Alessia’s heart skipped a beat at his words, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away.She could feel the intensity of their connection, the electricity that sizzled between them.‘I should probably go,’ she said, her throat having gone dry. ‘It’s late.’Logan withdrew his hand and started the engine.As the car glided through the city streets, the atmosphere inside was tense, the silence speaking volumes.The ride home was surprisingly quiet, the previous intensity and passion now replaced with an air of contemplation.Logan cracked open the window, allowing the wind to carry away the heat from his face and cool down the flames of desire coursing through his veins.Alessia’s mind was racing, and she couldn’t help but replay the kiss—no, kisses—in her head.She wondered why she had let her guard down around Logan, why she hadn’t immediately reached for her pepper spray in self-defence, as she would with any other man.Her mind drifted to Brayden, and the thought of being touche
Logan couldn’t help but smile. ‘Maybe it is,’ he said, thinking about how much Alessia had impacted his life in such a short time.‘You know I’m not trying to pry into your love life. I’m asking for Arlie’s sake.’ Heath started walking down the street. ‘If you’re serious about her, maybe you should consider telling her about Arlie.’Logan’s smile faded slightly, and he looked contemplative. ‘I’ve thought about it, but it might be too soon,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to scare her away.’Heath nodded in understanding. ‘It’s a tricky situation, I get that,’ he said. ‘But if you want a serious relationship with her, she deserves to know the truth.’Logan appreciated Heath’s advice, knowing that his friend had his best interests at heart. ‘You’re right,’ he admitted. ‘I’ll think about it, but I want to take things slow for now.’‘Take your time, but don’t wait too long,’ Heath advised. ‘For some women, the existence of a child is a deal-breaker.’***Alessia dragged her weary body through the
‘…The physics behind the whip involves the transfer of energy from the person wielding the whip to the tip of the whip,’ Milo lectured, sitting up in bed. ‘When the whip is cracked, the tip of the whip moves faster than the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom that produces a loud cracking sound.’Alessia could only nod. ‘Sounds fascinating.’‘It is!’ Milo’s eyes glinted brightly. ‘I wonder what material they used to make the whip. Must be something flexible. Maybe leather. Or nylon.’Alessia promised she’d look into it.It was half past eleven when Milo finally went to sleep.Alessia washed up and climbed into bed.She slept in, since the next day was Sunday.She woke up, made breakfast for Milo and Veronica, and decided they could all use some fresh air.They headed to the park, where the laughter of children and the chirping of birds filled the air.Alessia watched Milo run towards the swings, his giggles infectious.She couldn’t help but smile as she pushed him on the swing.‘Hig
Alessia hesitated briefly, before nodding. ‘Yes, I’m up for the challenge.’‘Wow, Alessia’s really stepping up.’ This was Jan.‘Yeah, she’s brave. I wonder if she can handle it,’ another colleague said, not without a touch of jealousy.Wilda said, ‘All right then, Miss Jansen, you’re in charge of Lara’s responsibilities for now. Everybody else, continue with your regular tasks. We have deadlines to meet, and I expect everyone to give their best effort.’She turned to Alessia, ‘Miss Jansen, come into my office, please.’Jan said in a low voice, ‘Good luck, Alessia. You’ll need it.’The woman next to her nodded. ‘Yeah, she’s got big shoes to fill.’Alessia took a deep breath and made her way to the chief editor’s office.‘Close the door,’ Wilda said from her seat behind the imposing desk.Alessia obliged.With a discerning gaze, Wilda spoke, her voice laced with a hint of accusation. ‘I know it was you who sent me the anonymous email.’Alessia flinched but quickly recovered. ‘I didn’t s
Alessia stared at Wilda, amazed. ‘You’re really telling it like it is, huh?’Wilda flashed a wry smile and leaned back in her chair. ‘D*mn right I am. When I started BuzzBeat, it was meant to be a beacon of truth, not just another gossip rag. I wanted it to be the go-to for millennials—real news, inspiring tales, and lifestyle stuff that matters.’Alessia was intrigued. ‘I had no idea. That actually sounds like a paper I’d enjoy working for.’Then she quickly backtracked. ‘Of course, I don’t mean I’m not enjoying working here right now.’Wilda smiled and let it slide. ‘It’s fine.’A wistful look came into her eyes. ‘Anyway, that’s what I envisioned for the paper. But with my other ventures in the multi-channel network business, I left BuzzBeat in Jeramy’s hands, thinking he’d carry the torch.’‘And he dropped it,’ Alessia said.‘Big time.’ Wilda frowned. ‘He got lost in all the luxury and forgot our mission.’‘Well, that’s about to change,’ Alessia said hopefully. ‘You’re taking the r
Terence shrugged. ‘I’m not sure, boss. The meeting’s behind closed doors.’Then he added, ‘But I don’t think so. If Mrs Chavez wants to punish Miss Jansen for exposing her husband’s affair, wouldn’t she have dismissed Miss Jansen already? But they’ve been in that meeting for over two hours now.’Logan scowled. ‘Two hours? What the hell are they talking about?’Terence offered a reassuring smile. ‘I’ll keep an eye on things and let you know if anything significant happens.’‘Do that,’ Logan snapped, dismissing his assistant with a wave of his hand.As the minutes ticked by, Logan found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything else.He tried to distract himself with work, but his mind kept drifting back to Alessia and the mysterious meeting with Wilda Hicks.***Wilda and Alessia continued working till lunchtime.Dismissing her suggestion for takeout from Uncle Erasmo’s diner, Alessia’s new boss offered to take her out for a ‘real meal.’Alessia obediently climbed into the backsea
Wilda was pleased by Alessia’s conscientiousness. ‘In my mind, a multimedia interview looks something like this: it involves a written article, along with video and other forms of visual content, such as YouTube Shorts or Tiktok profiles. The written article serves as the backbone of the interview, providing a detailed account of the subject’s life, career, and experiences. I’ll have another team to handle the video component. And I want you to pen the first article.’Alessia was both thrilled by the opportunity and daunted by the challenge.The kind of in-depth interview Wilda was talking about went beyond anything she had done before.Wilda continued, ‘That’s why I was asking about you and Mr Wilde. At just twenty-nine, he’s already achieved so much. He’s a true inspiration for young entrepreneurs and exactly the kind of go-getter I want for the series.’She winked. ‘Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the man’s got brooding good looks and a billionaire status to match.’‘He does have a
Logan sighed before answering. ‘What is it, Heath?’His detective friend greeted him with a knowing smirk. ‘Got a minute to talk?’Logan waved his hand impatiently. ‘Make it quick.’‘I was just talking to your assistant, Terence.’‘Why?’‘I called you first, but your line was busy. So I called him, and we got to talking.’‘Yeah, so?’‘So, he has shared quite a bit with me, especially about you and the intriguing Miss Jansen.’‘That Terence has got a big mouth,’ Logan muttered under his breath. ‘Since you like talking to my assistant so much, maybe you should tell him that his bonus this month has just disappeared.’‘Aw, don’t be like that, Logy. He’s just worried about you. So am I. So, what’s going on between you and Miss Jansen?’Logan’s scowl deepened. ‘None of your business.’‘Oh, come on. Don’t pretend like I’m not seeing the signs. You’ve been moping around since Saturday night.’Logan shot him a warning glare. ‘I’m not moping. I just... I don’t know what I expected.’Heath rais