Chapter 133

Part 4

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.

Roald Dahl

"Thank God that's over!" Nicole groaned as they walked together to their desks on the second floor, preparing for the next morning's interview.

"I am never interviewing another gastroenterologist again. All that man talked about was constipation, indigestion, and diarrhea. Literal shit! I mean, come on! Thank God that's over!"

Mia laughed, amused by her partner's obvious discomfort. The interview that morning had been with a successful gastroenterologist who also ran a large herbal product company. The topics had certainly been less than glamorous.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad!" Mia cajoled, trying to lighten the mood. "Plus, now we know how to diagnose our digestive health just by looking at our... uh, you know, poop. If it's slightly green, it's probably because—"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Nicole cried, clapping her hands over her ears. "I am not listening to that again... or I will throw up!"

"Okay, okay!" Mia laughed, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I was just teasing you."

"Sure," Nicole replied, rolling her eyes. "In a month’s time, you’re going to be hosting the evening show, holding interesting debates on big political issues or Hollywood scandals, and I’ll still be stuck here dealing with shit!"

Mia's laughter faded, and she looked at her friend earnestly. "I'm sorry, Nicole. You’re my closest friend, and I wish more than anything that we could have gotten that promotion together. Really, I do. I’ll miss working and laughing with you, but don’t give up. Soon, you’ll get that promotion too, and we’ll host a show together again."

Nicole’s expression softened, and she smiled widely. "And you can bet on it! The moment I find another banker or any rich, arrogant ass, I’m going to tear him from limb to limb on national television and then demand my promotion from Tony." They giggled together, feeling a renewed sense of camaraderie as they prepared to start their work.

As they settled into their desks, Isla, the news director of the morning show, walked by and shot Mia a dirty look. Isla had done her best to get Mia fired after the disastrous interview with Oliver Ryan, but her efforts had failed spectacularly when Mia was promoted instead. The memory of Mia sticking her tongue out at Isla for the entire crew to see after her promotion was still fresh, and it clearly still stung Isla's pride.

Mia ignored Isla's glare, focusing instead on the stack of papers in front of her. "So, what do we have lined up for tomorrow's show?" she asked Nicole, eager to shift the conversation away from their earlier discomfort.

Nicole sighed, flipping through her notes. "We have an environmental activist, a tech startup CEO, and a segment on mental health awareness."

"Sounds like a full day," Mia said, her tone turning serious. "Let's make sure we're well-prepared. The last thing we need is another incident like the one with Oliver Ryan."

"Agreed," Nicole nodded. "But first, let’s grab a coffee. I need something to wash away the memory of that gastroenterologist."

They both laughed, heading towards the break room. Despite the morning’s unpleasantness, the day ahead felt promising.

It was almost 2 o'clock when Mia closed her notebook and laptop, stretching her arms to shake off the fatigue. She turned to Nicole, who was engrossed in her own work. "I am starving!" Mia declared, grabbing her purse and phone. "Want to grab lunch somewhere?"

"Sure!" Nicole replied, organizing her things before standing up. They left their desks together, eager for a break.

"So, where would you like to go?" Mia asked as they walked towards the elevator. "The new Chinese restaurant on the next street?"

"Nah, I'm more in the mood for some street food. How about a plate of meat pie? Or sausage rolls?" Nicole suggested, laughing when Mia's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "And maybe a vanilla slice on the way back?"

"Perfect! I'm already salivating just thinking about it," Mia said, quickening her pace. "Come on, let's go!"

They turned towards the main gate of the studio, chatting animatedly about their lunch plans. In her excitement, Nicole wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and collided with someone. Papers flew everywhere, and she stumbled back, flustered.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Nicole exclaimed, blushing furiously when she realized she had walked straight into Tim, the handsome accountant from the financial department, on whom she had a massive crush since day one.

"It's fine," Tim said with a charming smile, his perfect white teeth gleaming. Mia suppressed a laugh as she watched Nicole practically melt on the spot, her eyes wide and dreamy as she gazed at him.

Oblivious to Nicole's swooning, Tim asked, "So, you girls heading out for lunch?"

"Yes," Mia replied, giving Nicole a nudge to snap her out of her daze.

"To the canteen or somewhere specific, if I may ask?" Tim continued. Mia and Nicole exchanged a quick look.

"Actually, we hadn't really decided yet," Nicole muttered, trying to regain her composure. They could hardly admit they were craving greasy, spicy street food.

"Then allow me to take you both to that new Chinese place nearby that just opened last week," Tim suggested.

"Why not!" Mia said, a little surprised but pleased by the offer.

"Sure!" Nicole echoed, still blushing. They exchanged awkward glances but followed Tim out of the building, their initial street food plans forgotten.

As they walked, Tim turned to Mia. "So, Mia, I heard you got a promotion for the evening show. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Mia replied gracefully. "It was a lucky break, really." She smiled, though the image of Oliver Ryan’s brooding, chiseled features flashed in her mind, making her realize it had been anything but lucky.

The new Chinese place, Shanghai Bowl, was two streets away. As Mia, Nicole, and Tim walked, they chatted amicably about work, their laughter mingling with the city's afternoon buzz.

However, as they approached the entrance, Mia’s steps faltered. Her heart skipped a beat when she spotted a man she never wanted to see again: Adam Ryan. He was leaning against the wall, engrossed in his phone. Mia’s sudden halt made Nicole and Tim look at her quizzically.

"Let's go," Mia urged, her voice a bit shaky. She hoped Adam wouldn’t look up and recognize her. With any luck, he’d stay buried in his phone.

'Please, God, please,' she prayed silently, willing herself to walk past him unnoticed. The last thing she needed was another encounter with the Ryan family—the arrogant elder brother and the younger one, who was probably a drug addict.

But her prayers went unanswered. As they passed him, Adam looked up, his gaze locking onto her. Recognition sparked in his eyes.

"Hey, Mia White, isn't it?" His smooth voice cut through the hum of the crowd inside the restaurant. Mia’s stomach twisted in knots. She had no choice but to turn and face the man she had once bailed out of jail—a decision she regretted deeply.

"Hey," she said, tilting her head in a mock greeting. "Adam, nice to see you...having lunch?"

She forced a smile, desperate to get away. "Well, I must go. I'm a bit busy right now."

She turned, ready to flee, but a strong hand gripped her shoulder. "Mia, please, can we talk for a moment?"

Mia groaned inwardly. 'Shit!' she thought. Refusing him in a crowded restaurant would only create a scene. She plastered on a polite smile. "Sure," she said without enthusiasm. Turning to her friends, she added, "Please go ahead and order. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Look, I just wanted to say thank you for bailing me out that night and also to apologize for how my brother behaved," Adam began once they found a secluded corner.

"It's fine," Mia replied curtly, counting the seconds until she could escape. But Adam didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

"No, of course it's not fine. You helped me out, and I promised to give you the full story about my brother. He had to barge in and ruin it, but I still owe you that explanation." He flashed a lopsided grin, but Mia barely shrugged.

"Thank you for your offer, but I'll have to decline. Your brother made it clear that whatever you were going to tell me is some kind of family secret that I have no business knowing." Mia turned to leave, but Adam caught her arm.

"Wait, please!" he implored. "Alright, you don’t want to know the story, fine. But at least let me thank you properly for helping me out."

"You already have thanked me," Mia said, her restlessness growing. Something about Adam made her uneasy, and his insistence was making her nervous. She just wanted to leave.

"Have dinner with me on Friday," he blurted out, catching her off guard. She instinctively took two steps back, trying to come up with a polite excuse, though she wanted to scream 'No!' in his face.

"I-I am..." Mia stammered, but Adam seemed to sense her refusal coming. He grasped her fingers tightly.

"It's just a charity gala. Please, come with me as a friend."

"I-I'll see if I'm free and let you know," she said, pulling her hand back quickly. She would rather cut off her nose than go anywhere with this man, but for now, her priority was to escape.

"Here's my card. Just let me know." Adam handed her a business card. "Thank you," he called after her as Mia hurried away, her appetite completely gone.

Back inside, Nicole and Tim were already seated, menus in hand. They looked up as Mia approached, concern etched on their faces.

"Everything okay?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah, just someone I used to know," Mia replied, sliding into her seat and trying to push the encounter out of her mind. The tantalizing aroma of Chinese food did little to revive her appetite, but she forced herself to focus on the menu.

As the waiter came to take their orders, Mia could feel Adam’s business card burning a hole in her pocket. She resolved to deal with it later, hoping the rest of the day would be less eventful.

For the next three days, Mia cursed herself repeatedly for getting involved in this mess. As a strong, independent woman, she rarely felt scared, but in this instance, she wished her brothers were around to scare Adam Ryan away.

On Friday morning, Mia decided to nip the situation in the bud. She called the number on the card Adam had given her, but nobody answered. Relieved, she left a message saying she couldn’t attend the charity gala because of work commitments. After hanging up, she sighed in relief, thinking it was over.

But it wasn’t.

That evening, after work, Mia returned to her apartment, exhausted and ready to unwind. As she approached her door, her heart sank. There stood Adam Ryan, clad in a tuxedo and holding a bouquet of red roses. His wolfish grin sent a cold shiver down her spine.

"Ho-How did you find my address?" she stammered, fumbling for her phone in her purse, ready to dial 000 if necessary.

"Oh, the charming lady at your office told me—what was her name? Yes, Isla. She was nice enough to tell me where you live after I got your disturbing message that you wouldn’t be coming to the charity gala with me. So, I thought I'd surprise you here and try to change your mind."

'Damn that bitch Isla!' Mia cursed under her breath. She had bigger problems now.

"Cha-change my mind?" Mia's voice wavered. This was beyond creepy. Why wouldn’t this guy just leave her alone? The fact that he had pumped her address out of Isla just to have dinner with her seemed too unlikely. There had to be some ulterior motive behind this whole charade.

"Please, Mia, come to this charity gala with me," Adam pleaded, flashing another chauvinistic, lopsided grin as he handed her the bouquet. Mia’s annoyance only deepened.

"I’m sorry, but I told you I can’t come. I have work."

"Fine then!" Adam huffed, his expression hardening. "Perhaps you’ll agree to have lunch with me tomorrow." Mia shuddered. This conversation was going nowhere. She realized just how deep she was in this mess and saw no clear way out.

She stood there silently, outside her door, contemplating her choices. The options were limited, and none seemed appealing.

"Fine," she finally said, her voice resigned. "I will come to this charity gala with you tonight if you promise to never bother me again."

"You hurt me," Adam said with a mock-pained expression. "Is my company that bad?"

Mia didn’t respond, her expression stern. Finally, Adam relented.

"Fine then. Come with me tonight, and I will never bother you again."

---

By the time they reached the venue, it was almost 9 o’clock. The charity gala was being held at Dynamics, a five-star hotel in the center of Sydney, shining brightly against the night sky. The valet took Adam’s BMW to park while they walked into the grand hall, filled with the upper crust of society.

They wandered around together, Adam mingling and greeting people he knew. Most looked like rich, spoiled brats, but Mia held her judgment. The event was undoubtedly high-profile, evidenced by the number of TV stars and famous sports personalities she encountered.

Mia spotted Tony Zacharia, her boss and producer of News Lift channel, and was about to say hello when her eyes caught sight of someone else in the crowd. Oliver Ryan’s dark eyes were locked onto her, and they were furious.

Her breath caught in her throat. The intensity of his gaze made her want to shrink back, but she stood her ground. Adam seemed oblivious, chatting animatedly with a group of well-dressed socialites. Mia felt a wave of frustration. Here she was, caught in the middle of a family feud she had no part in, and Oliver Ryan looked ready to explode.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. 'Stay calm,' she told herself. 'This night will be over soon.' But the unease didn’t dissipate, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get much more complicated.