Chapter 02

[3^rd Person’s POV]

She nibbled her lower lip. Confused as she opened the folder. Her lips parted open as she saw a handsome picture of a man. The man that has been the talk of the town before she arrived.

“By the looks on your face, I assumed you heard of him?” Jerry asked her.

Katalina tilted her head. “Who wouldn’t know him?” she caressed Hunter’s face on the photo.

Jerry agreed. “Exactly,” he watched her reading the articles attached to the folder.

A line was etched on Katalina’s forehead. She continued to read the exposé about Hunter. “He’s too perfect. These articles are top-notched,” she looked at her editor. “You know I can’t top these, right? These are all different praises for Hunter.”

“I know, I was the one who gave you that.”

“Then what should I do?”

Jerry could see the eagerness in Katalina’s eyes. He knew too well how the lady wanted to reclaim back her glory. “Find dirt on him.”

Katalina was taken aback. Her brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”

There was a moment of silence.

Jerry shrugged his shoulders. “If you can’t beat them, join them. Yet, still, we can’t join them,” he chuckled. “I’m not saying our company’s output is trash. But there are news outlets that customers prefer nowadays.”

She listened.

“I’ve talked to our supervisor. And convinced her that you deserve to stay here,” he hold her hand. “You’re a passionate woman, Katalina. I know that. And this,” his eyes fell on Hunter’s face.

“This man will bring your glory back,” Jerry uttered.

“By unveiling his dark secrets,” Katalina responded.

He nodded his head in agreement. “Exactly. I’m certain that Hunter has a closet full of skeletons,” an eerie smile appeared on his lips.

Katalina stared hard at the billionaire’s photo. Her conscience consumed her. She shook her head. “I think there’s another way.”

Jerry raised a brow. “What is it then? If the other way is not you getting fired and killing your own career then what is it?” he mocked, giving her a slice of possibilities.

She pursed her lips. “I don’t think this is the right thing,” she whispered under her breath.

Katalina was torn between choosing her career or making the right decision.

“Honey, everyone does it now. Every personality, celebrity, and the big shark had someone to criticize them. The difference is that you’ll be the pioneering. And in return, you’ll be famous again, stay in the job you’re passionate about and more incentives coming along way,” Jerry convinced her.

She closed the folder. And looked away from him.

Jerry sighed in disappointment. “Well, I guess you are right,” he stood up. “I shouldn’t have begged our supervisor to fire you,” he took the folder.

Before Jerry could take a step, Katalina held his wrist. He smiled at the back of his head.

“You made the right choice, Jerry. I’m in,” she took back the folder and opened her laptop.

He watched her in amusement. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.”

Jerry left Katalina and went to do his personal business.

Katalina spent hours and hours, searching for the man’s whereabouts and pieces of information about Hunter’s life.

Like Hunter’s favorite color is teal, he likes to go swimming and is single.

She became his stalker for quite long hours. Her neck stiffed. “Oh my gosh,” she tilted from side to side and gently massaged the aching area.

Her eyes widened in disbelief when she looked around her. The company was deserted and she was left alone inside.

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall and realized that it is an hour away before it is midnight.

Katalina shook her head. “Am I that desperate to have this job?” she asked herself.

“Probably,” she answered her own question.

Yawning as she closes her laptop. She readied herself to go home. As she left the office, her mind could only think of Hunter.

For the past hours that she’s been searching, she had already forgotten the feeling of being hungry and tired.

“I thought you’ll extend your stay there, miss,” the guard said.

She snapped from her thoughts and gently jumped in her tracks. “Oh,” she laughed wryly.

Katalina cleared her throat. “Sorry for keeping you waiting here,” she smiled sheepishly.

“Nah. My shift will end at midnight. So, it’s okay,” he chuckled. Katalina waved goodbye at her and resumed walking on the roadside.

There’s a restaurant nearby and can be accessed by walking through the company she was working for. There are few people inside the restaurant. Most of them are couples.

She sauntered and found a vacant table on the last row. The waiter approached her and she ordered. “Medium rare steak and red wine for one, please.”

The waiter repeated her order. After confirming, he then processed it to the kitchen.

Katalina waited for her food to be cooked. She took out her phone. She opened her social media account.

She was shocked but wasn’t surprised that her news feed would be all about praises and love for Hunter Collins.

“Who wouldn’t love him?” she read the caption of her friend in college who took a selfie with the billionaire.

She scoffed. “Yeah. Who wouldn’t?” she resumed to scroll up.

Her ears perked up when the television caught her attention.

“Hunter Collins begged the paparazzi for some privacy,” the newscaster opened her statement. “Earlier this morning, the hottest billionaire descended from his car and pleaded with the paparazzi to respect his time. Reporters flooded Collin’s mansion every day just to get a picture of him.”

She continued to listen. “They are nuts,” she commented.

The waiter placed the food on her table. He followed Katalina’s eyes. “Indeed they are.”

She looked at him.

“The media are going frenzy about Hunter,” the waiter added. He looked at her. “Oh, sorry for talking to you, though, my bad.”

But for Katalina, it was an opportunity for her to acquire more information.

“No, it’s okay. I’m Pauline,” she disguised her name. Katalina offered her hand.

“My name is Preston,” they shook hands together.

Katalina cleared her throat when the waiter’s face turned as red as a tomato. “So, don’t you like him? I-I mean, people, love and patronize him. Do you?”

Preston shook his head. “Not at all. I heard a rumor that Hunter is a mafia boss and he sells human organs.”

Fire ignites in her heart and brought back her fuel of writing. “Really? How about you join me here at the table and let’s have a conversation about this.”

“Are you a reporter? Journalist or a cop? Because I’m not speaking to any of them.”

“Nah. Not at all. Just an ordinary lady.”