Love’n’Lust

When Belle went to her workplace the next day, she saw that everyone seemed to be extra busy. After she entered editor Khan’s office, he gave her some prints to arrange and put in order. When she didn’t move from where she stood as quickly as he expected, he had to scold her.

“What are you doing?! Get moving, there’s a lot to do, come on.” It was then she started to do what she was asked.

While sorting out the prints, she saw that they were different top headlines, all of which she had to put in place. She picked up the first print and saw herself on it and an unconscious gasp escaped her lips but she was quick to put a hand over her mouth.

It was a picture of her and Ben at the charity event. The headline read;

“Mr. Larkson seems to be angry at plus one whom he got the priceless piece for at City N.” Belle was only glad that she had a mask on that day as she watched the pic of Ben grabbing her. Keeping it, she picked up another and saw another of her picture, but it was taken on the red carpet when they arrived at the event that night.

“Put that one up first, then the other behind.” She heard editor Khan instruct.

“Yes sir,” she nodded and did just that.

Picking up another print, she saw a picture that almost terrified her so much that she dropped it, causing editor Khan to give her a look.

“Are you okay?” He had to ask. Belle nodded and picked it up. They were pictures of Tiger; one of him wearing the same mask he wore while he held her hostage, and one of his face uncovered.

“Andrew ‘Tiger’ Romer stabs himself to death in the prison cell.” She read the headline above his picture.

“Here, clip these to that,” Editor Khan handed some papers to her. She decided to read through it. It was a police report on how Tiger killed himself in his cell after finally being caught by the police. He was branded the “Invisible man” which had finally been caught by the police.

Belle couldn’t read more so she just clipped them together like she was told to and kept them aside, taking a deep breath to keep herself calm but the next headline she saw shocked her to the bone.

“Top model ‘Alex Koller’ overdoses on unprescribed drugs in her home.”

“About that…,” Belle was startled when her boss’s voice suddenly came from behind her, she had no idea he was standing and watching her stare at the headlines.”… Which do you think makes a better headline between these two?” He brought a new print bearing the same picture of Alex but with a different write-up, it read;

“Top model ‘Alex Koller’ found in pain at her home after an overdose.”

Belle just looked at the print, having no words to compare both headlines, she just shrugged.

“They are both okay.”

“I was expecting a more definitive answer from you, but I guess we will work with the first one. Hurry up with those, so we can submit them for review.” Editor Khan said before returning to his seat.

Belle’s mood became less happy with all she was seeing in the headlines ready to be submitted. With a pity sigh about Alex’s story, she picked the next one and it had her mouth open in surprise.

“Editor at the Crisp-tv media house MISSING.” Was the headline atop Nathan’s ID picture.

“Sir?” She immediately went to editor Khan’s desk.

“Yes?”

“Sir, is this true?” She asked, her voice shaky with fear.

“Oh. Yes, Nathan is missing.” Belle blinked in disbelief after what she just heard.”It’s almost like the staff of our company is being targeted, maybe someone’s angry at our publications.” Khan shook his head.”We just have to be very careful now, as media persons and journalists that we are. First, it was you, now Nathan.”

“O my god,” Belle swallowed a lump in her throat after a thought just hit her; Ben.

“Hey, relax. Hopefully, he would be found, just like you.” Editor Khan noticed how she was almost breaking down in tears. “What if he’s not found?” A tear fell from her eyes.

“He would be found, hopefully.” Her boss replied, trying not to be as worried as Belle was, or else he won’t be able to work efficiently.”I find it that you both were somehow close, is that why you are so worried? I mean, I am worried but it’s something that has happened before. Often, journalists are targeted for telling the public things that no one will singly step up to talk about. I will advise you to be calm, he will be found sooner than we expect, that’s what I believe. This is probably just a plan to threaten this media company.”

“Are we sure he is missing? I mean who confirmed this? And since when, this morning?” Belle went on to ask.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“You should know the company you work for, we don’t just publish without confirmation, and about Nathan’s disappearance? Since yesterday…”

“Yesterday?” Belle interrupted with a question because she was sure she saw Eric, Nathan’s assistant, running errands for him yesterday. Or did she? She had just assumed. She slapped her forehead.

“Yes, yesterday. He didn’t come to work and it was confirmed that he didn’t visit the branch company, so after work yesterday evening, I and some others went to his place to see that he was okay but he wasn’t there. An official complaint has been laid to the police.”

“O my god,” Belle rubbed her face as editor Khan heard her say this for the second time since their conversation started.

*****

Jenna rushed into the hospital ward as soon as she was validated and allowed to go in by the police and doctors who had been prohibiting any visits to Alex to avoid any more harm coming to her.

Jenna covered her mouth with both palms when she saw her best friend lying weakly on the hospital bed in the intensive care unit.

She dropped her bag on the ground near the bed and went closer to Alex. She saw that beneath her eyes were purple and her face was pale so she started to sob for her.

Alex opened her eyes slowly when she heard Jenna. A tear rolled down her face even as she lay but she was happier than sad at the moment. She was happy that Jenna was finally there with her. Jenna was the one person she was very sure wouldn’t believe whatever the media had spread around the City and beyond, and even if she did, she knew and trusted that Jenna wouldn’t judge her.

“I’m sorry,” She whispered to Jenna but she took her right hand with a smile.

“Come on, don’t,” Jenna told her with a smile.

“My fans must hate me so much now.” Another tear escaped her right eye.

“No, they don’t. At least, the real ones don’t.” Jenna assured her.”They are actually defending you online, they are behind you.”

“I messed up, Jenna” Alex inhaled loudly as another tear rolled down her eyes again.”I messed up big time.”

“Hey, no, don’t say that.”

“It’s true, I fucked up,” Alex said again. Jenna thought she was speaking of her overdose but Alex was actually talking about the little game she tried to play with Ben and how stupid of her it was; she knew Ben well enough to know he could do that to her but yet decided to play with him.

“I wish I could hug you right now but the doctors will kill me if I do that. I was told not to discomfort you when I get here.” Jenna informed her.

“Like it would be the first time you would be breaking a rule,” Alex joked and smiled when she heard Jenna laugh.