Lust & Love
"She's just a bitter, jealous nightmare because you have actual talent and she doesn't. Nobody who actually knows your work believes her."
Hazel forced a tight, rigid smile, nodding at Ben. "Right. It's just jealousy."
But inside, her blood had turned to ice. A sickening wave of doubt crashed over her. The rumor was meant to be a malicious lie, but the core of it was terrifyingly true. She was sleeping with Xavier. She was tied to him in a dark, exclusive contract. A dark, insidious thought crept into her mind: Did he give me the Marcus Account because of my body? Was my talent actually meaningless to him?