Chapter 127
Chapter 127:
Inside the bustling Nexus TV office, Helena was in the midst of a tense negotiation with Lucas, pleading for a schedule adjustment. Despite her efforts, Lucas remained unyielding. Frustrated, she turned to her colleagues, hoping for a shift swap.
Many had their hands full with crucial assignments and regretfully couldn’t accommodate her request. Others shrank back, haunted by the fear of Lucas’s notorious retribution, unwilling to step forward. Then there was Betsey, who not only rebuffed Helena’s plea but filled her refusal with cutting remarks, thinly veiled in sarcasm, clearly relishing the prospect of Helena’s predicament.
Amid this turmoil, Helena felt her anxiety and disappointment surge, a tumultuous storm brewing within her. Thankfully, Dominick and Tessa remained steadfast by her side, offering silent support, though their options to help were limited.
After a moment of silence, Dominick finally said, his voice firm yet soothing, “Listen, I manage the assessments. I’ll make sure you’re the last one today. And about the van—don’t worry. I know the driver. I’ll have a word with him to wait specifically for you. Right after the flower exhibition ends, he’ll take you back here in no time p>
With that, he handed Helena a slip of paper with Leandro Moran’s number scribbled on it—the driver.
“Thank you, Dominick,” Helena replied, her voice thick with gratitude. Dominick shrugged, a wry smile playing on his lips. “Don’t mention it—we’re friends, aren’t we p>
With everything set in place, Helena and Tessa departed for the flower exhibition to cover its concluding day, while Betsey and Dominick dispersed to tackle their separate assignments elsewhere.
The flower exhibition wrapped up smoothly, blooming into a colorful success. By the time Helena glanced at her watch, the hands pointed to just past three.
The last candidate for the news anchor position was scheduled to arrive before the clock struck four.
Considering the distance between the flower exhibition and the station, Helena knew time was pressing. But if everything went smoothly, she’d make it in time.
However, when she was heading to the parking lot, her phone erupted with the shrill tone of a call from Leandro.
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“Ms. Ellis, I’m terribly sorry! I’ve been battling the…
Traffic has been at a standstill for over an hour now. The city’s gridlocked—I just can’t find a way through!” Leandro’s voice crackled with frustration over the line.
Helena, hearing the distress in his tone, couldn’t bring herself to blame him.
Meanwhile, Tessa immediately pulled up her map app to scout for a clearer path.
Her hands trembled as she passed her phone to Helena, revealing a sea of red indicating standstill traffic. “Helena, it’s chaos out there. Every route from the flower exhibition to the station is choked up. Leandro’s stuck, and at this rate, we won’t even get a cab p>
Witnessing the storm of anxiety in Tessa’s eyes, Helena quickly forced a faint smile, masking the sting of her own frustration beneath a fragile calm. “It’s fine. I’m still young. There will be more chances down the road p>
Tessa caught the edge of resilience in Helena’s smile and felt a pang of sympathy deepen for her.
Helena was just about to wrap Tessa in a comforting embrace when the sharp trill of her phone sliced through the moment.
It was Alden calling.
Not wanting Tessa to overhear and risk recognizing his voice, Helena quickly moved a few steps away, finding a quieter corner before answering the call.
“Is the flower exhibition done?” Alden’s voice, deep and resonant, filled her ear without waiting for a greeting.
Startled, Helena blurted out, “How did you know p>
Then, realization dawned—of course, he must have watched her live broadcast.
Alden, however, skirted her question, his tone subtly shifting. “The flowers looked stunning, and your coverage was perfect. But… your voice—it sounds off. Did something happen p>
His voice was steady, underlaid with a touch of soft concern that made Helena hesitate.
She didn’t want to pull him into the mess she was dealing with, so she brushed it off with a firm, “It’s nothing p>
A dry laugh slipped through the phone, mocking and unclear—was it for her, or himself?
Helena was utterly baffled about what she had done to displease Alden this time.
Since she missed her chance at the news anchor assessment, her chest already felt heavy enough—she didn’t have the energy to argue or untangle Alden’s moods.
As she sighed, ready to disconnect the call, a sudden uproar erupted around her.
“Look! A helicopter p>
“Yeah, it’s massive! Looks like it’s heading our way p>
The approaching thrum of the helicopter’s blades soon filled the air, drawing everyone’s attention skyward, including Helena’s.
As she glanced up, the helicopter loomed closer and closer, eventually hovering directly in front of her.
The helicopter’s spinning blades stirred up sharp, icy gusts, sending people stumbling back, shielding their faces and ducking instinctively. Helena instinctively turned to step back—until her gaze lifted, and her breath caught. Through the cabin’s narrow window, a pair of eyes locked onto hers—sharp, intense, and unmistakably familiar.
Those eyes—usually cool and unreadable—now burned with barely restrained fury, their calm surface fractured by something simmering just beneath.
It was none other than Alden!
The shock hit her like a slap. Her body stiffened, her feet rooted to the pavement as her mind scrambled to catch up.
The cabin door swung open with a metallic hiss, and Alden’s voice cut through the roar of the propellers. “Are you just going to stand there?” he called out.
The sharp edge in his tone jolted Helena out of her daze. Only then did she realize—they had an audience. Curious bystanders had already started whispering and staring.
Panic stirred in her chest. If even one person recognized Alden, it could blow everything wide open. Without another second of hesitation, she ducked her head and hurried into the helicopter.