Chapter 12
Chapter 12
As the conversation wrapped up, Selena was just about to hang up when a man’s deep, icy voice cut through, dripping with imitation. “Selena, how long are you going to keep up this childish game of playing hard to get?”
He sounded genuinely fed up, his words frostbitten. “If I go ahead and sign those papers, there will be no way to go back!”
Selena was equally done with this pointless argument, her response cool and indifferent: “Why don’t you give it a shot and see if I shed a tear after the divorce papers are signed?”
“Irrational woman!” Everett shouted
With a sharp click, the line went dead, leaving only the cold monotone of the busy signal ringing in her ear!!
Selena scoffed. Who was really being irrational here? She couldn’t wrap her head around it. He was so eager to replace her with his true love, practically delivering her to another man’s doorstep, yet now he was pretending to hesitate about the divorce!!!
Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, her laptop chimed with a notification.
Selena picked up her laptop and saw an email from the editor–in–chief. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she quickly clicked it open Editor–in–Chief: [Welcome back.]
Those simple words filled Selena with a mix of gratitude and guilt. The editor–in–chief had once paved a promising path for her, which she had squandered, yet he had never held it against her. He respected her choice to leave, and now, he welcomed her return with open arms. Selena replied sincerely: [Thank you, Editor–in–Chief.
Editor–in–Chief: [No need to thank me. Ink & insight has always been about talent.
He was welcoming her back because she had what it took.
Selena’s eyes sparkled as she suddenly asked: I haven’t taken on assignments for three years. Aren’t you afraid I’ve lost my edge?]2 His response was swift: The people I believe in are never useless.]
Selena couldn’t help but smile. Three years of marriage had left her confidence in tatters, and it had been ages since anyone had affirmed her abilities. Feeling such unwavering belief made her blood buzz with newfound energy ®.
Before long, the editor–in–chief sent her a task. Assignments were typically classified into levels S, A, and B based on difficulty, with higher challenges bringing more rewards. He handed her a B–level assignment. He mentioned it was to help her ease back into the groove.
Selena was perfectly fine with that Jumping straight into an S–level task might ruffle her colleagues” feathers.8
She skimmed through the details; it seemed pretty straightforward. A celebrity who was currently in the limelight wanted to be featured in an interview with Ink & Insight. Landing an interview with the esteemed magazine was no small feat. Usually, it was reserved for business tycoons or scientists with major contributions, not entertainment figures. Despite many celebrities itching for a feature, none had managed it so far!
This particular celebrity was being considered because of her positive public image and her recent international award, which brought some national pride. She was keenly interested in the Ink & Insight interview, having applied and communicated multiple times. So, the editor–in–chief tasked Selena with evaluating if the celebrity truly deserved the spot.
After she accepted the assignment, the celebrity’s agent quickly got in touch to set up a meeting.
The next afternoon, Selena found herself in the VIP section of a cozy coffee shop.
Not long after, the door swung open. Selena looked up, and her breath caught in her throat
