Life Without You

Chapter 75 - His Gain, Her Loss

The media sensation over the kidnapping incident intensified after snippets from the video retrieved from the crime scene were leaked out.

The victims were nicknamed the "Fab 6" including Sky as the media detailed the group's effort in pulling the mastermind down. Snippets of Ariel fighting off Emily surprised and awed the globe who praised the chef for her "kung fu" moves. Her social media accounts continued to expand with new followers. Fans poured in well-wishes to each of the Fab 6 including Andy who was praised for his heroic deeds. Even Sky was gaining fans of her own that Leon created an Instagram account for her.

It was later revealed that Hugo was a former gang member who recently came out of prison while Paolo's ice cream business was not doing well. They were partners in crime for years and were sought by Emily to plan and execute the kidnapping. She had wiped out the joint bank account shared between her and her husband to fund her living and pay off the criminals.

Despite the overwhelming hard evidence, there were conspiracy theories floating around that the kidnapping incident was a set-up in order to boost Leon Waltz's and Fujita's publicity. Public interest in the past romance between Leon and Emily resurfaced on the internet that old videos and pictures of them topped the ranks in the search engines. To Ariel's mortified surprise, the news also revealed that Darryl Crews was in fact, Ariel's ex-husband and Andy's father, despite Fujita's best attempts to prevent the information from being leaked. The revelation also renewed global interest in last year's gala night incident.

During a live news follow-up, Emily who wore sunglasses and a scarf over her head was seen in a wheelchair with her husband wheeling her off while being accompanied by police escorts. When asked by reporters regarding her crimes, she proclaimed with a smile, "Leon Waltz is my husband! I'll do anything, anything for him!"

"Shut up! That's enough!" Johan rebuked her as he and the police pushed through the hoard of reporters whose myriad of questions they ignored and drove off in a police car.

Andy's condition had finally stabilised and he was given a clean bill of health to go home.

"How long will Leon be away for?" he asked his mother.

"Until he sorts himself out," were the only words Ariel could say, though she missed him terribly.

Reporters caught the news Leon had checked into rehab to be treated for depression. This time, he did not bother to conceal it. Avon Music refused to comment, choosing instead to focus on their next cash cow, Jake Miliano.

Comparisons were made between last year's gala night incident and this year's kidnapping that Leon and Ariel were nicknamed "star-crossed lovers" because their former lovers had tried to separate them and take their lives away.

Ariel hated being reminded of both events and the gossip mill kept churning half-truths and half-lies, with memes being created to poke fun at their misfortune. Despite it all, Ariel noted a shift in public opinion, albeit on a positive note. The hate that she undeservingly received from misinformed and jealous critics was replaced with empathy and heroic appreciation, as more people become aware of what severity of what they went through and the devastating mental health issues that arose from such traumatic experiences. Upset fans began to blame Avon Music for forcing Leon to work despite knowing he was unwell and had a meltdown. Influential bloggers published podcasts to dissect and critique past media reports, as well as quote sources who were reportedly close to the Fab 6.

One such source was unsurprisingly Vinny, who agreed to be interviewed during a YouTube podcast.

She revealed that Leon had been struggling with alcoholism for years and that he had been into Ariel way before he dated Jasmine Ferne. When probed about the gala night, Vinny shared that Leon could not keep his eyes off Ariel throughout the night and confirmed rumours that his relationship with Jasmine Ferne was faked. Ariel squeezed the blanket in her hands as she listened to the podcast while in bed. Vinny was such a snake! However, she appreciated a certain level of restrain on her part to not reveal any more than that when she was asked more questions on Leon's personal life. Oddly enough, her reveal also made Ariel relieved that she was vindicated from being the villain who came in between him and Jasmine when they "dated".