Chapter 12 #2
He hurried down to the newsroom. The confident atmosphere from minutes earlier was gone, replaced by pandemonium.
Producers were half-standing at their desks, headsets pressed tightly to their ears, while someone was already typing furiously at a terminal.
On the main studio screen, the debate continued, but the anchor’s smile had thinned.
Chitra fell into step beside him. “The minister’s office just called. They’re asking for an immediate retraction. Else they will sue us.”
Fuck. This was exactly the kind of chaos he did not need right now. Not when he had just taken over and everyone’s eyes were on him.
“Social engagement just doubled,” someone muttered behind them.
Of course it did. Scandal drove numbers.
“Advertisers?” Akash asked.
“Two have put campaigns on hold,” Chitra replied quietly.
“Keep rolling,” he instructed her. “Tell the team not to panic. We have twenty more minutes, including the advertising slots. Ask the anchor to pivot. To challenge Mr. Shetty. Ask him for proof.”
Within seconds, the instruction was relayed.
On screen, the anchor leaned forward. Her tone sharpened.
The panelist stumbled. The debate continued.
Numbers on the analytics dashboard surged again.
The panelist refused to verify his claims with hard evidence, insisting that he had seen the proof himself and that was enough.
Akash focused on the anchor. She was doing a brilliant job of turning the situation to GVN’s advantage.
“Thank you, Mr. Shetty, for being on our show. It has been very interesting. However, I’d like to reiterate that GVN does not endorse unverified claims,” the anchor stated confidently in the end. “We only back evidence, which unfortunately hasn’t been provided.”
With that final line, the show wrapped up.
Everyone looked relieved when it ended. Akash checked the monitors overhead.
The analytics screens showed record engagement.
Social sentiment had once again shifted in their favor.
The two advertisers who had paused placements were reinstating their campaigns.
They had narrowly avoided a catastrophe of epic proportions.
Akash allowed himself a slow breath. He turned toward Chitra, about to speak, when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, and the relief drained from her face.
“It’s the minister’s legal team,” she mouthed as she answered the phone.
Akash’s jaw tightened. The call barely lasted a minute.
“The minister is threatening to sue,” she said. “They’re claiming we provided a platform for defamatory statements and failed to compel a retraction.”
Akash stood very still. The newsroom around him fell silent at her words.
“They want a written apology and an on-air clarification retracting the allegation,” Chitra continued. “Within the hour.”
Before he could respond, another voice cut in. “Absolutely not.”
Akash turned to see Shauna striding in, her steps strong and purposeful, her eyes blazing with fury.
For a split second, something inside him loosened.
He hadn’t seen her in two weeks, and now it felt like his whole body was exhaling a collective sigh of relief.
He stiffened immediately. What the hell was that?
He was the head of a large media empire, which was currently in crisis.
He couldn’t afford to behave irrationally about a woman who could probably be the cause of said crisis.
“Apologizing means admitting liability,” Shauna said, coming to stand in front of him. “That is not happening.”
His gaze locked onto her. “Were you aware that Mr. Shetty was going to make that claim?”
Her eyes snapped to him. “Of course not. He went off script.”
He studied her for a long moment, looking for any sign of malice or treachery on her face, but found none. Sighing, he said, “An apology will make us look weak. We will lose credibility.”
“Agreed. I won’t allow anyone to dictate our response,” Shauna stated boldly.
“They will file an injunction,” Chitra warned.
“I don’t care,” Shauna shot back. “We can’t give in to threats. It’s not our fault Mr. Shetty decided to self-destruct on live television. The responsibility is his, not ours.”
“But he made that statement on our channel,” Chitra insisted.
“GVN doesn’t apologize for someone else’s recklessness,” Shauna said. “So let them do what they want. I don’t care.”
“But I do,” Akash interjected. “The responsibility of this network rests with me. I can’t allow the fallout from one panel discussion to destabilize GVN.” He addressed both the women. “Let’s continue this in my office.”
Minutes later, the three of them were gathered in his office. Shauna stood near his desk, spine straight, arms folded loosely. Chitra stood on the other side, tablet in hand, waiting.
“I will not agree to issue an apology,” Shauna said first, her voice steady.
“I’m with you on that,” Akash replied evenly. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand by and do nothing. The minister’s office has threatened to sue. And like I already said, I won’t allow this one panel discussion to destabilize the network, or my leadership, two weeks after taking over.”
Shauna studied him for a beat, then gave a small nod.
“Fine,” she said. “What do you recommend?”
Akash began pacing slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, his mind already mapping out the optics.
“We don’t retreat,” he said finally. “We escalate intelligently.”
Both women watched him.
“Let’s issue a statement reaffirming that GVN stands by responsible journalism and open discourse. We clarify that the allegation was made by a guest during a live debate and remains unverified.”
He paused, then said, “And then we invite the minister’s office to appear on air tonight.”
Chitra blinked. “Tonight?”
“Yes,” Akash said. “Tell them we’re willing to give them a prime-time slot with the same anchor, to show the world where they stand regarding these allegations.”
Shauna’s eyes narrowed. “You’re giving them center stage?”
“Absolutely. And if they refuse, we make it public that we offered them the space to respond.”
He stopped pacing and looked directly at her. “This way, we don’t look defensive or guilty. We look confident.”
Chitra nodded slowly. “And legally?”
“Legally,” he said, “we document that we challenged the claim in real time and offered an immediate right of reply. That weakens any argument for an injunction.”
Shauna uncrossed her arms. “That’s a very bold move.”
“Indeed,” Chitra said. “This way, you’re changing the narrative.”
“I’m controlling it.”
His eyes met Shauna’s.
“Alright,” she said. “However, we will moderate this tightly.”
“Fine by me.”
“This sounds brilliant,” Chitra said. “I’ll ensure the minister’s office accepts it. And on the off chance they don’t, we’re still legally secure.”
Shauna immediately instructed her on what needed to be done. Chitra soon left them, her phone pressed to her ear as she began to make the necessary calls to the minister’s office. The door shut behind her, and Shauna spun around to face him.
“Earlier, you asked me in front of the whole newsroom if I was aware that Mr. Shetty was going to make that allegation,” she said, her voice sharp. “Do you actually think I would jeopardize the network and hence you?”
Akash leaned against his desk. “Of course, I considered it. You’re clearly unhappy that you didn’t inherit the business, and I know you dislike me.”
Her eyes widened with fury as she stepped closer, closing the distance between them without hesitation.
“I want to make one thing very clear, Akash,” she said. “This business means everything to me. I am willing to walk away from it because I may not want to work for you. But I will never sabotage it just to bring you down. I love this business, this company, more than I hate you.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “Do you, though? Do you really hate me?”
Her brow knitted, irritation sharpening her features. “I. Hate. You.”
His lips curved. “Then why are you touching me?”
Shauna’s eyes widened, and she looked down at her hands that were curled around his arms. She realized how close she was standing to him and immediately tried to step back, but Akash caught her elbows, holding her in place.
He leaned closer, his voice lowering. “You want to hate me. I know you do, but even you can’t deny the attraction between us. That’s the only reason you and I keep ending up in this position.”
Her breath quickened, but she shrugged out of his hold. “There is nothing between us.”
He laughed. “Sure. Keep lying to yourself.”
With one last furious look, she turned and walked out of his office, the door closing behind her with controlled force.
He dragged a hand down his face. This situation with Shauna was going from bad to worse, and like an utter fool, he didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut around her.
He needed her help to run the business properly.
So many eyes were on him, and he needed her by his side in order to succeed.
It made no sense for him to agitate her, yet he never could help himself around her.
He leaned back, staring at the closed door.
Shauna might not want to work for him, but when the network was in trouble, she hadn’t hesitated to show up.
It just showed him that when it mattered the most, she had chosen her love for the company over her war with him, and that was a positive sign indeed.
Maybe he would end up succeeding after all.