Later that same day:
Belle stared out of her Hotel window as the rain once again pelted down outside. She had always loved cold days, the mere sound of it on her old tin roof somehow relaxed her and eased any tension she held at that given moment. She sat in silence and traced the drops down the glass like she had when she had first arrived.
So many things had gone around and around in her mind since she had left WWE H.Q. Could she honestly uproot her life once again? Her parents had moved heaven and earth and protected her as much as they could for so long, she didn't know if she was truly as brave as she once felt.
She sighed when her moment of peace had been interrupted by her mobile phone. "Hi Mum, I was going to call you I promise." Belle answered. She was surprised it had taken her this long to call.
"I'm sure Darling." Her Mum Carrie chided. "So, how did it all go?"
"I honestly don't know what the hell happened the whole thing was weird." Belle shrugged and relayed the morning's events.
"They had you come through the main Lobby, I thought they were supposed to give you a security pass?"
"Mum relax it's okay, they were having trouble with the back security entrance, and nobody recognised me." Belle said. "My driver for this trip was great and escorted me in and stayed around until I was finished and walked me back out again. All good."
"If you say so Darling, you know I worry about you, I can't help it." Carrie replied and sighed softly. "So where's your head on you on this?"
Belle smiled. "Well it's a great and very intriguing offer but I can't shake that it's some sort of test as well. And this whole leaker thing, my journo senses are all twisted and tangled."
"Darling, listen to your instincts they won't lead you wrong. And if you choose to stay, then always know that you have a home to come back to if things don't work out the way they should."
"I know Mum I can't even begin to thank you for everything you've done for me these past years. But I'm not sure my instincts are up to scratch anymore."
Carrie frowned and shook her head on the other end of the phone. "Bella, nothing that happened in the past was your fault in the slightest. You can't blame yourself for falling in love and trusting someone, that's one of the most beautiful and scary things in life."
Belle nodded through her tears. "Thanks, Mum." She whispered.
"Darling, I only want what's best for you and so does Dad. If you begin to feel like this is too good to be true or if you're uncomfortable then turn it down and come home." Carrie replied. "Or, you could use this as your way to break out of your little cocoon and begin to fly again.
Belle sniffed and wiped away her tears. "I can't go through it all again Mum."
Carrie closed her eyes she hated to hear the distress in Belle's voice. "Annabelle, I want you to listen to me. I know what happened has changed you, especially afterward it wasn't fair in any way shape or form. You've struggled more than anyone ever should and I know that you're scared, but maybe it's time to take a little leap and have faith that it will lead you in the right direction? In life sometimes the hardest decisions are the ones that end up being the ones that can lead us down a happier and healthier path." Carrie continued, "Dad and I love you with all of our hearts, and no matter what the three of us will always be a team, but I think this could be good for you - though they better protect you because I will be over there in a flash and cause some hell."
Belle couldn't help but let out a laugh. They were beautiful words but if anyone for one second thought that her Mum wouldn't back them up with action then they would be in for a huge surprise. "I hear you, I'm just tired and my head is a little sore."
"It's alright Darling. Look you take your tablets and lay down. Relax your mind and rest, once your mind is clear you will be more focused and ready to make a decision." Carrie soothed. "Call me anytime if you need me, I love you."
"Love you too Mum, bye."
Belle placed her phone back on the small table and looked over to the bed. Perhaps her Mum had been right, and all she needed was to shut the world away and get some rest. "Thanks, Mum." She smiled and walked over to the bed and climbed in. And she was down for the count as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Days later:
The festivities in Phoenix for the Royal Rumble had been underway for the past two days and the entire town had shown the WWE and their Superstars nothing but love. The days since the disastrous photo shoot had been filled with a mixture of radio and television interviews, meet and greets with the fans and even a little downtime on the side. The Hotel that the WWE had set the Superstars and their families in, had quickly been overtaken by Wives, Partners, and rambunctious children. No longer was their Hotel a high-quality resort, it had been turned into something from the hit 80's movie Animal House!
Colby tried his best to not get knocked over by kids and their tired Parents as he moved down the hallway towards his room. He smiled and gave a little wave to some of the kids as they passed and sighed in relief as he got to his door. He swiped the keycard in and out of the door reader and gently closed it behind him. Sure he wanted to be a Father one day, but the chaos around him for the last few days had helped to push that dream a little further away than usual.
He said a small prayer that he had been able to get a soundproofed room and flopped down onto his bed and settled into the comfortable mattress and feathered pillows. He let out a little contented sigh and closed his eyes. It had been the first moment of peace that he had gotten in over a week and he relished in the feeling of nothingness and light that swept over him.
He didn't have to put up with an immature girlfriend who demanded one hundred percent of his time whenever he wasn't in the ring, no jealous rages when he looked in the direction of another woman, no slew of somewhat indecipherable texts that went on and on about whatever rumor had made the rounds of the IWC, and the texts from both Pam and Renee had slowed since Joe opened his mouth about "the parking garage girl."
Seriously, what had possessed his "buddy" why would he have opened his mouth around Pam about another woman? Boredom? The Samoan Chief needed to get a life if that was his idea of FUN! Colby shook his head a little; the last few days had been filled with going out of his way to avoid both Women as much as he could and during the times he couldn't he had been peppered with question after question. Even Joe's wife Galina, had joined in a little but not to the extent of Pam and Renee.
He knew they meant well, but the last thing on his mind was to get into any sort of relationship and especially with a woman whom he had no idea of her identity or if he would ever see her again. But he would be lying to himself if he said that he hadn't thought of her. How could a single glance of a perfect stranger have such an effect on him? He had traveled the World and met some of the most beautiful women, and yet none of them had captivated him in such a profound way. And even if he did want to find her, how and where would he start? It's not like he could call up every town car service near H.Q and ask if they had picked up a beautiful woman.
"You're being crazy Man, stop." Colby mumbled to himself. "She's just another nameless face in the crowd, nothing more and nothing less." He let out another deep sigh and rolled over onto his side and drifted off to sleep.
Saturday, January 26th, 2019: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona.
Paul walked through the secure back entrance with his overnight bag in one hand and a cardboard tray with two coffees in the other. He had come straight from the Airport from Florida to the Arena after Steph had texted him earlier that she wouldn't be at the Hotel when he arrived. She had wanted to get to the Arena early to get a jumpstart on everything that she had to do that day. So as any good husband would do in a similar situation, he decided to meet his wife with a smile and a large cup of strong coffee.
He rounded the last corner when he found Steph hunched over a stack of plastic crates with a frown on her face as she read the stack of papers in front of her. "That bad is it?" He teased.
Steph jerked her head up in surprise and sighed. "The usual drama. This one wants to do a million takes of what should be a thirty-second clip, and this other one wants their music played first over their tag partners, it's like dealing with a group of toddlers."
Paul chuckled and shook his head. "Here drink this it will help."
"Any chance of there being alcohol in this?" She quipped as Paul handed her the cup.
"Fresh out babe sorry, I did ask though." Paul smiled and kissed the side of her head. "By the way, we can never go back to that Coffee shop, they have no sense of humor."
Steph let out a tired laugh and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Why can't anything ever go smoothly around here?"
"Nature of the business. Here let me help what's urgent and what can be dealt with later on?" Paul asked, and looked over her "to do" list.
A little time later after they had gone over the most urgent of matters, Steph left Paul to attend to some other matters in her make-shift office. She worked away on her laptop when her mobile phone started to dance across the desk. She looked up at the caller I.D and frowned. "Who's this?" She said aloud. "Good Morning Stephanie McMahon-Levesque speaking...
"Good Morning, Mrs. McMahon -Levesque, it's Belle Westlake here, is this a good time to talk?"
Steph smiled, "Hi Belle! Of course, it's a good time how are you?" She said happily.
"I'm well thank you, I hope everything is going well with you. I won't keep you long I know it's a really busy weekend for you. I just wanted to let you know that I've come to a decision."
"Fantastic and what have you decided?"
"I would love to come to work for the WWE."
Steph pumped her fist in front of her and grinned. "Excellent Belle, you won't regret it I promise. We're going to make one hell of a team."
The two ladies remained on the phone as Paul quietly made his way in and sat on the couch. He looked over intrigued to see the large grin plastered on his wife's face. He shot her a look and she mouthed Belle. He nodded and reclined back and half-listened in.
"I assure you nobody will know or find out. The only other person outside of myself, my senior legal officer J.J, my father, and my husband - will be the head of our payroll department, Lucy Bolling. We will obviously need for her to know so she can pay you, but believe me I will be talking to her in private and nothing will leak. Lucy's been with us for nearly twenty years and I trust her implicitly."
The two women went back and forth for a few minutes longer, he could understand why the woman was so hellbent on protecting her identity, but he hoped they weren't biting off more than they could chew so to speak.
"I absolutely agree with you one hundred percent.' Steph smiled widely. "Let me get everything finalised on my end and I will send over a copy of the papers for you ready to sign by Monday."
"Excellent Belle, I'm really excited to have you come and work with us. It's going to be great, we'll talk soon." Steph said and ended the call. "She said yes!"
"I gathered that by all the grinning. Are you sure we can deliver on our end?" Paul asked.
"We have to, there's no other choice; we all lose if this comes out."
Paul continued to look at his wife with a hint of skepticism. "And what about her vision? Can we have a blind woman walking around backstage?"
Steph let out a short huff. "Weren't you the one that said we could handle all of this? "Babe, you've got this." I think were the words you said."
"I did and you do, but it's a huge deal Steph a lot more has to be put in place before anything is signed."
"I've got it all in motion. Dad has spoken to Dan in production and they will make sure everything is safe and secure. He assured Dad that he had it all under control." She replied. "It's all going to work out, just you wait and see."
Stamford:
Belle sat back on the bed and exhaled. She had just said yes to a job she wasn't entirely sure she wanted in the first place. The second she ended the call the knot in her stomach got tighter and tighter.
"Shit!" She exclaimed and pounded her fist into the mattress. She stared down at the phone still in her other hand and went back and forth about whether or not to call back and say she made a mistake, thanks but no thanks. "No, don't do this to yourself. You've made the right decision now back yourself in." She said aloud.
Her Mum had been right earlier, she could no longer let the fear of what happened and might happen in the future dictate what she did any longer. The past would always be there, for better or worse it had re-shaped her into the woman she was but no longer would she be defined by the crimes committed by others.
Belle stood from the bed and ventured over to the mirror in the bathroom. She silently stared at her reflection in the mirror, a lone tear trickled down her cheek. "Goodbye Annabelle Watkins... Hello, Belle Westlake."