Even though Sasha wasn’t familiar with Preor Tower, she was used to being in new and strange places for her various shoots and interviews. With a bit of hunting through the top floor, she finally found the elevator and headed for the lobby.
Her stomach clenched on the way down, tightening and squirming as she traveled closer and closer to the impending confrontation. Standing up to her mother always had this effect on her and today was no different. She knew she had found something worth fighting for, and this time, she could not stop. No matter how much it scared her, she couldn’t—wouldn’t—back down.
She heard the roar of the crowd as the doors opened into the lobby. The people she usually addressed were happy, excited, and content. They cheered for joy and expected to be entertained and made to smile or laugh.
This mob howled for blood. They didn’t even know whose they craved. Every person out there ran on rage, and it wouldn’t take much to set them off into a frenzy of fighting. The two sides were very clear as she approached the podium, shoving each other as they tried to get closer to the platform that had been erected. Melissa and Jarek stood before them, holding hands and speaking gently into the microphone.
As Sasha took long, firm strides across the tile in her high heels, she took a deep breath. She flipped her wild hair over her shoulder and summoned her biggest smile. This would be her greatest performance ever.
She walked out into the flashing of cameras, and the screaming of the crowd cascaded around her like a physical being. She came level with Melissa and Jarek and put a hand on each of their shoulders. They jolted and looked around in surprise, both of them visibly relieved when they recognized her. As Sasha stepped between them to take the mic, she noticed her mother right at the foot of the stage.
She clutched a big megaphone and shoved herself against people to maintain her position. It was only a matter of seconds until punches would be thrown. Sasha reached for the mic and pointed at a nearby cameraman. He immediately trained on her and Sasha saw her face appear on all the screens in the area.
“Hi, everyone.” She beamed. “I’m back!”
The crowd let out a collective shout of joy and she breathed a sigh of relief. This was going to be easier than she thought. Both sides had been drawn together in solidarity the second she spoke.
“Sasha!” her mother screamed. She climbed the stage and threw her arms around her daughter. Sasha wanted to peel her mother off, and even though she managed not to recoil, she didn’t return her mother’s embrace either.
“Where have you been? What did they do to you?” Jenna shook her arm roughly and peered over Sasha’s shoulder at Jarek as if he was the cause of all of humanity’s problems.
Sasha smiled and tilted her head toward the cameraman. She made sure her mouth was close to the mic so her voice would carry to the crowd. “I’m perfectly all right. I was just taking a tour of the ship.” She waved to the crowd, displaying the carefree happiness that was her trademark. People knew Sasha Dane didn’t act a certain way to create a good image. She was genuinely kind. All her fans knew about her charity work and her dedication to others.
“Nonsense!” her mother snapped. “You were kidnapped. I have the footage.”
“Whelon was simply helping me into the shuttle, Mother.”
“You’re under an alien spell. We need to get you to a doctor.”
Sasha sighed and turned away from her mother’s angry face to address the crowd. “The Preor do not ‘choose’ a mate out of a hat. It’s a process beyond emotion. The bonding that occurs means you will be together forever. It’s true love in a way humanity has never known. It makes them humble and gives them humility. It has made all of them incredibly disciplined and patient. In the absence of the mate bond, a Preor—”
“Shut up!” her mother hissed low, for Sasha’s ears only. “What is this fucking shit? You’re selling fairytales? This is pathetic, Sasha. You’re using the weakest possible argument to fuel your own agenda and I won’t have it.”
Sasha stared at her mother in wide-eyed, cold disbelief. Her mother had never spoken to her like that before, and she was utterly astounded Jenna could accuse anyone of something she herself was clearly doing.
Does she really think I’m that stupid? Sasha thought with despair. Does she think she could get an argument like that past me?
They glared at each other, Sasha not backing down. Her mother stared for only a few seconds, and Sasha spied the tic at her mother’s mouth that meant she was about to unleash hell on Earth. Her eyes crept to the crowd and back to Sasha once more, realizing she couldn’t tear Sasha apart in front of her audience.
Jenna’s features flashed confidence again and as she stepped forward to the mic, Sasha knew she was going to work the crowd as her weapon. Sasha’s stomach twisted, but she stayed put, waiting for the next onslaught from her mother.
“If this is as you say, Daughter,” her mother began with some flair, “then you will come with me and leave the tower—of your own free will.”
Sasha pulled her lips into the biggest smile she could manage, waved to the crowd and blew them a kiss. “Of course, Mother. Let’s head off now. I’ll be back soon!” She smiled for the camera one more time and followed her mother off the podium.
They quickly went around the side of the exterior of Preor Tower and jumped into a waiting car. Sasha noticed Dave drove and assumed her mother had the other mercenaries stationed around the building. Jenna liked to be prepared for anything.
“Thank God I got you out of there. You look good, for a change. I’ve got a spot for you on that gossip show tonight so we better get moving.”
“No.” Sasha ignored the insults and prepared herself to stand her ground.
“No?” her mother echoed.
“No.” Sasha reiterated firmly. “You can’t force me onto any new programs. You can’t make me say what you want me to say. I’ve had enough.”
Her mother shook her head. “You’re simply brainwashed, sweetie!” Her tone was so thick and condescending it made Sasha ill. “You need to get right in the head and then we can talk.”
“No, Mother. I’m not going to change my mind.”
Jenna stared out the window, muttering to herself. She reached over and absently patted Sasha’s knee. “Yes, dear. Of course.”
Shaking her head, Sasha realized her mother wasn’t even listening to her. With a sinking heart, she realized Jenna never would listen to what she had to say. She had been waiting for this moment—the day she could declare Sasha incompetent and take full control of her career and her life.
There would be more fights tonight as she refused to do whatever press conferences or interviews her mother had scheduled. All she wanted was to run back to Whelon and the ship, but if she abandoned Earth now, the Preor were finished. It really would look like programming if she returned to him so quickly.
She might have to give up everything she had built if she decided to be with Whelon. Sasha truly enjoyed her work and loved being a trusted figure in the media—even when she was only testing out the latest bikini trends.
She didn’t agree with moving into “serious” news. She felt like a fake after her years of fashion advice and soap operas. Now that it was obvious Jenna was using her to push her own agenda, Sasha knew she had to get out of news all together.