Leon's Pov:
I knew it wasn't getting better.
Not for her. Not for me.
And definitely not for the company.
The worst part was, I couldn't even pretend anymore. Before, I could lie to her and say things like "I'm handling it" or "it'll die down soon" and it would sound believable. Now, even I didn't believe it.
The rumors weren't slowing down—they were spreading. Faster than I expected.
And it was starting to show everywhere.
I got to the office earlier than usual, hoping I could get ahead of something. Anything. Maybe control the narrative before it got worse.
That didn't happen.
The moment I stepped out of the elevator, I knew something was off.
People were quieter.
Not silent, but quieter than normal.
And it wasn't the usual "the boss is here" type of quiet. It was different. More…aware.
They were looking at me.
Not directly. Not boldly.
But I could feel it.
I walked past a group of employees and caught the end of a whisper.
"…that's him."
I kept walking.
