On Aug. 21, Jonesworks founder Stephanie Jones called publicist Jen Abel into the office. The two women had been in the thick of a grueling crisis PR campaign on behalf of client Justin Baldoni, the “It Ends With Us” director and the subject of incessant media coverage thanks to a mysterious rift with the film’s star, Blake Lively.

But Jones wasn’t looking to strategize over the latest headlines. Instead, Abel was met by a security guard and an attorney and handed a document to sign and told to relinquish her phone. Jones had caught wind of the fact that Abel was poised to leave and start her own firm. Jonesworks had been hemorrhaging star clients like Dwayne Johnson and Jeff Bezos over the past year.

Jones was not in the meeting, which was conducted by her chief of staff. Later, Abel wrote to a colleague, “Steph won’t face me.