Chapter 399
Chapter 399:
With an important meeting ahead, Meredith prepared to leave, her heels clicking briskly against the floor. But just before stepping out, she paused and turned to face Helena. After a brief silence, her voice softened, just slightly. “Helena, you’re the most talented person I’ve worked with over the years. But I don’t run this station, and I can’t hold the anchor desk for you indefinitely. I hope you’ll think clearly and not let emotions cloud your decision p>
She didn’t wait for a response. With composed strides, she exited the room.
Helena’s gaze lingered on Meredith’s retreating figure—strong, elegant, unyielding—and with a quiet breath, she exhaled the weight she’d been carrying in silence.
Meanwhile, Dominick hadn’t left the office yet—he was occupied flipping through a few lingering files. His friendship with Helena ran deep, and he was already aware of Alden’s upcoming surgery overseas.
So when he overheard Meredith’s words, the pieces fell into place almost immediately.
“Helena, what’s your plan now?” he asked quietly, approaching her once they were alone.
At that moment, Helena was about to hand off the news script to the backup anchor. With her position hanging by a thread, she had decided to step aside voluntarily, hoping to spare Meredith any further tension with upper management.
Hearing Dominick’s question, Helena sighed. “I don’t want to give up this role. I really don’t want to let Ms. Sutter down. But… Alden’s injury was because of me. If I leave him to face this alone, I’ll never forgive myself p>
Dominick gave a slow nod, his expression thoughtful. After glancing at the neatly printed script still in Helena’s hands, he offered gently, “Since Ms. Sutter gave this to you, why not anchor today’s news? Just this once more p>
Understanding Helena’s habit of handling burdens silently, he added more carefully, “You know how hard Ms. Sutter fights for you with the execs. But you’re—
Far more capable than the substitute, keeping you on air is in her best interest too p>
After a long stretch of silence, Helena finally nodded and whispered a soft, “Okay p>
That entire day, she held herself together, going through the motions as if everything were still intact.
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When her shift ended, she didn’t linger—just gathered her things and made her way straight home.
Alden, who had spent the last couple of days preparing for his departure, hadn’t set foot in the office recently. By now, he’d usually be home, waiting with a quiet smile and a warm meal.
But stepping into the apartment this evening, Helena was greeted by an unfamiliar stillness, no signs of him anywhere.
Just as Helena reached for her phone to call Alden, her gaze landed on something resting on the table.
There it was, a note, unmistakably in Alden’s handwriting, each stroke confident and sharp.
The message was simple, but it hit her like a wave: “Wait for me to come back p>
A wave of panic rushed over Helena. She quickly grabbed her phone, prepared to call Alden. But just as she was about to dial, there was a knock at the door.