All Chapters of Inappropriate Conduct : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Chapter Sixty-Two — Unveiled ThreatsJulianJulian landed at O'Hare just after midnight, the city lights smearing into streaks through the rain-streaked window of the cab. Tokyo had been fourteen hours of meetings, jet lag, and the constant, low-grade ache of missing Jamie. Fourteen hours of pretending the distance was strategic when really it was cowardice dressed up as professionalism. He’d told himself the time apart would give them both clarity. It hadn’t. It had only made the silence louder.His phone buzzed the second he stepped into his apartment—three missed calls from Levi, a string of texts from HR, and one forwarded email from an unfamiliar address that made his stomach drop before he even opened it.**From:** Ethan Caldwell **Subject:** Opportunity – and a Conversation We Should Have Julian,I’ve been watching Jamie Reyes’s work. Impressive. Black + Lane is lucky to have him. But talent like that doesn’t stay buried under someone else’s shadow forever. I’m offering hi

Chapter Sixty-Four — Fractured BondsLeviLevi had never been good at waiting.He paced the length of his office like a caged animal, phone pressed to his ear, listening to the hold music from the private investigator he’d quietly hired three days ago. The kind of PI who didn’t ask questions and didn’t bill by the hour—family friends only.The line clicked.“Black,” the voice on the other end said, low and gravelly. “You’re gonna want to sit down.”Levi didn’t sit. “Talk.”“Ethan Caldwell didn’t just dig up old emails. He’s got originals—scans from Aaron’s personal drive. Screenshots of conversations that never made it to the company servers. Nothing criminal, but plenty of context. Dates. Hotels. Late-night promises. Enough to paint Julian as the guy who broke a man who was already fragile.”Levi’s grip tightened on the phone. “How’d he get them?”“Family access. Aaron’s mother kept everything after the funeral. Ethan’s her nephew. He’s been sitting on it for years, waiting for the r

Chapter Sixty-Six — Pitch of a LifetimeJamieThe conference room smelled like fresh coffee and panic.Thirty minutes until the biggest client presentation of the year—Vanguard Media, the streaming giant everyone in Chicago was chasing—and the entire creative team was still scrambling. Slides weren’t final. The motion graphics sequence Jamie had rebuilt overnight kept glitching on the demo laptop. And somewhere in the back of his mind, the viral photo from this morning still burned behind his eyelids.Jamie stood at the head of the table, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hair a mess from running his hands through it for the last two hours. He looked around at the team—wide-eyed juniors, exhausted seniors, Avery perched on the edge of the conference table like she was ready to fight anyone who breathed wrong.“Alright,” Jamie said, voice steadier than he felt. “We’ve got one shot. No second takes. No do-overs. So let’s make it count.”Avery raised her hand like they were in school. “Permi

Chapter Sixty-Eight — Board ShowdownJamieThe boardroom smelled of polished mahogany and old money.Twenty-three people sat around the long table—suits in varying shades of charcoal and navy, faces carved from decades of mergers, layoffs, and quiet power plays. Eleanor Price, chairwoman, presided at the head like a queen on a chessboard. Her eyes flicked between Julian and Jamie as they entered together, no space between them, no pretense of distance.Jamie felt every gaze like static on his skin.Julian pulled out a chair for him—subtle, old-fashioned, protective—then took the seat beside him. Levi entered last, closing the double doors with a soft click that sounded final.Eleanor didn’t waste time on pleasantries.“Gentlemen,” she said, voice cool and clipped. “We’ve reviewed the memo. The press coverage. The client feedback from yesterday’s Vanguard pitch.” A pause. “Impressive work, Mr. Reyes. But impressive doesn’t erase optics.”Jamie met her eyes. “Optics don’t erase talent e

Chapter Seventy — Mended BondsLeviLevi’s apartment wasn’t built for this many people.The open-plan loft—high ceilings, exposed brick, too much glass—usually felt cavernous and cold. Tonight it felt alive. Warm. Crowded in the best way.Avery had claimed the kitchen island like a throne, pouring wine into mismatched glasses and narrating the board meeting drama with theatrical flair. Jamie sat cross-legged on the rug in front of the fireplace, still in the same hoodie from the cabin weekend, looking softer around the edges than Levi had ever seen him. Julian stood at the window, sleeves rolled, staring at the city lights like he still couldn’t quite believe they’d survived the day.Levi carried in the last tray—takeout containers from the Thai place down the block, extra spring rolls because Avery had threatened mutiny otherwise—and set it on the coffee table.“Food first,” he announced. “Strategy later. Or never. We’ve earned a night off.”Avery snorted. “Speak for yourself. I’m st