The Final Countdown

Chapter 3

Cameron

The second I end the video chat with Maddie, I accept the call waiting on the other end, clutching my phone with white knuckles as I bring it to my ear. "Well?" I ask bitterly. "Did you do something about it?"

Brock, my new manager, scoffs on the other end. "We're doing everything we can, but we can't find where the video originated from."

"I told you where it originated from. It's on her fucking phone."

"That we currently don't have access to. The video showed up in my email under an unknown email address. There isn't proof that it was her who sent it, so we can't confiscate it."

"Then ask the police! Ask them to fucking trace it!"

"You really want to bring them into this? Cameron, if this video ever sees the light of day, you're done for. Whether or not the police aren't allowed to share it, it doesn't mean they won't. If someone got their hands on this tape, they could make thousands. It's best to keep this between your team for now. With people you trust."

My veins are thrumming with rage. I'm so pissed I can't sit down any longer, throwing the comforter off and rising to my feet to pace back and forth on the hardwood floors of my bedroom.

I thought Katie, my psychotic ex, deleted our sex tape. I watched her with my own two eyes. Now the video mysteriously shows up in my manager's inbox? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who sent it. I don't give a fuck if it's from an unknown email. I know it's her.

And the worst part? The email didn't come with any text. There wasn't a ransom attached or even so much as a threat. In a way, I almost wish there was. That way, I'd know it was definitely Katie coming back to ruin my life and not throwing my life in the balance, waiting for her to strike at the worst possible time.

What was the point of sending it? Does she want me to know she's still around? Is she wanting something from me? I thought this was all erased and thrown in the past. Now that it's returning at full force, I can't seem to drag air into my lungs.

If she still has our sex tape, does that mean she still has the video of Maddie doing drugs that night? Oh, god. She does, doesn't she? And Maddie has been studying her ass off abroad in Germany for the past ten months. If she knows Katie might be back, she'll never stay in Germany. She'll get on the next flight out to strangle her with her bare hands. I remember her last encounter with her at the charity gala, and it wasn't pretty.

"So, what does this mean?" I ask, realizing I've been sitting on the phone in silence. "Where do we go from here?"

"I think we wait and see if anything more follows this email. She must want something if she's who you're claiming her to be. We'll figure it out. If it's money, we'll send it and have this be done with."

"No way in hell," I sneer. "She's not going to get away with this! I want both of those videos deleted permanently. Give me Jack's number. I'm calling him."

Brock sighs. "I've been in contact with Jack, and your lawyer is on the same page. Until we figure out who is responsible for this, there's not much we can do."

"Hire a private investigator," I tell him. "I don't care how much it costs. Hire a tech wiz for all I care to trace the IP address. Just figure it out."

"Cameron—"

I end the call before I freak the fuck out, but my heart is racing, and my palms are sweating. I'm going into a full-blown anxiety attack as I stagger over to the window, attempting to take full breaths.