December 5, Thursday

"THE NEW ending is brilliant," Bruce said, his voice uncharacteristically warm. "Lady Kate discovering her own kind of magic, choosing to believe in herself rather than waiting for Lord Stonecraft to solve her problems... it's perfect."

I smiled, curling up in Rose's window seat. "Better than the original?"

"Much. The whole 'grand revelation in the rose garden' thing was a bit cliché anyway."

My smile faded as I remembered Curtis posting that ending online. "About that..."

"Ah." Bruce's tone cooled. "Yes. The board is still concerned about his claims."

"Even though I rewrote the ending completely?"

"They're more worried about his assertions about your previous books. His social media following keeps growing, and his story about being your ghostwriter is gaining traction."

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. Outside, frost glittered on the grass like scattered diamonds. "What do they want me to do?"

"Prove he's lying. Or..." He hesitated. "Make him stop."

"How? He won't retract his statements unless I pay him an obscene amount of money."

"Then pay him."

"Bruce!"

"I'm serious, Josie. Sometimes it's worth paying the villain to go away." He sighed heavily. "Just... think about it, okay?"

After we hung up, I sat watching my breath fog the window, thinking about all the ways I'd tried to make Curtis go away. The curses I'd asked Tilda to cast, believing they'd caused his accidents. The vivianite crystals I'd bought from Franny, thinking they held some mystical power.

What a fool I'd been.

Curtis's broken arms? He was just drunk and showing off at that party. His broken legs? Manhattan traffic was dangerous enough without invoking the supernatural. I'd let Irving's atmosphere of mystery and magic cloud my judgment, made me see connections that weren't there.

Maybe Bruce was right. Maybe it was time to handle this the old-fashioned way – with lawyers and bank transfers and carefully worded non-disclosure agreements.

But could I really give Curtis what he wanted? Let him win again in the short-term for long-term peace?

I'd have to ask my mother for the money, and our last conversation hadn't exactly ended on friendly terms.

I sighed, then texted Bruce: Give me a little more time. I'm working on a solution.