The Duchess (Outsider #2)

Chapter 11: Daniel Warren

The flight landed and Dusk walked into the Regis Airport VIP Terminal. Cassida trailing after her looked around in wonder. She had never had a chance to come to the VIP terminal as commercial flights did not come to that terminal.

As soon as Dusk entered the concourse, she realised there was a problem. The airport was filled with a larger number of Imperial Security Personnel than usual. The Airport Manager was waiting to greet her.

"Lady Hale, welcome to Regis again!" He said with unexpected enthusiasm. "There are a large number of newspersons waiting at all the exits of the terminal, therefore, Imperial Security has requested you to use the hanger exit to get to your vehicle..."

Dusk was surprised. Apart from the first time, news media did not bother to follow her visits to Regis. It has been too common and occurrence for them to bother. Why was it different this time? And why was the Airport Manager calling her 'Lady Hale' all of a sudden.

Dusk also noticed that she was the focus of attention of practically all the passengers and the staff. Some of the airport personnel as well as crew of private aircrafts were craning their necks to look at her. She saw Cassida next to her, was already giggling. She glared at her and then turned to look at the Holovision projector in the front. It was showing the interview of Crown Prince Julien Lidwig, with subtitles!

Now she understood what had happened. Her 'dumped' boyfriend had decided to let the world know he 'wanted' she. And in the process put the spotlight on her!

"Are you going to the Imperial Palace, Lady Hale?" The Airport Manager asked politely.

"What? Why?" Dusk asked and then remembered the last part of Julien's interview. He had made it look like she was flying down for a date! He had hopes, as if she would spend so much money to have a date with him!

"No, I have work at my office, that is why I have come here, irrespective of what Julien may want the world to think... And Cassida, shut up."

"But I wasn't saying anything." Cassida replied peeved. She felt Dusk needed lessons in romance. Cassida was 4 years older than Dusk and pretty much spent the previous 6 years dating, so she actually had better ideas than Dusk.

"You were going to... not a word!"

"I was only going to say, it looks very cute when you call the Crown Prince by his first name."

Dusk realised her mistake, but she also felt like giving Cassida a good thrashing. But since she was the boss, any such thing would look like corporate bullying, so she restrained herself. Instead, she huffed, and turned away, moving in the direction that the Airport Manager had indicated, but hesitated.

Her car was iconic, and the newspersons would be watching for it. It was not that she was going to escape attention for long. They would just chase after her to the office and make her life more miserable. She remembered Pearson Citrus telling her that taking things head on made more sense.

Just then her communicator rang. "Dusk! This is Pearson! Wow, girl, that day you told me something else but your boyfriend called you and you decided today to go to Regis on a Date! How romantic! As I said before, you are awesome! Are you really in Regis? That looks like an airport."

"Pearson, I am in Regis, but I did not come for a Date. I had some work in my Regis Office. And after what the jerk did today, I am definitely not meeting him! He just made my life difficult and hell. I suppose everyone has seen the interview!"

"Oh, you bet! Its trending on social media. #1 on pictorial, #8 on whereamitoday! Some 14,000 comments among student groups, apparently. There is a new group called, 'IHateDuskHale' formed by Julien Lidwig's girl fans. But don't go there, some of the things being said on the group are horrible!" Pearson replied with a laugh.