Later that Afternoon:

Belle sat silent and watched as Paul finished up his discussion with the guys from NXT. He had finally been handed the rundown halfway through the shoot for the first segment and wanted to make sure his guys were good. There was a lot on the line and he didn't want any of them to go out there unprepared. She smiled and nodded in their direction as they called out their goodbyes to her. "Are they excited?" Belle asked when Paul walked back over.

"Yeah they are." He smiled. "Nervous, but it's a good sort of nervousness, they want to get out there and tear the house down."

"I'm sure they will." Belle replied. "So what are the plans for the rest of the afternoon? Is there anything in particular you and Steph would like me to do?" She asked as they started to walk away.

"We have another writers' meeting later on; a final run through of everything which we'll need you at. But beforehand we've managed to carve out a little face time with Vince, are you okay with that?" He asked, a little hesitant.

Belle nodded a little. "Sure, I guess I have to meet the big boss sometime."

"I can go in with you or Steph can. I know she wanted to clear her own schedule to be there with you." Paul explained. "Don't be nervous. Honestly, if it were anyone else, yes, I would say worry, but I think you're going to be fine."

Belle smiled, genuinely touched by his sincere words. "Thank you."

"And besides, he's not that bad, a pain in the ass, yes, but he's fair." Paul quipped with a grin.

"Now that's staying in the cone of silence."

Paul threw his head back and laughed. "Appreciate that, thank you."

Various backstage members watched amused and intrigued as they walked away. Paul had been known especially since he left the ring and became an exec for his friendly and more easy-going demeanor backstage. Though more than a few eyebrows were raised after this display.

Rumors had always existed about the billion dollar Princess and her Cerebral Assassin, but over the past six months it had turned to talk of possible friction between the pair, and certainly a husband getting close to the new assistant didn't help matters.


Meanwhile:

Renee and Pam sat in the makeup chairs and chatted away as Sophie and the team worked their magic. And, of course, the main topic of conversation was the newest employee. "Did you see the two of them before?" Renee said and rolled her eyes.

Pam looked over at her friend through the mirror and gave her a "oh come on" look. "Ren, she's their assistant, he was showing her around."

"Oh please! He's never been like that with any of the other assistants. I think Steph should watch out...ouch!" Renee said as Sophie tugged on her hair with the brush. "Can you be careful please."

"Sorry, a little tangle back here." Sophie said with a smile. "Gossiping bitch." She thought to herself. Yes, she had heard a bit of chatter from the girls, in her line of work it was hard not to get ongoing commentary on what had been happening backstage, but Sophie tried not to judge anyone before she had actually met them and gotten a feel for them. And the last person she was going to believe or agree with was Renee.

The two women had had a falling out since the Canadian had first joined the company. She was highhanded and believed all the hype that surrounded her. An instant turn off but Sophie kept it professional - at work anyway.

Pam shook her head at Renee and looked away. "Best not to start a rumor on the girls' first day. We haven't even met her yet. She could be the nicest person."

"Sam certainly thinks so." Renee sniped.

Before Pam could respond, Keeli, another member of Sophie's team, smiled at Pam and patted her shoulder. "What do you think?"

She asked and held up a small mirror to show what the hairstyle looked at from the back.

"Looks great, thanks Keeli." Pam replied with a small smile. She couldn't believe Renee went there. She knew how much she cared about Sam, why did she always feel the need to go for the "low blow?"

"Not a problem, knock em dead tonight." Keeli grinned.

"Thanks. " Pam replied. "I'll see you later." She said as she glanced at Renee.

"Pam, I didn't..."Yeah you did."

Renee watched her friend walk away and huffed. "Why is everyone so sensitive?"

Sophie stopped what she had been doing and stared at the blonde through the mirror. "You honestly can't be surprised that she walked off."

"Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I didn't mean it the way it sounded." Renee sighed.

"I think we all know what you meant." Sophie replied. "You're done."

"Thank you." Renee said with a plastered on faux smile.

"My absolute pleasure." Sophie replied, and mimicked Renee's smile.

The blonde rolled her eyes and stomped away.

"Rude bitch." Sophie muttered under her breath. "Next please..."


Paul and Belle walked back into the office and found Steph behind her desk where she had been seated as they left. "All good?" He asked.

Steph looked up and smiled. "Yes, thanks. How did you two go?"

"Fine, the guys are ready."

"Good to hear." Steph nodded.

Belle shifted a little on her feet as the tension rose again in the room. She wanted to join in but at the same time she didn't want to add more fuel to the fire.

"I better get going to my next meeting," Paul announced and looked down at his watch. "Thanks for coming along Belle, I hope you enjoyed yourself?" He asked and smiled at her.

"I truly did. Thanks again for asking me along."

"Anytime. I'll see you both later. You'll be fine." He said as he turned to leave.

"Thanks." Belle smiled.

Steph watched them and sighed a little as her husband left the room. "So what did you think?"

"Oh, I loved it. The black and white concept works so well." Belle gushed and sat back down on the couch. "They all did so well and the guys seem really nice."

Steph smiled much more genuinely. "He loves those guys and wants them to succeed. I hope that my Dad agrees and brings up some more people from down there."

"I think that would be great. I loved his plans, not only for tonight but also moving forward."

Steph smiled. "His enthusiasm is contagious. So speaking of my Dad, did Paul mention anything?"

Belle nodded. "Yes he did, thanks for making that happen. I hope I'm not taking him or you away from anything urgent?"

Steph waved her hand out in front of her. "No, of course not. It's the best time to see him. Once we get closer to the show, it gets hectic. He's looking forward to meeting you."

"Me too."

"Good, okay, I have one more thing to get finished off here and then we can get going."

"No worries."

Belle leaned over to her bag and retrieved her notebook. "Notes: NXT guys coming up. I wonder how many feathers will be ruffled? They're fresh and exciting: always a good thing to add in some new blood...right?"

After a few minutes of silence, Belle cleared her throat a little and looked up nervously. "Steph, can we talk about something for a minute please?"

"Of course." Steph replied.

"I hope it was okay I went off with Paul before? I don't want to cause any friction or problems."

"No Belle, it was perfectly fine. You should see more of what happens around here. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression I wasn't okay with it."

"Okay, great." Belle sighed in relief. "I know how rumors can start and get out of control, especially in a corporate setting. I just don't want any misunderstandings between you and I."

Steph smiled broadly. "None whatsoever. And if there are any rumors..."

"I don't like to give any spoilers." Belle winked.

"Fair enough. Are you ready to go? I'm going to join you. Try and take a little of the edge off."

"Thank you."

"Are you nervous?"

"I'm eager to meet your Dad." Belle replied honestly.

"Excellent, no doubt Paul gave you some pointers?" Steph asked and quirked her brow.

"Sorry boss, I promised it would stay in the cone of silence."

"Oh my gosh." Steph said and shook her head. "You two are as bad as each other."

"Thank you...?"

Both women cackled with laughter and packed up their belongings. "Let's go you."


They walked down the hall and stopped at a door with " " printed in big bold letters on a sign. "Knock, knock... "Come in." Boomed a voice from inside.

"You'll be great." Steph winked as she opened the door. "Dad, is this a good time?"

Vince raised his head and took in the two women in front of him and smiled. "Of course please come in."

"Dad, I would like to introduce you to Belle. Belle, this is my Father Vince McMahon."

"Belle, it's lovely to meet you." Vince said as he stood with his hand extended.

"The pleasure is all mine, . Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me." Belle replied and placed her small hand into his much larger one.

"Please ladies, take a seat."

Steph and Belle took the seats on the closet side of the desk as Vince sat back down in his chair.

Vince and Belle both stared at one another in silence with small smiles on their faces. She knew from her previous life how to handle herself in situations like this; alpha males. Let them believe they hold all the power and keep your cards glued to your chest.

"Stephanie, can you please leave us. I would like to speak with Belle alone for a moment." Vince announced.

"Dad..."Thanks Steph."

"Of course. I need to check on a couple of things before our meeting."

"So Belle, how are you finding everything?" He asked when the door quietly closed.

"Well thank you Sir. I do appreciate everything that has been put in place for me." She replied sincerely.

"Think nothing of it. We're a family around here, especially backstage, so if there's anything else you need, just let us know and it's done." Vince answered with a firm nod.

"Thank you."

"I hear you accompanied Paul to the filming with the NXT wrestlers?"

"Yes, Sir. Paul walked me through the entire process and I got to meet the wrestlers. Top to bottom, it was very impressive. I have a feeling tonight will be exciting."

"How so? Please tell me." Vince asked, and leaned back in his wing-back chair.

"They're young and fresh, the energy around them was mesmerising. I swear I could feel it in my bones." Belle explained happily.

"I've never been a part of anything like that, so I appreciate Paul and Steph extending an invitation to me."

Vince grinned. "Are you a fan of our product?"

"I must admit that I haven't watched the shows week in and week out since I was younger, but I have studied recent shows and I liked what I saw."

"Good, I like your honesty, Belle. So tell me, what did you enjoy the least?"

"Nice move." Belle smiled to herself. "Well, sometimes it feels when I watch the main shows that some were cruising along in second gear. They're going through the motions, so to speak, and not wanting to embrace what's happening. When I started to tune into NXT, I know that it's development, but with each new episode, I felt they wanted it more. Willing to take risks and being in the moment and didn't leave until everything had been explored, and yet still left me wanting more."

Belle continued, "Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of truly talented men and women on the main rosters, but I think adding some new faces will shake things up and make the "'coasters" if you don't mind, sit up a little straighter and start the shift."

Vince was clearly impressed with her passion and response. "Interesting, I can see why so many of my employees enjoy your blog."

Belle smiled. There was something in his tone that, yes, she believed he knew she was talented, but there was a tinge of arrogance as well. No matter how hard he tried to disguise it, she was a pro - she knew the hidden meaning of people's words.

"What do you believe you can add to my product?"

"I'm here to blur the lines of what your viewers see on their screens, and what they believe is actually happening. People, no matter whom they are and how long they've been invested in the product, want to think they know the truth. They tune into the podcasts to hear the so-called "insiders" speak and they crave and hang onto every word. I want to bring all of those elements and more and make even your novice viewers stand up and take notice." Belle explained. "I can bring elements of my old world into my new one but without anyone knowing that I'm actually an employee or of my identity - of course."

Vince remained silent again and stared. He was drawn to the way she spoke and to her words, she certainly is very talented at painting a story before your very eyes.

The Chairman continued to pepper his newest employee with questions intrigued by her responses and composure. She knew how to handle herself well, a quality that Vince greatly admired in people.

After another twenty odd minutes of conversation, Vince grinned and leaned forward in his leather wingback chair, "I see good things in your future, Miss. Westlake. Welcome to the WWE." And once again extended his hand out.

"Thank you Sir."

"Well, shall we go to the meeting?" He asked as he looked down at his watch.

Belle smiled and nodded. "Lead the way."

Vince grinned. He was well aware of what it took to stay alive in his industry and that the product had been stale as of late. But his daughter had been right. There was something indeed special about Belle, and he couldn't wait to see what happened next.

"Please, after you." He said as he held the door open.

"Thank you." Belle smiled.

"Are you ready Stephanie?" Vince asked without looking over at his daughter.

Steph looked up from the report she held in her hand and nodded. "Yes, everyone is waiting for us."

Belle looked over at her boss and gave a small smile. The obvious tension in Steph's shoulders eased a little and she smiled back and followed them down the hallway.

"Alright, everyone settle and let's get started." Vince announced as they walked through the door.

Belle walked to the back again as Vince and Stephanie took their seats next to Paul, who had already been there when they arrived. She smiled when she noticed that Sam had saved her a seat next to him with a pen placed in the middle of the table.

"Thank you." She whispered - again.

"Pleasure."

Belle repeated her movements from the first meeting and set her phone up and retrieved her notebook from her bag. She studied the room and began to draw her little seating map as Vince and company took over the meeting. Just as before, ideas were thrown out by various people and she took note of what was good and what wasn't.

She noticed that a lot of the ideas had been refined from earlier and were much more polished. Impressed by what she had already heard, she made sure to add her own little additions about what might work as well. Then came the shrill voice that still ricocheted around her skull...Sarah!

"I think we should circle back to what we discussed this morning."

"And what was that Sarah?" Vince asked and looked over at her over the bridge of his glasses.

"Colby." She replied with another shit-eating grin.

Belle stared daggers at the young woman. There was something about the way she continued to spit out the man's name that grated on the reporter. "Keep talking bitch, keep digging that whole deeper and deeper."

"I believe we should incorporate what happened in the show. It's absolutely everywhere and people will be tuning in to see what's said about it."

"?!" Belle wrote and underlined next to the woman's name. "W.W.W?" Short for who, what and where. The woman had confidence, that's for sure, but there's a fine line between confident and cocky and Sarah definitely fell into the latter category.

"Unbelievable." Sam muttered under his breath and sighed.

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear this morning?" Paul said sternly. "Obviously I didn't because you're still talking about it. The answer is the same; no."

Vince sat back and listened to the two go back and forth. His gaze eventually fell on Belle as she wrote something down and underlined it - all without looking down. "Interesting." He thought.

"Sarah, Paul is right. We're not discussing what happened. It's a potential criminal matter and we will see where it leads." Vince announced. "Now, let's go over the beginning with the NXT superstars...

Forty minutes later, the script had been finalised after a lot of bickering and back and forth between everyone. "Alright, Paul, I'll let you discuss everything with your guys, if that's all, let's bring in the producers and go over it all." Vince said.

Belle watched as people started to move around the room and gather into smaller groups. "What is happening now?" She whispered to Sam, who was still seated next to her.

"They bring in the producers and tell them which wrestlers they're in charge of tonight; what's going to happen and when." Sam replied and leaned in closer to her. "Watch their reactions in here and then outside, it's like night and day most of the time."

Belle smiled and turned towards him. "Really? Can it be that contentious?"

Sam grinned and nodded. "These guys will go up against anyone to get their people over, especially if they know they're going to get some heat."

"I had no idea." Belle whispered as new faces appeared in the doorway.

"Suit up Belles, it's going to get crazy." Sam quietly chuckled.


Meanwhile:

Roman sat quietly in his private locker room with his phone in his hand. He'd done his best to avoid most people since he'd arrived, but the few he passed he made it perfectly clear that Colby was to be left alone and for them to stop spreading their childish gossip. Colby was one of the boys and they shouldn't be adding to the garbage being thrown around online. And more importantly, he was his brother and he didn't appreciate anyone talking shit about a member of his family.

Colby didn't deserve anything that had happened since the break up or any of the crap he'd been put through, so if he could stop it from encroaching on his world at work, then he would.

"Hey Uce, focus on you. Nobody will be bothering you. Speak 2moro. J"

He re-read over his message and pressed send. He wasn't expecting a message back, which was fine, he just wanted him to know that he had his back.

Knock...knock...

"Come in." Joe called out.

"Man, I need a break." Jon groaned as he walked in and flopped next to him. "Too many women."

Joe quirked a brow and looked down at his buddy. "Excuse me?"

"Not like that." Jon replied and shook his head. "Renee and her friends are everywhere and all they're talking about is the new chick."

"We have a new Diva?" Joe asked, confused. He hadn't heard anything.

"Steph has a new assistant."

Joe nodded his head. "OK, but why would they be talking about her? The woman goes through a million assistants every year."

Jon sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Man, I don't know. Something about her and Paul laughing and shit. I try to block it out."

Joe snickered and shook his head. "So she gets along with her boss and she's getting shit for it?"

"Like I said, women. Oh, I did hear something interesting about her. She's blind."

Joe turned his head towards Jon quickly, "She's blind? How do you know that?"

"She has one of those long cane things." Jon replied and mimicked the long stick with his hands.

"So we can count her out for making her in-ring debut."

"Stranger things have happened." Jon grinned. "Do you mind me hanging in here for a while?"

"Kick back Uce, enjoy the peace whilst you can."