CHAPTER-1: The Governor’s interview

“WHAT?” Kiara Seth blinked in surprise. “Me?”

“Yes, You. You will take this interview at my place.” Roger, her boss, closed his eyes, disappointed. Those words were like a knife to his heart.

“This is about the magazine's reputation. I wouldn't be allowed to interview The Governor because of my health.” He blew his nose with a tissue and threw it in the dustbin under his desk.

Kiara blinked. “You have a cold?” Finally she looked at his disheveled condition carefully.

“Yes. I have a cold and a fever too!” He answered, irritated and angry. Kiara didn't know how to respond. He looked totally wasted.

“Then we can reschedule it….”

Roger gave her an angry look. “Are you crazy? I have waited for months for this interview and at no cost would I miss it.” he sneezed and then grumbled. “That ‘Irish wolf’ wouldn't reschedule but cancel it. This interview cannot wait. This is the front-page thing,”

“I cannot believe that this happened to me today. All my hard work went down the drain due to this fucking flu.”

Kiara could only stare at him. He wanted her to interview the Governor.

Roger's words should have filled her with excitement but Kiara knew there would be some kind of catch here just like every time. Roger couldn't see anyone else growing in this company except for himself!

Kiara stepped into this country all the way from India to do her dream job. But all the thoughts and dreams she had vanished just after a week of working under him. He was a selfish freak. Always degrading her work.

Roger handed her the leather folder. “I am handing you one of the biggest projects of my life, Kiara.”

Kiara reluctantly took it. The weight of that folder in her hand felt heavy but she was glad for this opportunity. It indeed was huge. However, she was apprehensive because she didn't know anything about the man she was going to interview.

Roger pointed a finger at her.

“Every damn question mentioned in this booklet needed to be asked. It's the biggest opportunity you will ever get. Don't crash it.”

Kiara nodded as he kept instructing her. “Here is my digital recorder. I want to hear every single word he said,” with that he waved his fingers at her, dismissing her.

As soon as she walked out of Roger's office, her friends, Nikita and Cindy approached her. “What happened? You look beaten.” Nikita asked.

Kiara sighed. “Roger asked me to take the interview.”

Instantly a few gasps erupted around as other staff came running to surround her. Then Kiara told them everything.

Murmurs erupted around. Few looked at her with shock, few with jealousy and few with pity which she couldn’t decipher.

Cindy was the one to say, “Are you sure you will be able to do it?”

Kiara's eyebrows curled together. “What do you mean?”

Nikita and Cindy shared a look before Cindy continued, “Kiara. The man you are assigned to interview is no ordinary man. He is….”

“He is what?” She asked, looking at Cindy with a questioning gaze.

“...a very dangerous man. As per our sources, he has links with the mafia as well.”

Kiara’s eyes widened. “Mafia? But he is the Governor of this state.” The news literally scared her. She knew no politician in the world was a saint. But the kind of things she expected in third-world countries, not in a country like the USA.

Kane, one of the senior editors, gestured to Cindy to shut up. Kiara noticed the silent command before he turned towards her “Kiara. If Roger gave you this interview, he must have seen something in you. You are a reputed journalist sponsored here in New York City and it's your job to interview people no matter how dangerous they are. Many journalists have interviewed terrorists as well.”

Nikita and the other colleagues then started motivating her. “You can do it. Roger wouldn't hand over such a huge opportunity to everyone. Grab the opportunity with both hands, Darling.”

Kiara knew something was fishy. Cindy was about to tell her something but Kane stopped her. However, she didn't have the time to question anyone about it because the interview was in less than an hour. She nodded at them and left with confidence.

As she was being driven to the Governor’s office, her heart raced into an unbalanced rhythm while she started reading the questions given to her by Roger.

She didn't have much time and in these thirty minutes she needed to read everything she could.

However, she was nervous as hell but she would try to do her best.

The questions were lined up systematically. Professional to the slightly uncomfortable one.

But as she read further, she thought to search about Declan Sullivan and his past on the internet.

Her eyebrows perked up in interest reading the two-year-old news. Suddenly the car stopped and the driver informed her that they had reached. Kiara nodded and collected her things before stepping out of the car as she smoothed her navy blue business suit.

The place was nothing like she imagined. There were guards, policemen all around. She could only enter after a proper security check. Not only them but they securitinised the car as well. The driver who came with her was not allowed to go with her.

A woman officer in uniform took her inside. Kiara was not only nervous but intimidated as well. As she moved along the Governor house, the huge walls were lined with the photographs of previous Governors of New York along with the flag of the United States of America.

The uniformed security were standing place to place keeping a hawk like eye on everything.

The house was guarded by the drones too. This level of security she had never witnessed in her life.

Finally, the officer stopped and introduced her to Victor. The Governor's PA. The man she talked to on the phone for this interview.

Kiara's hold on the leather folder tightened as he asked her. “Ms Seth, where is Mr Roger?”

Kiara smiled professionally. “He has the flu, Mr Victor. I will be taking this interview instead of him.”

Victor nodded. “The governor is busy in a meeting right now. Please wait for a while.” He gestured to the sofa outside his office for her to sit.

Kiara was glad for the few minutes to calm her racing heart. She took her seat and waited for her turn. A man came with a glass of water, again she was glad for the hospitality.

Every minute that passed increased her heartbeat instead of calming it. Suddenly the atmosphere of the place changed as the office door opened and a few men dressed in business suits walked out of it with straight faces.

Kiara was observing them when Victor came to her. “Ms Seth, the Governor will see you now.” He told her and Kiara immediately stood up.

“Thank you,” she said and walked towards the office. She merely entered three steps inside, the door behind her closed.

The heel of her shoe caught against the carpet sending Kiara stumbling forward. The folder slipped from her grasp, followed by her leather bag.

A second later, papers flew across the polished floor, and her bag landed with a dull thud.

And Kiara crashed onto her one knee in the very first minute she entered the Governor’s office.