HEADLINES AND HEARTSTRINGS

Lena's POV If there's one thing I've learned as a reporter, it's this: people lie. They lie with their words, their smiles, and sometimes with their silence. My job is to find the truth buried beneath all of it. The newsroom is already buzzing when I walk in on Monday morning. Phones are ringing nonstop, keyboards are clicking at lightning speed, and someone is arguing with an editor over a headline. The familiar scent of coffee and printer ink fills the air, and I can't help smiling. This is my world. "Morning, Scandal Queen," Jason calls from across the room. I roll my eyes. "Morning." "You planning to ruin another celebrity's week?" "I don't ruin anyone's week," I say, dropping my bag onto my desk. "If they're hiding something, that's on them. I just write the story." A few people laugh, and Jason raises his coffee cup in surrender. My name is Lena Carter, and at twenty-six, I'm one of the youngest investigative entertainment reporters at The Daily Lens. While other reporters chase red-carpet fashion and celebrity weddings, I chase secrets. And celebrities hate me for it. My phone vibrates on my desk. Another legal threat. I glance at the notification before deleting it without opening it. That makes nine.Freaking nine. Nine celebrities have threatened to sue me, and somehow I'm still here. "Lena." I look up to find my editor, Harold Bennett, standing outside his office. "Can I see you?" His tone is calm, but something about the thick folder tucked under his arm makes my stomach tighten. "Umm... Sure?." That came out more like a question, still I followed him to his office. The newsroom suddenly feels quieter as I follow him inside. The glass door closes behind me, shutting out the noise. Harold doesn't speak immediately. He places the folder on his desk and studies me for a moment. "You've been doing good work." I blink. "Am I getting fired?" He laughs. "No." "Good." "Actually," he says, "I'm giving you the biggest assignment of your career." Now he has my full attention. He slides the folder across the desk. I glance at the name printed on the front. ADRIAN KNIGHT. My eyebrows rise. Everyone knows Adrian Knight. Award-winning actor. Billionaire businessman. The country's favorite heartthrob. The man whose face is on every billboard, magazine cover, and movie poster. The man who seems too perfect to be real. "You want me to interview him?" I ask. Harold shakes his head. "I want you to investigate him." For a second, I think I misheard him. "Investigate... Adrian Knight?" He opens the folder. Inside are photographs, financial records, anonymous emails, and newspaper clippings. "We've been receiving anonymous tips for months," he says. I begin flipping through the pages. One file mentions secret affairs. Another suggests bribery. Then I stop. A single sentence catches my attention. Possible involvement in the cover-up of a young actor's death. I slowly look back at Harold. "This is serious." "It is." "Do we know who sent these?" "No." "So these accusations could be fake." "They could." "Or they could be true." He nods once. "That's what I need you to find out." I stare at Adrian Knight's photograph. He's smiling at the cameras, dressed in an expensive black tuxedo, looking every bit like the untouchable celebrity the world adores. Something about that smile bothers me. Maybe it's too perfect. Maybe I've spent too many years exposing lies. Or maybe... No one is that flawless. Harold hands me an invitation. "His new movie premieres Friday night." I take it. "That's where your investigation starts." As I leave his office, I can't shake the feeling that my life has just changed. I don't know whether Adrian Knight is innocent or guilty. But I intend to find out. Even if the truth destroys one of us. What I don't know is that somewhere across the city, Adrian Knight already knows someone is coming for him. He just doesn't know that someone is me.