ADRIEN

"Protests have not stopped since the recent earthquake," the news reporter on the T.V. screen announces, looking straight at the camera. "Several university students started the protests three days ago, petitioning for a mass student strike asking the current administration to do better at distributing relief goods and providing shelter to those who were affected by the earthquake."

"I can't believe it escalated to this now," Luka mutters in disbelief, his eyes glued on the screen in our office.

Nino watches the same screen, staying quiet at the side.

I grit my teeth and continue to watch, as well. A news reporter on the scene of the protest is now conducting an interview with a student.

"Please explain to the viewers the real reason why you're here to protest," the reporter asks the student amidst the continuous shouting of the other students around them.

"This really started with Aaron Byvael's speech that was delivered to the public two days ago," the student shouts into the microphone of the reporter. "He helped us open our eyes to see the real injustices our citizens have been suffering from and it makes us mad that the current administration has never prepared for this kind of disaster."

It cuts back to the news reporter at the studio as she follows-up on the words the student said. "Presidential candidate, Aaron Byvael, has risen in popularity and is now being dubbed as the people's 'real leader' due to his speech delivered to the public a day after the earthquake."

"Adrien, here it is!" Luka exclaims.

Dread fills me when it shows the day where Aaron delivered the speech for the first time in public.

"This earthquake that has affected our country has ruined countless lives and changed our nation." A clip of Aaron's speech is now being played on the screen, "People have lost who they were without even knowing that it was going to happen. As a nation, we grieve with them and continue to pray for them..."

I wrote that speech right after returning to the city. After finishing last minute tasks in the rural area, especially making sure that Baby was in good hand, I went back to my 'work' mode. Marinette left with her colleague, Chloé, and I've never heard from her ever since. It's been three days.

"But one must never forget that this disaster has not only affected us externally, it has shown the lapses of the internal affairs of our country," the clip of Aaron continues, "This earthquake did not destroy the system, it exposed a broken system. Only now do we see how the current administration never set an adequate budget for our Department of National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management. Now, those who suffered reap the consequences of that indifferent decision."

Luka turns to me and asks in curiosity, "How did you know about the budget? Aaron even mentioned that the current administration recently cut it down and gave the rest to the Department of Tourism. Where did you get your information?"

"Because that's what I've been studying for the past years," I simply answer, clearly not in the mood to give him more of an explanation. "It connects to why I've been going to the rural areas to check on their progress as developing or stagnant in certain aspects of evaluation." I brush him off and turn back to my screen on my laptop. Yet even the news I see on different websites is still about the protests and Aaron's words - my words.

"We must not be complacent and continue to wait for our leaders to take action," Aaron's voice of anger resonates from the T.V., "Poor decisions have led to the poor, suffering. We are our own leaders now, we are now called to take this matter into our own hands and help one another with our own resources. Pity will never move us, as a people," Aaron emphasizes, following exactly how I taught him to deliver the speech, "It is empathy that moves us. Through empathy, we will see that our actions will not be only out of duty or obligation, but will also be of the same drive to help our fallen countrymen into becoming than who we were as a nation."

"Powerful words, Adrien," Luka mutters, clearly sounding transfixed with Aaron's way of delivering it.

It returns to the news reporter at the studio. "With Byvael's words, people have started organizations and rescue teams that are distributing their services without the help of the current administration. The president has expressed his concern and released an official statement pertaining to the new operations. He stated that it is best to leave the brunt of the job to the team directly in-charge of doing it."

Nino comments, "And that backfired. More people are mad at him and are fixing relief operations their way."

"On the other hand of the presidential campaign, Rustan Nordic has expressed adamance on the administration's relief efforts, even saying that the current government leaders know what they are doing and are prepared for this kind of situation at hand."

Amidst the news reporter who is still talking about Nordic's side of the situation, both Luka and Nino quietly face me. Even though I'm still facing the screen of my laptop, I can tell that they have their eyes on me behind my back.

I grunt, "I'm going to the meeting room to take a break," I mutter under my breath and push myself off my desk to head to one of the small vacant meeting rooms that is sometimes used by employees when they want to take a short break.

I leave in a rush that when I open the door to the meeting room, I collapse on the first chair nearest to me and breathe heavily as I hold my head in my hands.

This time, I start gasping for air as I squeeze my eyes shut. "Why aren't you happy?" I mutter continuously, "You must be happy. Why am I not happy? You're with Byvael, now. You must be happy now."

With shaky hands, I manage to reach into the pocket on my jacket and take out a flask with gin that I've filled up before going to work. I open it and bring it to my lips to gulp down almost half the amount. It leaves somewhat of a burning sensation down my throat but dissipates almost instantly.

"Adrien!" Nino exclaims as both he and Luka arrive at the meeting room just as I was about to finish whatever is left in the flask.

Luka immediately grabs the flask from my hand. "You don't have to continue!"

I glare at them, mad that they are disturbing my break. "Didn't I say that I'm taking a break?" I utter through gritted teeth. "The best that you both could have done was to leave me alone."

"What the hell has been going with you?" Nino spits out as Luka closes the flask by tightening its cap on it. "It's been three days since the earthquake and you've been different ever since you came back."

Luka adds, "And we know that Marinette was with you...so Nino and I have a feeling that something went wrong with the both of you-"

I scoff, "So just because I'm acting like this, you think something happened between us?" I shake my head and throw them a look of anger.

Nino retaliates, "Of course. Why wouldn't we? You started revolving your life around her months ago!"

"So will you shut up if I tell you that this is not about her?!" I yell, standing abruptly, causing the chair behind me to fall on the ground. Luka and Nino back away yet still keeping their strong stances facing me.

I huff then continue, "We agreed to stop seeing each other, okay?"

"What?" Nino breathes out in disbelief. "So, what's bothering you, then? Byvael is leading, the gap between him and Nordic is widening, and it's all because of the speech you wrote for him."

I set my lips in a tight line and continue to glare at the two of them with furrowed brows. "It's best if you leave me alone to handle this."

"Dude, we are nearing our goal," Nino continues, proving his point, "The only thing we need to do now is make sure that Byvael stays on top."

Luka asks, "Adrien, is this related to the campaign?"

I simply repeat, articulating each word, "It's best if you leave me alone."

"We should be celebrating that he has better chances of winning!"

"Shut up!" I storm off, leaving them in the room and head to the stairs of the emergency exit to go up to the top of the building.

"Congratulations, sir," I utter once Aaron Byvael gets down from the stage after delivering the speech I wrote just as I arrived back home.

He flashes a huge grin at me, relishing in the applause of the people here and their cheers all directed to him.

Placing a hand on my shoulder, he says, "I should be congratulating you. What you wrote was a masterpiece."

Two of his bodyguards move to each side of his to usher us out of the area and back to his holding room located at the back of the building.

"I shall be waiting for you, sir, with the rest of them team. Take your time with preparing to go back to the office-"

"Adrien," he suddenly interjects once we reach the entrance to his holding room.

"Yes, sir? Is something wrong?" I ask in concern. He shakes his head and chuckles.

"Nothing is wrong," he replies. "I was hoping that you would come in. I have something important to discuss with you." He opens the door and ushers me in.

"Y-Yes, sir," I utter and step in the room. He enters after me and closes the door behind him, making sure to lock it. Even his bodyguards are left outside.

"Sit down," he says, and pulls out a chair from the side for me to sit on.

I slowly sit on the chair and start to look around the room as Aaron goes to the side to prepare two glasses of what looks like whiskey. The room is small, somewhat like a dressing room with a desk located by the wall and a mirror right in front of it. Right in front of me is an empty coffee table and another chair placed across from mine.

My hands start sweating as I think of the reasons why he wants me here now. Have I done something wrong? Did Nino and Luka tell him about what happened yesterday when I was stuck at the rural area with Marinette?

I did my best to hide it and made it up with the speech I wrote. I know Nino and Luka wouldn't tell on me...I'm sure they wouldn't.

"Here," he says while handing the other glass of whiskey to me. I take it and thank him quietly. He lets out a groan as he props himself on the chair across from mine. It's only now that I notice that he placed a sealed manila envelope on the table.

I take a sip of the drink and mask its bitterness but it leaves a trail of a smooth sensation as I swallow, easing my nerves a bit. "Sir," I start off slowly, "is...is there something wrong?"

"Why? Should there be something wrong?"

"N-Not that I'm aware of," I stammer.

He lets out a raucuous laugh, his signature one. Yet I don't find it in my power to laugh along with him.

I'm scared. Really scared.

"Loosen up a bit, Adrien," he tells me, inhaling the intoxicating smell from his drink. "I called you here because I see that you have been giving your best at work."

"Of course," I utter in assent, "for you only deserve the best, sir."

"That's why I have another job for you, and I deem it as the most important task you will have to take on as my main campaign manager." He smiles and crosses a leg over the other. He nonchalantly points at the envelope on the table. "Open it," he instructs me.

I place the glass on the table and reach over to grab the envelope. Based from what I feel from the outside of it, it seems that there are only a few pieces of paper in it. I unseal the flap carefully and take out the few documents in it.

"Go through it, I'll give you a bit of time," he continues when I look up at him in question.

I sigh softly and skim through the pages of the different documents. Reports of receipts written on different days and different financial statements fill up the envelope and I keep seeing large numbers on them.

"What are these financial statements?" I ask, eyes still on the documents.

"Those are proof of fraudulent transactions listed from seven months ago," he replies nonchalantly.

My brows furrow together and I gaze up at him. "Who headed these transactions?" I ask in haste.

He raises an eyebrow and takes another sip from his drink. "Read the written name on each document."

I immediately look back down and carefully go through the words to see if a name shows up.

It's only after awhile when a breath hitches in my throat.

MNordic Inc.

It is written at the end of all the financial statements.

I slowly look back at Aaron, who only has his knowing smirk on his face. "MNordic Incorporated?" I breathe out. "As in Mark Nordic? Rustan Nordic's son?"

Aaron nods then laughs haughtily. "It's growing proof of the son's tax evasion of his business. Can't you see? This is our key to win the election!"

"W-What?"

"Adrien, think about it!"

"Where did you get this? What if it's just tax avoidance?"

"Tax avoidance?" He scoffs and rolls his eyes, "Tax avoidance is structuring one's transactions in a way that makes one reap the largest benefits. What I got from Mark Nordic was that they were deliberately omitting their report of income."

"But, sir," I argue, "how could you have known this? This kind of information," I shakily utter, looking back down at the documents I'm holding, "is something that the Internal Revenue Services must work on and know about."

He grabs the pieces of paper from my hold and throws them back on the table. "A little bit of investigating wouldn't hurt. Adrien, how could I make sure that I stay at the top?"

"It's obvious. We keep your good morale with the public."

"But what if we take Nordic out of the equation?"

My face falls, starting to look at Aaron with caution. He has a wicked grin on his facr as he proposes that situation.

"...you're going to use the tax evasion of his son to make Nordic back out of the race?" I murmur in realization.

Aaron snaps his fingers, excited. "Bingo! Don't you think that's great?!"

"S-Sir, I don't think it's wise if-"

"If you take Nordic out of the race," he cuts me off, turning all stern, "the public will be left to either vote for me or choose to abstain. Compared to having another political party that acts as another choice, if the other option becomes 'abstain' then there are more chances of winning the election."

I swallow out of growing nervousness. It bothers me that this is some kind of dirty work that could completely backfire if we push through it.

It is against all my values. It is not our job to interfere with internal affairs such as this.

"This should be kept within the Internal Revenue Services," I argue, "It is not our job to go out and release it to the public."

"And I am very aware of that," Aaron says, appalled with my constant arguing. It's clear that he is starting to get annoyed with how I'm not supportive in this kind of decision. "I know that these will eventually be shown to the public. But as concerned citizens, we are merely hurrying the process. We need this done at least a month before election day."

I hang my head low, a thousand thoughts running through my mind as I go through this decision and plan from a bigger perspective.

I can't say no, he's my boss. I signed a contract to stay obedient to him and it's my job to let him win as the next president.

But why would he want to resort to doing something like this?

Why would he want to risk doing this to get the position he wants?

What will happen to Nordic?

...what will happen to Marinette?

"And where do I fit in the equation?" I whisper, my heart heavy and starting to grow painful with how powerless I am in the presence of Aaron Byvael.

He hums, impressed. "That's more like it. I need you to help in investigating the accounting irregularities of MNordic Incorporated. There is bound to be a discrepancy between amounts reported on their returns and amounts reported on their financial statements."

"And if you're right?" I look up, narrowing my eyes at him. "If Mark Nordic truly committed tax evasion, what will you do to Rustan Nordic?"

He chuckles darkly and crosses his arms in front of him. "I won't be doing anything since our job will be done by then. Rustan Nordic, being the 'goody two shoes' he is, will back out of the race out of his own will and shame. And I'll make sure that happens."

When actions go against values and beliefs, it creates a distortion between one's self. Especially, one's spirit.

It's been my dilemma for the past days. I couldn't sleep well, I've got no appetite for any kind of dish, and I've been treating others like dirt. That's why it's sickening to see people praise him when he is plotting something that could affect the election as a whole and destroy the other party, especially their reputation.

Tax evasion is a criminal offense, I know that. But I would be decent enough to not insert myself into a situation that does not involve me at all. Now that Aaron wants to do this for his own benefit - expose such crime - it hurts me so much because I've been playing fair for the past months.

And now he is just being greedy.

I can always go against him, I absolutely want to, but the power he holds is threatening...and I know that it could ruin just my life. He can always get away with it, and that's my reality.

Not that I'm on the top of the building, I face direct heat from the sun and I could see the top floors of different buildings. My tears make my vision blurry and I collapse on my knees. I start to sob out loud, trying to release the hurt, the anger, the anxiety, the sadness - everything that I've been keeping for the past days.

I tug at my own hair, confused and desparate for something that could keep me stable even if it would be for only a few minutes.

I don't know what to do.

I'm at a loss here. I can't help feeling guilty all the time. And it hurts that I can't call or seek to be comforted by Marinette.

------------

It's been six days since my agreement with Marinette. It's been five since I was given that life-changing task that makes me sick to the core. And it's also my birthday, meaning my day off.

Time goes by so fast when things are going downhill.

Nino and Luka always tried to reach out more to me, even trying to sneak in some suggestions of getting coffee at the café where Nordic's team get theirs. Maybe we'll see Marinette there, that's what they are implying.

I appreciate their effort, but it won't help with anything.

I accepted their invitation to celebrate my birthday with them at the bar where we always used to hangout after work or after a big event. At first I wanted to celebrate my birthday on my own since I'm used to it, but they really made the effort to try to cheer me up. So for their sake, I said yes.

Only half an hour left until we meet at the bar so I decide to walk there to kill a bit of my time.

I have not got to do this for the past weeks since I've been working my ass off...and have been spending more of my time with someone.

The streets are different when I choose to walk instead of using my car. Most of the establishments are still the same though I noticed around three to four new shops. I hide my worries when I would see posters of Aaron Byvael placed on the windows or walls of the different establishments. Shaking my head, I decide that I won't think about any of that for today. It's my birthday. I deserve a break from my work.

I suddenly pass by this place that sells jewelry and one specific accessory catches my attention. I take a few steps back as I see something at the back of the window display. Behind the necklaces and bracelets beautifully displayed for everyone to see, I spot something else.

Something that reminds me of her.

I go to the entrance of the store and push the door open. A saleslady greets me as I enter but I stay preoccupied with what I set my eyes on that I only nod my head in reply.

I continue to walk forward to the table where the specific accessory or jewelry is placed on.

I find myself grinning, something that I've never felt like doing for the past days, when I reach a hand out to touch it.

It's a pair of silver earrings with its main design as the print of a ladybug - red background and black dots.

It reminds me so much of her and that mug she made me use when she brewed tea that night.

"It's hypoallergenic, sir," the same saleslady suddenly speaks from the side, bringing me back to reality.

"O-Oh..."

"And 80% of our earnings will be donated to the victims of the earthquake," she continues, smiling brightly at me. "Is it for someone special, sir? We could always wrap it-"

"I was just looking," I immediately utter.

"This is the only pair we have, meaning it's limited edition, and I think whoever wears this would feel very beautiful."

I inwardly sigh, knowing that this saleslady would not shut up unless I buy it.

Why did I even fall in this capitalist trap?

But looking back at the pair of earrings, I wouldn't mind buying it for her. I'll maybe just give it to Alya for her to give to Marinette. Then I'll stop. Those earrings will be the last thing I'll ever give to her. 

"I'll take them," I breathe out and the saleslady softly laughs in delight.

"Great! Would you like us to wrap them up nicely?"

"Yes, please," I mumble, starting to feel embarrassed that I'm buying something like this for Marinette, rather even the mere fact that I'm buying something for a woman is new to me.

As the saleslady busies herself with wrapping the pair of earrings, my phone suddenly rings from my pocket and I take it out.

I see that it's Nino who is calling me and I immediately answer, "Yes?" I hold the phone at my ear.

"We're here already," he tells me. I could hear people talking and music playing in the background.

I nod. "Got it. Give me around 10 minutes and I'll be there."

"Nice! We won't stay too long. Don't worry. Let's just eat a bit for dinner and have a few round of drinks care of Luka and I. We still have a busy day of work tomorrow."

"Tell me about it," I mutter under my breath and hand my credit card from my wallet to the saleslady who is now at the cash register, ringing up my purchase.

"Anyway, we'll see you in a few minutes!"

"See you," I utter back before he ends the call.

I smile at the saleslady as she hands me back my card with the receipt and a small paper bag with a box in it.

There is a pocket in my jacket that is wide enough to place the bag in so I fix it there, making sure that the box inside is still intact before leaving the shop.

I actually do not have any regrets with what I just bought even if it was clearly an impulsive buy. It still makes me happy that I got it.

My phone vibrates in my hand, meaning that I received a new text message. Nonchalantly, I swipe on my screen to open it, assuming that it's from Nino.

But I stop at the sidewalk and my heart drops when I see that it's from someone who I thought I would never hear from again.

Happy birthday, pest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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