Chapter 522: First attack - Part 1

The post on social media spread like wildfire, reaching all the parts of the country in just a span of few hours. Everybody wanted to know the culprit behind the heinous and nefarious act. They wanted to know who was daring enough to hide behind the scenes and perform such brutal crimes just for their selfish gains. 

The matter of organ harvesting had become such a trivial matter three years ago when one of the journalists had performed sting operations. However, barely they had revealed a few hospitals and doctors involves in such crimes that the channel stopped airing the news completely. The people behind it too had disappeared and just like the issue had been swept under the rugs. 

Now that the matter had surfaced again, everyone was curious and anxious to find the truth and the culprit. 

Ivy reached her office to speak to Max before their news aired. Though there were more than three hours before the said telecast, she still had to help her team with the last minute preparations. Except for her team who she and Noah both trusted, nobody in the agency knew much about the first news their news channel would broadcast. Except for the topic, they had no idea whatsoever about anything else, especially about the pieces of evidence Maggie had handed them.

They had been kept in the dark about the matter. But nobody dared to complain about it. There was some experienced staff who had more working knowledge than Ivy and her team. They too were oblivious to what would happen at eight in the evening. Everyone was waiting for the clock to strike eight so that the suspense would be unveiled.

As soon as Ivy entered her office, she saw people running around, preparing for their first telecast after the management changed. After Noah bought the news agency, they had changed the format of the agency completely, assigning and creating new departments so that people could work with ease and comfort. 

Though the people who were already adjusted to the old format complained at first, they soon got adjusted to the new format, especially when they realized how efficient and easy the new format was. Previously, all the departments were under one group, making work hectic for the person who managed them. He had to deal with all sorts of news, starting from politics, crimes, sports to entertainment himself. 

Now that department heads would deal with the news based on the category it belonged to, reducing his work significantly, he had less trouble handling it. Although there was no new addition to the staff other than Ivy and her team, work became a lot less stressful and efficient. They were now prepared and were waiting for the time when they could start broadcasting news.

Ivy did not forget to greet the people around her. Though she was new to the agency, it had been barely a few months since they started their new, she was already familiar with almost all the staff. And why not? She was quite acquainted with many people even before she had started at the new agency, and it did not take her long to get acquainted with the others.

Ivy chatted with them for a few minutes before she went in search of Max and the others. It had been a long time since she had seen them. After Joshua had been hospitalized, she had not visited the agency even once, leaving it for Noah and Ronnie to handle. Though she knew what the plan was for she too had attended the meeting, she had only contacted Max on the phone.

Ivy entered the conference room where Max had asked all his teammates to assembles. The meeting was yet to start, and Max was nowhere in sight. However, Kira, Sasha and Cedric were already in their seats and with four other people she was already familiar with. As soon as the group saw Ivy, they welcomed her with vigor.

"Gosh, Ivy. I thought you would ditch us even today." Kira cried, reprimanding her slightly for her negligence. Ivy did not miss the look of relief on her face, and she wondered what had happened for her to behave this way. 

"Why? Is there a problem?" She queried and looked around, puzzled by everyone's reaction.

"What do you think?" Cedric tapped on the desk and sighed lightly. "Until two days, we were still waiting for Mr. Carter to give a nod to start our channel. But two days back, what happens?" Ivy almost wanted to roll her eyes at Cedric's animated actions. He was making it seem as though it was a great deal. 

Ivy could understand his sentiments though. To them, it sure was a great deal when they had no idea what exactly was happening. All they got was a message from Noah to start preparing for their first telecast out of the blue.

"Mr. Carter not only gives us the acceptance, but he also gives us the news to publish; and damn, what news it is!" Everybody nodded at him. Noah had provided them with such sensational and mindboggling news that they were yet to come to terms with it. They were yet to understand and grasp what was happening and what they were even doing.

Ivy just smiled at his words. The news they had at hand was just a small fraction of what Maggie had collected. Noah had been careful enough to give Max only a small portion, feeding him tidbits at a time. Though he trusted Max and the other three, for they were close to Ivy, he did not trust the other people in the team. This was the first time he was officially working with them, and neither Ivy nor Max could affirm their professional ethics, which he valued the most.

"How did Mr. Carter manage to find such explosive news?" Sasha almost squealed as soon as she recalled the footage she had seen. Never had she been this terrified before, and to think that the culprit who had destroyed many people's lives and was still doing so was still walking among them, hiding his true and heinous self from the public made her tremble.

"I really admire Mr. Carter for this. I thought we would officially start with the news of the inauguration of his hotel. Who knew we would start with a bang!" Kira added, her eyes blazing with fury. She was livid to think that such a monster was still living a comfortable life while the people who suffered due to his acts barbaric acts had to live in misery.

Ivy did not speak a word, allowing the people around her to vent out their anger and frustration. She too had behaved the same way the first time she had seen the pieces of evidence, and her hatred for Jared had been amplified for it was due to him that Joshua had been injured.

Barely a few minutes had passed since Ivy entered the room when the door opened and Noah, Ronnie and Max entered. While Ivy smiled at her brother-in-law, whose face was expressionless only to receive a curt nod in return, the others stiffened in their places. It was the first time the other four were meeting Noah. They could not control their anxiety and worry at seeing him.

But Ivy's friends, who had already met him before too were nervous in his presence. The man sure had the aura of a leader, and unknowingly, people around him already succumbed to him and the pressure he put on them, leaving Ivy. She was the only one who sat still without cowering in his presence. Only she knew who could control the domineering man in front of her, and it was none other than her sister, Aria.