As the morning light streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the office floor, Nadia gathered her things and headed to the staff quarters. The events of yesterday still weighed heavily on her mind—the sudden transfer by Tyrone and the story about Westlake that seemed to have cost her position at the investigative desk.
Then her phone buzzed, a message from Jayson: Be careful. Tyrone is in the league. Deadly. Will explain soon.
Immediately, Nadia replied: What are you talking about?
Dots appeared immediately: You must never allow him to discover that you knew his plans. 
In the restroom, Nadia's hand trembled slightly as she scrolled the message. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the fatigue from her sleepless night and calm her racing heart. The mirror reflected dark circles under her eyes, a testament to the hours she'd spent working on the entertainment piece just to prove herself.
"Get it together, Nadia," she whispered to her reflection, patting her face dry with a paper towel. "You can do this"
Despite the secret she had discovered about Tyrone—she was going to pretend everything was normal. For now, at least.
Returning to her desk, she gathered her finished work on entertainment. Some of her colleagues had started trickling in, filling the office with the familiar sounds of morning chatter and coffee cups clinking. But there was no sign of Zora yet. Nadia glanced at her watch—it wasn't like Zora to be late.
I'll catch her later, Nadia thought. She needs to know what's happening.
Taking a deep breath, she headed toward the entertainment unit, clutching her folder tightly against her chest. The hallway seemed longer than usual, each step taking her further from the investigative desk where she belonged. As she approached the door to the entertainment chief's office, she slowed down, hearing voices from inside.
Through the half-open door, she could see Tyrone lounged over Ms. Joy's desk, his body angled toward her in a way that suggested intimacy, or at least secrecy. Both of them seemed engrossed in conversation, their voices low but intense.
"—need to make sure she stays busy," Tyrone was saying. "The last thing we need is for her to—"
He abruptly cut off his sentence when he noticed Nadia standing in the doorway. His face smoothed into a practiced smile, but not before Nadia caught a flash of something else—alarm, perhaps?
"Nadia!" Tyrone straightened up, adjusting his tie. "Just the person we were talking about. Come in, come in."
Nadia stepped into the office, her journalist's instincts on high alert. What had Tyrone been saying about keeping her busy?
"Joy, this is Nadia Brown, the talented reporter I told you about who'll be joining the entertainment desk," Tyrone said, his tone light but his eyes watchful.
Ms. Joy, a thin woman with dark long hair, offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Ah, yes, Nadia. Tyrone has told me so much about your... abilities."
The pause before "abilities" was subtle but noticeable, and Nadia felt her suspicions deepen.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Joy," Nadia said, extending her hand. "I'm looking forward to contributing to the entertainment section."
Joy's handshake was brief and cool. "Yes, well, we'll see how you fit in. What have you got for me?"
Nadia handed over the write-up she'd worked on through the night—a comprehensive piece on the city's emerging indie music scene.
"I've put together a feature on the underground music movement in the city," she explained. "I think it might interest your readers who are looking for something beyond the mainstream."
Joy flipped through the pages, her expression unreadable. "Hmm, interesting angle. I'll review it and get back to you."
Tyrone checked his watch. "I should get going. Lot of work to do upstairs." He nodded to Joy, then turned to Nadia. "Settling in okay? Anything you need, just ask."
His tone was friendly, but there was an underlying wariness in his eyes that made Nadia want to challenge him on the spot. Instead, she smiled politely.
"I'm fine, thank you. Just eager to get started."
After Tyrone left, Joy gestured to the open office space beyond her door. "You can take the empty desk by the window."
The entertainment office was starkly different from the investigative desk. While the latter was always buzzing with activity—phones ringing, people rushing about, the constant clacking of keyboards—the entertainment section seemed almost lethargic. Only a few staff members were present, most of them scrolling through social media or chatting quietly.
An older man with salt-and-pepper hair looked up when Nadia entered. "You must be the new girl," he said. "From investigations, right? I'm Peter."
"Nadia," she replied, setting down her things at the empty desk. "And yes, just transferred."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Interesting move. Not many people go from investigations to entertainment. Usually it's the other way around."
"It wasn't exactly my choice," Nadia admitted, then immediately regretted her candor. She needed to be careful about what she revealed.
"Ah," Peter nodded knowingly. "Stepped on someone's toes, did you? Happens to the best of us."
Before Nadia could respond, a young woman with bright purple hair and multiple piercings bounded over. "Hi! I'm Kendra. You must be Nadia. I've read your pieces on the city council corruption. Your writing is amazing!"
Nadia felt a rush of gratitude at the friendly face. "Thanks, Kendra. I appreciate that."
"So what brings you to the dark side?" Kendra asked, perching on the edge of Nadia's desk.
"Just looking for a change," Nadia lied. "Wanted to broaden my horizons."
Kendra laughed. "Well, you won't find much horizon-broadening here. Unless you count learning which celebrity is getting divorced this week."
The day dragged on, with Nadia trying to look busy while secretly scrolling through her notes on Westlake case on her phone. By late afternoon, she was restless and frustrated.
Just as she was considering sneaking back to the investigative desk to talk to Zora, Ms. Joy appeared at her desk, Nadia's write-up in hand. The red marks all over it made Nadia's heart sink.
"It's not terrible," Joy said, dropping the folder on Nadia's desk, "but it's not the standard we expect. Too much focus on the societal implications of the music, not enough on the artists themselves. People want personalities, not philosophies."
Nadia bit back a retort. In her experience, readers appreciated depth and context. But this wasn't her battlefield.
"I've made some notes," Joy continued. "I need you to revise it by Monday morning. And Nadia?"
"Yes?"
"We're not investigating here. We're entertaining. Remember that."
As Joy walked away, Nadia flipped through her article, frustration mounting with each red mark. This wasn't about quality—it was about keeping her busy, just as Tyrone had suggested.
"Don't take it personally," Peter said from across the aisle. "Joy does that to everyone. It's her way of establishing dominance."
Nadia nodded, but she knew better. This wasn't just editorial feedback. This was deliberate sabotage.
---
When the workday finally ended, Nadia practically ran to the investigative desk, hoping to catch Zora. She found her friend packing up her things, her curly hair pulled back in a messy bun.
"Nadi!" Zora exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "How did it go?"
"Not bad, just boring" Nadia sighed, sitting on the edge of Zora's desk. 
Zora's dark eyes narrowed. "This's not right. You've been one of the best reporters here for years. Why must he reassign you now?"
"I've got something to tell you, maybe later," Nadia leaned in closer, lowering her voice. 
Zora's expression changed immediately. "Why not now? You know I hate being kept on suspense"
Nadia felt a jolt of surprise. "I'll tell you later"
Zora glanced around, then pulled Nadia into the copy room, closing the door behind them. "Talk to me. What's happening?"
Nadia glanced around. "Last night I snuck into Tyrone's office, not alone though with someone." Her voice lowered.
"What?!" Zora exclaimed. "With who?"
"Jayson"
Zora's eyes widened. "Jayson? As in your ex-boyfriend Jayson? The one who abandoned you three years ago?"
"That's not important at the moment. Besides he didn't disappear intentionally" Nadia said dryly"
"Hmm, what's this? You making excuses for him?" Zora teased.
"That's not it. Well, he's back in town working on a big story. He says it's connected to Westlake case."
"Let me guess It was Jayson who gave you the tip," Zora asked .
"Yes. He's been investigating it for months."
Before Zora could respond, the door to the copy room opened, and they both jumped. It was Collins, another reporter from the investigative desk.
"Sorry to interrupt your gossip session," he said, "but Zora, your source for the healthcare story is on line two."
"Thanks, Collins," Zora said, then turned back to Nadia. "We're not done with this conversation. You're coming home with me tonight. It's Friday, and we both could use a drink."
As they exited the copy room, they bumped into Linda, a veteran reporter who'd been with the paper for over fifteen years.
"Nadia! I heard about your transfer," Linda said, genuine concern in her voice. "Such a shame. The investigative desk won't be the same without you."
"Thanks, Linda," Nadia replied. "I'm hoping it's just temporary."
"Well, stranger things have happened," Linda said. "Almost all departments has a new chief. Just within one week"
Nadia thought in her mind"Clean Sweep" just as they did in Westlake Motel.
"Do you think there's a new management taking over Herald?" Nadia asked Linda 
"I don't think so. There's no memo about that yet. Well Just be careful"
After Linda left, Nadia turned to Zora. "I'm their target."
"Don't say such. It might all be in your mind," Zora assured her. "But first, let's get out of here. I'm starving."
---
Reaching Zora's apartment, Nadia threw herself into the couch. 
"Make yourself at home. It's weekend." Zora said, kicking off her shoes and heading to the kitchen. "I'm going to open a bottle of wine. Red or white?"
"Red," Nadia replied, settling deeper onto the couch. "Something strong."
While Zora busied herself in the kitchen, Nadia took out her phone and scrolled through her notes on Westlake case. Is Lewis really involved in all this?
"So," Zora said, returning with two generous glasses of wine, "tell me everything. How did Jayson get involved in this? And more importantly, are you two back together?"
Nadia took a long sip of wine before answering. "No, we're not back together. He called me out of the blue few days ago, said he needed my help with a story. That's all."
Zora gave her a skeptical look. "The same Jayson whom you cried out your eyes for three years ago? One who didn't even bother to return your calls?"
"Look, that's not the issue at the moment," Nadia insisted. "I think I have crossed the threshold of not going back."
"Why do you say so?"
"Westlake case is linked to Donovan and Tyrone works for him."
"Donovan? The gubernatorial candidate?" Zora's eyes widened. "No wonder they're trying to shut you up by banishing you to entertainment."
"It might not even end there," Nadia said firmly. 
"Do you think he might come after you? Or are they already?"
"The primaries are in two months time. They'll want to tie me down till then. But I want to do it Zora. Something in me wants to expose the truth for Cedric and Naomi."
"I understand but think through it. Is this story worth your career? Your safety?"
Before Nadia could answer, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. "It's nurse Lena."
She answered, her heart racing. "Hello?"
"Ms. Brown?Your mother is asking for you. She's quite insistent."
"Is everything okay?" Nadia asked, already standing up and searching for her coat.
"She's stable, but she seems distressed. She says it's urgent that she speak with you."
"I'll be right there. Thank you."
Nadia hung up and turned to Zora. "It's my mom. She wants to see me."
Zora's face filled with concern. "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, it's okay. I should go alone. Rain check on our girls' night?"
"Of course," Zora said, giving her a quick hug. "Call me later, okay? I want to know if she's alright."
Nadia grabbed her coat and headed for the door. As she reached for the handle, she paused. "Zora?"
"Yeah?"
"I stand to expose the truth. That's my calling as a journalist." 
Zora nodded solemnly. "I understand. Now go see your mom. And Nadi? We'll figure this out together, I promise."
As Nadia rushed into the cool night air, hailing a taxi to the hospital, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned around quickly, scanning the street, but saw nothing unusual.
Still, as the taxi pulled away from the curb, she couldn't help but wonder—how to get the story out.