Page 107 of Exposé

"Yeah, they couldn't get out there for hours. I wasn't about to wait."

"Well, now that you're here, we need to talk." Whitney waved me toward her office, and my eyes shot to Aria, who quickly looked away.

Great.

"Alright. Give me a minute to catch my breath first?"

Whitney bobbed her head and disappeared into her office, cracking the door.

"What the hell am I in for now?" I glared at Aria, who kept her diverted gaze fixed to the ground.

"I don't know, but she's not happy."

Dammit.

I dropped my stuff onto my desk, shucked off my jacket, and made my way past Aria and into Whitney's office.

She glanced up as I entered. "That was quick."

"I figured I'd have you rip the bandage off now rather than later."

She gave a sideways head nod and motioned for me to sit. "Time's up."

"What?" I sat rigid in my seat, my mouth dropping like a fish. "I still have a few more days."

"Not anymore. The story isn't panning out."

"But I just talked to the Mayor today and..."

"It's over, Ava. Find another story."

My face turned red, the heat rising from my throat and coating my cheeks, my fists clenching at my side. "No. You gave me an extension—"

"No?"

"You approved an extension."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "Igaveyou an extension, Ava, because I believed you could deliver. But all you've done is chase smoke."

I stood and planted my palms on her desk. "It's not smoke. The Mayor's interview proves there's something here."

"Proveswhat, exactly? You’ve got a handful of vague quotes and an anonymous source who keeps ghosting you. That’s not a story; that’s a liability. We can’t run with speculation, and you know it."

"It’s not speculation." My heart hammered in my chest. "It’s the kind of story that needs time to break open. You taught me that."

God, what is happening here?

Her expression softened before it hardened again. "I taught you to deliver. To nail down facts, get corroboration, and make it airtight. Not to gamble the paper’s reputation on a hunch."

My fists clenched against the surface, the fire roaring inside of me. "This isn’t a gamble. It’s real. And if you’d—"

She raised her hand. "Enough, Ava. You’ve got talent, but this... it’s too thin. And we can’t afford to waste resources on a dead end. This is my final word: drop it and find something else, or you’re done here."

I stared at her, my breath coming in short bursts. "If I walk away from this story, I’m not coming back."

She didn’t even flinch. "That’s your choice to make."

"This is bullshit and you know it." I pointed my finger at her. "Did the Mayor put you up to this?"

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