Mirabelle’s POV:
I stared at my phone in my hand, hesitating for a moment before answering.
It was Noah.
He’d been on my mind all day, and the last few days had felt like an emotional rollercoaster.
I hated it.
I missed him, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling I have every time I thought about him and Natasha.
“Hello?” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Mirabelle…” Noah’s voice was strained, almost hesitant. I could hear something in the way he said my name that made my heart ache. “We need to talk.”
My breath caught in my throat. I’d been expecting this. I knew it was coming.
“Okay,” I replied softly, sitting back in my chair, trying to prepare myself for whatever was about to come.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” Noah continued, his voice low. “The other night, when Natasha and I… when we had dinner together. I need to be honest with you.”
My stomach tightened. He sounded like he was about to confess something important. I waited, unsure of how to respond.
“We’d just gotten back from the land,” He began. “We were both tired, and we decided to have dinner together. But I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d start worrying. I didn’t lie to you because I was scared of being questioned. I lied because I didn’t want to see you upset.”
I was silent for a moment, trying to process his words. A part of me understood what he was saying. He didn’t want to hurt me. But it still hurt, knowing that he hadn’t been honest with me from the start.
“You didn’t have to lie to me,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “I would’ve understood. You could’ve told me the truth.”
“I know,” Noah replied. “But I hate seeing you sad, Mirabelle. I will do anything to keep that from happening. I didn’t want to add to your stress.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I get it, Noah. But we need to be honest with each other. I don’t want us to keep secrets.”
“I promise, no more secrets,” He said. “I just want things to be right between us again.”
I wanted to say something to him then, something about the feelings had been battling, something about the way Ken had made me feel when I dropped him off the day before.
But I hesitated.
The guilt was still too fresh, and I wasn’t ready to confess yet.
“I’m glad you told me the truth,” I finally said. “I just… I just need some time to process everything.”
“I understand,” Noah replied, and there was a pause on the other end of the line. “But just know that I’m here, Mirabelle. Always.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
We said our goodbyes, and I hung up the phone, staring at it for a moment longer than necessary. The truth was, Noah had been honest with me, and I hadn’t been entirely truthful with him. I couldn’t ignore the guilt that I felt.
When I dropped Ken off earlier, the way he had looked at me, the way his presence had affected me, had stirred something deep inside. It was a feeling I couldn’t shake, and it made me feel like I had wronged
Noah, the man that cared for me deeply. He didn’t deserve that, not when he was the best, the sweetest, and the most caring man I could ever imagine.
I rubbed my temples, trying to push away the swirl of emotions. It wasn’t the time for this.
Then, my phone rang again, interrupting my thoughts. I glanced at the screen and saw a number I didn’t recognize. I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Miss. Mirabelle?” The voice on the other end was croaked. “This is Officer Carter from the fire department. I need to inform you that one of the companies you run is currently on fire.”
My heart dropped. “What? Which one?”
“The one currently under renovation around the old district.” Officer Carter continued. “The fire department is already on-site, but it’s bad.”
I didn’t waste a second. “I’m on my way.”
I grabbed my coat and rushed out of the office, my heart pounding in my chest. The drive felt like an eternity, my mind raced with thoughts.
My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. I could feel the fear building up inside me.
When I finally arrived, the scene before me took my breath away. The entire building was engulfed in flames, the bright orange glow lit up the night sky.
Firefighters were rushing around, as they worked tirelessly to put out the blaze. Thick black smoke filled the air, swirling in dark clouds.
I approached one of the officers standing near the barricades. “Excuse me,” I called, trying to keep my voice steady. “Is anyone… is anyone in there? Are everyone safe?”
The officer looked at me grimly. “Based on the information we have, there were 19 workers inside. But only 16 were rescued. Three are still unaccounted for. We’re still searching for them.”
My stomach lurched. “And the ones who were rescued… are they alright?”
“Some of them are badly injured,” the officer explained. “Nine are in critical condition and have been taken to the hospital. Three died at the scene, and four managed to escape on their own.”
I swallowed hard. This wasn’t good. It’s so hard to digest. “Do you know what caused the fire?” I inquired, needing more information than what I was actually getting.
The officer shook his head. “We can’t investigate that until the fire is under control and all personnel are safe. Right now, we’re focused on getting the remaining workers out.”
I nodded, my heart sinking. I turned to look at the building again, watching the flames flicker and crackle in the air, the heat from the fire reaching me even from where I stood.
As I turned to walk toward the workers, I saw four of them, huddled together, speaking with the police officers. They looked shaken, their faces pale, their clothes singed and covered in ash. I was about to approach them when suddenly, a van pulled up.
Reporters flooded out of the vehicle, cameras flashing and microphones extended toward me.
“Miss Mirabelle, what do you have to say about the fire?”
“Do you think this was an accident, or was there foul play involved?”
“Can you confirm if any of the workers who died were from your company?”
“Are you responsible for the lack of safety measures at the site?”
I froze for a moment, taken aback by the truckload of questions. The police officers quickly moved to block the reporters from getting any closer, but the press was relentless.
“Miss Mirabelle, how do you feel about the deaths? What are you going to do now?” One reporter shouted.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “I don’t have any information to share right now. Please respect the privacy of the victims and their families. The fire department is still investigating, and we’ll know more once the investigation is complete.”
The reporters didn’t relent. “Are you planning to make any changes to your safety protocols?”
I glanced at the police officers who were now holding the reporters back. I knew I had to be careful with my words, but I also knew that the truth would come out eventually.
“I will cooperate fully with the investigation,” I said, my voice calm. “Right now, my thoughts are with the workers who were affected by this tragedy.”
Finally, the police officers managed to push the reporters back, and I was able to walk toward the workers who were still standing there. I needed answers, but I also needed to be there for them, for everyone affected by the fire.