The moment Aiden buckled his seatbelt, his friend, Jin, turned down the radio and gave him a smirk.
"So…" Jin started, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. "Is it true you're the CEO's favorite now?"
Aiden blinked. "What?"
"I mean, the way you two walked out of the building side by side like you were co-stars in a drama." Jin chuckled. "You looked like you just stepped out of a dating sim."
Aiden sighed. "It's not like that. He's just... persistent."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "Persistent CEOs usually want something. He interested in your work or your lips?"
"Jin!"
Jin laughed loudly, enjoying Aiden's flustered reaction. "Relax, I'm just teasing. But seriously, he gives off the 'I've got secrets' vibe."
Aiden turned his face toward the window. "Yeah, well. He's hard to figure out."
---
The next morning at the office, Aiden arrived as usual, coffee in hand, ready to lose himself in work. But today felt... different. People's stares were longer. Their whispers were harder to ignore.
"Do you think he really slept his way up?"
"Such a pretty face. Wouldn't be surprised."
"He probably seduced the CEO. Why else would he be so special?"
Aiden froze mid-step, the warmth from the coffee cup draining from his hands.
He tried to act natural, sitting at his desk, but he could feel it—everyone was watching. He clenched his jaw, clicking through files on his screen while his stomach twisted. The whispers weren't even subtle anymore.
And then, someone finally said it aloud, too close to ignore.
"Hey Aiden," a voice called from a neighboring desk. "Did you get the new specs from the CEO? Or are you waiting for him to whisper them in your ear again?"
Aiden stood up slowly, his eyes meeting the guy's—a smirking designer from another team.
"I work hard like everyone else," Aiden said coolly. "Maybe focus on your own deadlines instead of my life."
That shut the man up, but the tension in the air remained.
Just then, Sion walked into the office. His eyes scanned the room casually—until they landed on Aiden. His expression shifted. He walked over, but Aiden didn't look up.
Sion placed a folder gently on his desk. "New character references. I'll leave you to it."
Aiden only nodded.
He didn't speak a word the rest of the day.
---
Later that night, Jin called.
"So how was today?"
Aiden lay in bed with Miso curled beside him. "Pretty bad," he admitted quietly. "People are saying things. About me and Sion."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Want me to come over?" Jin asked, voice softer now.
"No, it's okay. I just... need to rest."
But Aiden didn't sleep much that night. Not because of the rumors—but because for some reason… part of him wished some of them were true.
---