CHAPTER 316
At ten sharp, Arianna arrived at her desk at Starlight TV and settled in for the day.
Her first instinct was to check her email, but there was still no response from Clark. She reminded herself that it was early, and while she had stayed late to complete her work, she couldn’t expect everyone else to have done the same.
Patience was her only option.
She had barely been at her desk for five minutes when Annabelle approached her with a message.
“Mrs. King, the general manager, asked me to let you know that he’d like you to head to studio one. He wants to walk you through the process and get you familiar with the setup.”
Arianna nodded with a polite smile.
“Got it. I’ll head there right away.”
Since this was her first time reporting live, it made sense to rehearse beforehand and ensure everything went smoothly during the broadcast.
Taking the elevator down to studio one, Arianna stepped into a room bustling with activity. Two teams were already present, but tension hung in the air.
One group was tasked with her preparation, while the other was responsible for a separate anchor. Both sides were locked in a heated argument, each claiming they had reserved the time slot, neither willing to back down.
Arianna was quickly approached by the director’s assistant, who gestured toward a quieter corner. “Mrs. King, please take a seat for now. Let them sort this out, and we’ll call you over when it’s settled.”
She nodded, understanding the need to stay out of the dispute. It wasn’t her place to get involved in interdepartmental disagreements, so she waited patiently, finding a chair nearby.
As she waited, Arianna occasionally glanced at her phone, refreshing her inbox in the hopes of seeing a reply from Clark. Still nothing.
The two groups continued their heated argument for over an hour, leaving Arianna visibly annoyed at the unnecessary waste of her time. She let out a quiet sigh, her patience wearing thin.
Finally, a notification lit up her phone—an email from Clark.
Relieved to at least have something productive to do, she opened it quickly and scanned through his comments. There were a few minor adjustments to be made, nothing major, but it was enough to occupy her while she waited.
However, just as she began reviewing the changes in detail, the director’s assistant approached her.
“We’re ready for you now, Mrs King. ”
Arianna nodded, slipping her phone into her bag and walking over to join the team.
The next few hours were a whirlwind. She was guided through the process, practising each step and familiarizing herself with the studio setup.
The intense focus required left little room for a breather. By the time they finished, she was immediately ushered to another room for a briefing, where she received additional instructions on areas to focus on and potential pitfalls to avoid during the broadcast.
With no time to rest, she was whisked away to the makeup room. Between bites of a hastily prepared meal, she had her makeup done and changed into her on-air outfit. Every second was accounted for as the clock ticked closer to the prime-time broadcast.
By the time Arianna finally sat at the anchor desk, it was just five minutes to eight. Despite the tight schedule, she felt confident.
She took a moment to review the script on the desk in front of her, thankful that she had some time to familiarize herself with it.
Even if nerves struck, the script was right there for her to refer to during the live segment.
However, as her eyes scanned the document, her confidence wavered. By the time she reached the third line, her expression stiffened. Something was very, very wrong.
Only the first section of the manuscript made any sense; the rest was a chaotic jumble of words, completely incoherent.
It was clear that someone had deliberately tampered with her script.
Arianna’s heart sank, but she knew she had to act quickly. There wasn’t a moment to waste. She opened her mouth, ready to call attention to the issue, but before she could get a word out, the director raised his hand sharply.
“Live in three… two… one!”
The countdown ended, and the camera’s red light blinked on. The lens was now trained squarely on Arianna as the live broadcast began.
It was too late to do anything...
Arianna’s gaze flickered downward as her hands unconsciously tightened into fists. But just a moment later, she lifted her head, her expression smooth and professional. With a calm demeanour, she smiled warmly at the camera.
Her voice was steady as she began,
“Good evening, everyone...”
The introduction went flawlessly, her tone composed and natural. However, as she reached the third line, her delivery noticeably slowed. Her voice faltered ever so slightly, the hint of a stutter betraying her struggle.
Through her earpieces, the director’s sharp voice cut in,
“Arianna? What’s going on? Pull yourself together! This is live!”
Arianna’s chest tightened. She knew how crucial this moment was. Any mistake would not only ruin the broadcast but also end her chances of ever sitting at the news desk again.
She forced herself to take a deep breath, pushing aside the chaos in her mind. Drawing on every ounce of focus, she continued speaking, relying on her memory to fill in the gaps in the sabotaged script.
Despite her best efforts, Arianna couldn’t completely suppress her rising anxiety. The more she tried to recall the details of her original script, the harder it became to focus. Her pace slowed again, her words hesitating at a crucial moment.
The shift didn’t go unnoticed. The director’s expression grew tense as he watched from the control room, and the staff standing nearby exchanged uneasy glances.
“What’s happening?” someone whispered, their eyes darting between Arianna and the monitors.
The tension in the studio was palpable, as everyone sensed that something wasn’t quite right.
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