothering to change, not even bothering to turn on the light. My eyes traced the cracks in the ceiling while my heart tried to make sense of it all. Jax Maddox. The name used to mean something to me. But now I didn’t even know what to think. The kiss had meant something to me…God, I wished it hadn’t, but it did. The way his hand gripped my waist. The way his eyes lingered on mine like they were the only thing in the room. The softness of lips when it met mine. And then… he fired

Camilla’s PovI didn’t mean to watch it. The TV was just on.I was half-lying on the chaise, flipping through a baby catalog with glossy pages filled with things I hadn’t even ordered yet—cashmere blankets, a custom crib that cost more than my first apartment, organic pillows shaped like little clouds.My lover sat on the other end of the couch, scrolling through her phone like she hadn’t been bored out of her mind for the past three days. She barely looked at me anymore. Which was fine. I wasn’t exactly in a sharing emotions kind of mood right now.The midwife hadn’t texted back. I’d called her three times already today.I sighed, then tossed the catalog down and adjusted my robe. “You’d think with the amount I’m paying, I wouldn’t be left on read.”She still said nothing, just the tap of her fake nails on glass.And then—like a slap I didn’t see coming—the anchor’s voice from the television cut through the room.“Coming up next: Jax Maddox and his public confirmation of the relation