Illicit affairs can be entirely suffused with romance (or so I've heard).
Not saying this one was - the despair of an older man being strung along for gain by a young lover can be something to behold (or so I've heard), as can the desperation of the young lover who completely misunderstands her situation (or so I've heard).
But romance (l'amour) knows no boundaries, which is why most sane societies limit its scope by law and by custom. Unbound, it is a destroyer.
L'amour est l'enfant de Boheme, il n'a jamais, jamais connu le loi (Carmen, 1875)
What do you make of the guy giving it up to the other three reporters? And those are just the ones we know about.
I think it's a little bit more than poontang with this scumbag.
Bagster
Lesser Oracle