The Ex's Revenge: Escaping the Hollywood Alpha Novel

When I got back to the West Hollywood office, no one was there.But I still called LAPD."Stella, I really didn't mean to. Carter said there were some legal contracts he needed backup copies of from your place, so I...""So you decided to try guessing my door code?""I sent you iMessages but you didn't reply.""Just because I didn't respond, you thought you could break into my private property?If I hadn't changed the password yesterday, were you planning to go inside and make yourself some coffee?"I stared expressionlessly at Hailey, who looked ready to cry at any moment.I felt like this scene was missing its main character.The next second, the glass doors of the police station burst open.Of course—Carter hadn't arrived yet, so how could she start crying?"Carter!" Hailey immediately stood up, her voice trembling as she explained. "I really didn't mean any harm.I know Stella doesn't like me, and I was afraid she'd be angry, so I thought I'd just grab the contracts and leave... I was really only there for the contracts, I swear."Carter was still catching his breath.That office was the place Carter and I had rented together when we first came to Los Angeles.When we were at our poorest, we couldn't even afford a mattress—we slept in discounted sleeping bags.Later, when he became a multimillionaire and bought a mansion in Beverly Hills, I got my own high-end apartment downtown.But I still preferred working from that old office.It was filled with early audition tapes, fan letters, rejected scripts—wrapped in the illusion of "shared struggle."It meant everything to me."What the hell is going on here? Why are we at a police station?"Carter's tone was harsh, but his gaze was fixed directly on me.Hailey bit her lip, holding back tears, looking utterly humiliated."It's all my fault. Stella had nothing to do with it."The bodyguard who'd followed Carter quickly stepped forward, flashing an apologetic smile at the white female officer nearby."Officer, just a misunderstanding. They all know each other. Sorry for the trouble."The officer wasn't buying it. She just looked at me sternly.Carter seized the moment to grab my wrist, pulling me into the hallway and lowering his voice."She didn't take anything. You can be mad at me all you want, but why target her? And bringing it to the police station? If TMZ gets photos of this, how are you going to handle that PR nightmare?""Did you give her the door code?" I looked at him coldly.His face tightened, and he looked away. "She just asked me...""So you authorized her to enter?""Enough, Stella! She's my assistant. What's wrong with her getting a contract that belongs to me?You really want LAPD to arrest her? How would you explain that to Amanda? When this hits the news, you'll be the one cleaning up the mess anyway."He still didn't know I'd resigned."Carter, do you see yourself as some kind of righteous hero? Do you think I'm deliberately making things difficult for her just to spite you? The fact is, she attempted to break into my private property without permission.I called the police to protect my rights. But you think I'm in the wrong and she's the victim?""Carter, this is all my fault." Hailey stood in the doorway, sobbing."Stella, I'll apologize however you want, pay whatever compensation you ask. Please just drop the charges? If I get a criminal record, my life is over."Her pathetic act made my stomach turn.I was about to speak when Carter waved dismissively. "Don't push it, Stella. That office is titled under my name anyway."He turned and walked through the glass doors to talk to the police.Right. How could I forget? When we bought that office, it was under his name, with his money.I'd just been occupying it so long, I'd developed delusions of ownership."Let's go. The Escalade's outside." A few minutes later, Carter emerged, positioning himself between Hailey and me, pointing toward the black armored SUV at the curb."No thanks. I don't like feeling crowded."I walked toward my own car without hesitation.