"We still have a month. Don't Worry." Ian tried to console the hugging bear.
With a deep sigh, she nodded.
"If I didn't make it back, "
"It's ok. I won't mind. Those all are just formalities." He cut her off with an explanation.
She nodded and let him inside the car.
But as he was about to drive out, she knocked on the window and he opened in confusion.
"You don't worry about your childhood crush. I will handle her. Your scandal will just get vanished in a day."
"Will you take them down?"
Shaking her head, she answered,
"I have my ways to deal with her. Don't Worry and just concentrate on your elections. Got it?"
"Why do I feel like you are up to no good?" Ian scanned her face which only chuckled at his comment.
"Whatever. Just Shoo away now." With that, she walked inside.
...
"OMG, these are just bizarre."
Elisa commented scanning at the cyclone on the internet.
"They really have a huge fan base."
Ignoring her remarks, Mia scanned every platform and also the articles.
"What's your plan?" Smirking at Elisa's question, Mia took her personal laptop and dig in her work.
"Answer me, first! I am sure you won't let her with just a piece of warning."
Chuckling at her impatience, Mia mumbled,
" Will Just scrub out a scandal with the other."
"Huh?"
"Just help me with a few things. Will answer your questions later on."
Elisa nodded and sat beside her. Mia took her Ipad and with the pencil, she started noting a few things.
"You have always been a social freak. Since you are the most active user on every platform be clear. Got it?"
Elisa nodded and waited for her 'Internet Quiz' to start.
"So, tell me from how years do this couple have these fans?"
"6 to 7 years. To be exact, 3 to 4 years. Back then I am sure it was just her puppets and water armies who boosted the relationship."
Mia wrote 4 years and circled it.
"And what about individual fans?"
"Both has huge numbers. Ian as more to be exact. Isla has a fanbase too but they are just beauty admirers and some who follow her for Ian."
"Give me the exact numbers."
"Ian about 10 to 20 million and Isla about 3 million excluding everything else."
"Hmm. That's a huge number."
Noting them down, she did some maths and asked,
"What about my fans?"
"Huh? Fans? You never showed up. People admire you but you never really cared to show up.!"
"What if I want to make my account public?"
"Ugh Ugh Ugh. What did you say?" Elisa was numb for a moment.
"Tell me how many fans would I receive if go public."
"About 1 million." Elisa mumbled counting her fingers.
"Huh?" Mia was dumbfounded by the answer.
"Of course your number is low. You never like had any connections and 1 million is also a little above the mark to reach."
Mia noted it and thought for a while.
"How many do you have?"
"2.3 million."
"So many?" Mia was bewildered.
"Of course, I am famous in the country. I even participate in social events regularly so I do have a huge fan base."
"Hmm. I will participate in one." She mumbled and noted the numbers of everyone under family.
"Dad and Aren as low compared to brother. But if he posts a picture of mine, my followers will increase."
"Only if he tags you together."
"He will for sure."
"Now Now Now, tell me what's going on. I am really unable to connect these dots." Elisa asked in frustration.
"Hehe, you still need to wait."
Mia scribbled whatnot on her Ipad and an hour passed.
"What's the time now?"
"11.30"
"Hmm. Can you get me Alison Mam's number?"
"Personal number?"
"Yes."
"Ok. Give me ten minutes."
Elisa took her laptop and got into her task.
Mia dialled Mervin's number and it took around 5 calls for him to receive.
"Huh, Mia! I am in a meeting. Didn't I say in the morning not to disturb me for the whole day?"
"I need your help."
"For What?"
"To get my revenge."
"Ugh Ugh Ugh. When did you start caring about these things?"
"From the day I got a love rival."
Her answer curled his lips up stunning everyone in the meeting room. Adjourning the meeting, he walked out.
"I will be there in an hour."
"I will be waiting." With a grin, Mia cut the call.
"What's really going on in your mind?" Elisa asked concentrating on her laptop to which Mia didn't answer.
"Here you go." She squealed and showed her the number.
Taking a few deep breaths, Mia dialled the number while Elisa poured herself a glass of water.
"Hi, Ma'am. This is Ria."
Elisa blinked in surprise and sat on her bean bag.
"Yes, Ma'am." Mia smiled and crossing her fingers she continued,
"Ma'am I wanted to walk on today's runway."
"Pffftttttttt." Elisa spilt her water in shock.
"Yes, Ma'am. Please if you can? I actually wanted to start on a fresh slate."
Elisa widened her eyes.
What the hell was happening?
Public appearance, her brother's help, on a runway as Ria, these dots she couldn't connect properly.
"Thank you so much, Ma'am. I really vow a big treat for sure."
"Ok, I will hang up then." Mia squealed in excitement and only then noticed the paled puppy.
"What's wrong?"
"Will you explain or should I just escape from this puzzle?"
"Let's wait for bro first."
...
"So now that he is here, will you explain?" Elisa couldn't hold back her trinket.
Mervin who just entered was surprised by her warm welcome. A smile curled up his lips as he knew his sister was planning something big.
"Bro, what if I publish a scandal between you and that actor?"
"What?" Elisa was the one to burst out earning squinting gazes from the duo.
"Why do you care?" Mia observed her changing expressions and controlled her chuckle.
Of course, how would Elisa accept a scandal about her secret love and some mere actress?
"Wait, do you by chance?" Mia crossed her arms and tapped her chin.
"No-No. It's just that actor is too you know cosy when it comes to your brother. So this may,"
"I don't mind." His words surprised as well as irritated her.
Elisa still had a perfect vision of that actor falling all over him when Mervin gave her a lift.
The planned coincidental meet by Mia really added fuel to her already havocing jealousy.
'Arghhh, Elisa stop it. You have no feelings for him and you should never have. Work on it.' Chanting it, she calmed herself down.
"So, where was I?"
Taking her Ipad, she made a fresh note.
"Bro, after realizing that articles, you will not reply and just let the havoc blaze as high as it could."
"Don't worry Young Miss."
Gabriel entered the room, supporting his knees to catch a breath.
"Where were you?" Mervin looked at him.
"Sorry Boss. I was stuck in traffic. As soon as I received your order, I rushed right here from the site visit."
He nodded and Mia gestured him to sit on the couch.
Mervin hopped on her bed and loosened his tie.
"Whatever is your wish, pass it to him. I will rest for a bit."
She nodded and crawling beside him, she placed his head on her lap and started massaging his temples. She knew he had worked all night for today's annual meeting and it just clenched her heart.
Both Gabriel and Elisa smiled as they knew she sure loved her brother to death.
"Puffin, pull the night covers." She mumbled looking at the bright sun on her head.
Soon the whole room was dark except the dim light of lanterns.
He smiled at her sweet gesture and closed his eyes.
"Hmm. Ask your PR to announce my first ever public appearance. I am sure it would just hype in an hour in all the channels."
Gabriel nodded and worked on his laptop.
"And after that, we both would be going as guests to the fashion runway taking place this evening. You can handle it easily, right?"
He nodded and took out his phone to text Stardust's CEO.
"Yeah, release a statement about this too. I want every channel, every newspaper, every article to hype this news in a few hours."
Noting it on the laptop, Gabriel asked,
"Anything else, Young Miss?"
"Later once the runway starts, make all my accounts public. And release a video which I will record later on."
He nodded.
"Following that, release a picture of me and my brother on the runway through his account. Tag me with it. Just make sure to keep all these things spontaneous. Like one bomb after the other?"
He nodded and noted it down.
"And after that. I will send you some pictures of Isla. One would be a new scandal of hers and pass it to some paparazzi and reporters as an anonymous. And after that, I will send some more pictures which you need to post right at the time her new scandal is released. It should look like a coincidence. Got It?"
He nodded and Elisa was frustrated.
"Mia, what the hell are you doing?"
"Gifting new toys to all the annoying kids."
"Huh?" Elisa scratched her head while Mervin chuckled out loud.
"You really share my genes."
Grinning at his compliment, she turned towards Elisa and gestured her to come close.
Elisa sat beside Mia and waited for an explanation.
"See, Puffin. There's one annoying kid whom you need to tame."
Elisa nodded and imagined the scene.
"That kid already as a toy to play and think its a car or something noisy. And since you need silence, you will ask him to stop but will he?"
She shook her head.
"Then what will you do is, bring lots of gifts and chocolates to him. What will he do?"
"Of course, he would gingerly accept them and play with them."
"Good. And he will completely forget about his first toy. Understood?"
Elisa thought for a while and her eyes blinked in surprise.
"You mean?"
"I mean I am giving lots of news for people that they will surely forget the old one. And later on, Gabriel will take it down. All the news about Ian and Isla would be just crushed by these new breaking news."
"You are really amazing." Elisa hugged her appreciating that cunning brain.
Her plan was just perfect to never fail.