Moonlight Flower

Vol. 02 Backstory #14 [A Scandal]

Remaining months until the 13th full moon: Five (5).

"I thought you determined to me that you will not drag the Argent name down?" Lex Argent, Musica's uncle and the CEO of the Argent Corporation, said to Musica. They were both at Lex's office. He accepted his nephew's call to discuss this urgent matter.

Musica remained cool and calm, with his hands in his pocket. "Yes, Uncle. You don't need to worry about that. I will fix this even before you know it."

Lex clasped his hands together under his hand. "You better." He sharply said, as if warning him.

Musica turned his back against him then left the room.

As soon as he returned home, his face showed seriousness, but not that angry. He sat on his couch, opened his tablet, sent emails and instant messages and made calls.

Clarence hurried down from his room on the second floor.

"Musica, about... that..." he reluctantly started.

Musica looked up to him. "It's not your fault, so don't feel too affected," he firmly said.

"But - "

Musica raised a thumb up and smirked. "Those online tabloids don't know who they are messing with. Don't worry, man. This news will die down soonest. So relax!'

Clarence looked at him with contrasting attributes - worry and amazement. "How can you be so... lenient?"

"Lenient? Me? Hmp!" Musica then showed a smug face. "I'm not lenient. I will make them pay for spreading fake news. They will never want to mess with Argent Securities Agency again anymore."

"Anyway," he continued. "She also messaged me. She was apologizing."

Clarence sadly nodded. "That was more than three months already. I thought Ms. Abie would finally feel okay after her break up."

Almost four months ago, the calling off the engagement between Rye Vokz and Abigail Rinth happened. This shouldn't have been a big issue publicly, since they were private individuals though their respective families were known in the business world.

That decisive week, Abie did not tell anyone yet, not even her father, that she already broke up with Rye. This was the reason why he was still able to go to the Rinth Hotel that night without any problem, which she didn't know that it would lead to what had occured.

Just two days after that, which was a day after Clarence's last ride home to her, a news came spreading over the net. It was a "guess-who identity/ies" news type, it means no specific names but pixelated pictures of the three people involved. Those pixelated pictures obviously looked like Rye and Abie together, plus Clarence in the side frame, stating that he was the third party of their break up and which they said they had identified as an Argent employee of the big and famous Argent Corporation, but Musica's own start up company).

It did not spread as wildfire because the Rinth company hurriedly settled with the one who wrote the article through money. Abie obviously did not agree with that because it was not true at all about having a third party, plus Clarence was just a driver and bodyguard doing his work earnestly for her for a week. But her father blamed her for not telling him about their call off the engagement, which also caused company shares issues within both of their families. She couldn't do anything anymore if his father wanted it that way.

Musica got the hold of this momentarily article too but he did not tell Clarence nor Sora anymore.

Fast forward to the present, that same article surfaced again to the internet and this time the two knew about it already. He reiterated to them that there were really people who love to spread scandals/fake news even to the business world, writing made up stories to stir conflicts between the said parties. Lex Argent also wanted to take action against this but Musica hurried to talk to him earlier.

DING! DONG!

The sound of the doorbell echoed throughout their home/office. Clarence got the door and was surprised to see who their visitor was.

"Ms. Abie?" he said in surprise.

"Eh?! You knew right away even with my disguise?" she asked in disappointment.

Though she was covered in hoods and with dark eyeglasses, he still recognized her, especially her scent.

"Yes," he said. "What brought you here?"

"Can I come in first?"

"Sure." He opened the door wider and gestured to her to go inside.

>>>>><<<<<

"Is there something I can do?" she asked worriedly but eagerly.

As usual, Musica just looked calm and collected. He smiled and winked at her. "Don't worry about that. I'm near to finally removing the issue for good. Just relax."

Though he looked confident, and she also believed that he could really do it, she felt guilty for dragging their new company to her personal issue. She glanced at Clarence who didn't look so worried at all though he was allegedly accused first and foremost directly.

He noticed that she was looking at her, so he smiled at her. That gentle smile of his that unexpectedly saved her from her most depressing moments way back months before.

"Just trust us," he said. "Musica particularly, though." He said, chuckling at his own statement.

She just slowly nodded.

"But I really wanted to apologize personally to you, Clarence and Musica. You have just built your momentum but that article tainted it. I'm really sorry." Her cheek flushed as she slightly lowered her head.

Clarence shook his head. "It's not your fault, Ms. Abie. Like I said before, your safety and security is our top priority."

When she heard that, she just blinked her eyes in disbelief and question. "But I'm not your client anymore."

"Oh? Right. Hahaha!" He chuckled to himself. "But still, you were part of our "starting up" clients. We value everyone who has helped us and believed in us. Right, Musica?"

"Right! Besides, we want to build a lasting relation of trust and confidence with them. That includes you."

With this, Abie's chest felt a little lighter now than before. She laughed at how anxious she was when she thought that their conversation would turn into trouble, but they just immediately dissipated it so effortlessly.

"You are really living up to your name," she said, smiling. "You're making your client feel secure!"

The two men grinned nonchalantly yet positively. They raised a thumbs up to agree to her statement and compliment.