Chapter 64: The rumors.

Later that day...

Theron approached Elowen’s desk and leaned over, resting one hand on the edge. His voice dropped to a husky murmur.

"I need to discuss the revised design with you. Do you have a moment?"

Elowen nodded. "Of course."

She stood and followed him toward his office.

Heads turned.

Several employees glanced up as they passed.

Daphne saw the curiosity in people’s eyes. Seizing the opportunity, she leaned toward the woman sitting nearby.

"Don’t you think Mr. Knox has been unusually close to Elowen lately?" she whispered. "Always looking for an excuse to talk to her."

The woman nodded. "I also noticed that. He calls Elowen into his office often."

"The project hasn’t started yet, but they are already getting so close," Daphne scoffed.

"Remember the day he took her for the site inspection?" another one chimed in. "I heard the project still doesn’t have any investors. The rumors said that the construction might be delayed. But Mr. Knox doesn’t seem worried. His whole attention is on Elowen."

"Exactly," Daphne snorted. "And whose fault is that? Elowen is a married woman, yet she keeps trying to lure an unmarried man. So cheap and shameless."

The women exchanged uncertain glances.

Daphne noticed their hesitation. She quickly started to explain to prove her point.

"Think about it. Why would a wealthy, handsome man like Mr. Knox pay so much attention to a married woman? He can have any single woman from an elite family. Why would he keep seeking Elowen’s company unless she had done something to attract him?"

The women nodded, seemingly convinced by her explanation.

"It’s all because of Elowen," Daphne muttered contemptuously. "Who knows what tricks she is using on him?"

Murmurs spread across the room.

When Vera overheard enough of the conversation, she lost her patience.

"Stop targeting Elowen," she snapped. "She is nothing like the person you are trying to make her out to be. She is simply doing her job."

Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Yes, of course. Following the CEO around must be part of her new job." She glanced at Vera pointedly. "We all work here, don’t we? There are plenty of other employees in this office. But somehow, the boss only seems interested in having Elowen around."

"You..." Vera began, her anger rising.

Before she could say further, Mara’s sharp voice cut through the room.

"What is all this commotion?" Mara swept her sharp glare across the room. "Do you have so little work to do that you can spend your time gossiping? Get back to your desks."

Everyone lowered their heads and returned to work.

Mara’s glare settled on Daphne. "You... come to my office."

She turned and walked away.

Daphne’s confidence vanished. She trembled, her face paling.

Vera gave her a contemptuous look before returning her focus to her work.

A few moments later, Daphne reluctantly approached Mara’s desk and bowed her head slightly.

"Madam, you wanted to see me."

Mara gave her a hard look. "Were you the one spreading rumors about the boss?" Her tone was sharp and unforgiving.

Daphne’s already pale face grew paler. She shook her head in denial. "I didn’t... I was only listening to what others were saying."

Mara’s stare didn’t soften. If anything, it turned even sharper.

Daphne swallowed nervously. But instead of stopping, she decided to turn the situation to her advantage. If she could make Mara suspicious of Elowen, perhaps she could get rid of her.

"I think they have a point," Daphne said cautiously. "Everyone can see how close Mr. Knox has become to Elowen lately. He keeps calling her into his office, took her along for a site inspection, and even let her accompany him to the party. Don’t you think that’s a little too much?"

She paused, watching Mara’s expression.

"Elowen is just a small designer. The CEO shouldn’t be giving so much attention to her."

Mara’s stoic features turned darker. "So now Mr. Knox needs your advice on how to manage his company?"

"I-I didn’t mean that," Daphne stammered. Her stomach knotted as she realized she had made a mistake by saying those things. "I’m only worried about his reputation. People are talking..."

"You don’t have to worry about his reputation," Mara interrupted Daphne, her tone biting. "That’s none of your business. Focus on your work."

She pushed a pile of files across the table toward her. "Go and check the files. Make reports. You can’t leave the office until everything is finished."

"What?" Daphne’s eyes widened as she looked at the thick pile.

There were more than ten files. Checking them all and preparing reports would take more than a day.

How could she finish it in a single day?

That was an impossible task.

Her throat went dry. "Miss Mara, half of the day has already gone," she blurted out before catching herself. "I couldn’t even finish checking all these files by the end of the day, let alone make the reports. Please give me more time."

"That’s your problem," Mara hissed. "You had plenty of time to waste on gossiping around. Now that I’ve assigned you actual work, you are making excuses?"

Her gaze turned frigid. "If you can’t do it, I can always send you out to distribute flyers on the street. You can spend the entire day under the sun doing that instead."

The last trace of color on Daphne’s face disappeared. She didn’t want to roam around in the street all day handing out flyers.

"I-I’ll do it." Gathering the files against her chest, she trudged back to her desk.

Inside the CEO’s office...

Theron studied the revised blueprint spread across the table.

"The new design looks more expensive," Theron said. "Sorry to say. You have to revise it again."

Elowen thought for a while. "Alright. I can make the necessary changes."

She looked up at him. He appeared tired, and the strain on his face was difficult to miss.

"You look troubled. You still haven’t found an investor, have you?"

Theron let out a theatrical sigh, pressing the heels of his palms against his brow.

"Don’t worry. This project will start soon. It will be a success. I’ll make sure of it."

Despite his confident words, exhaustion lingered in his eyes. "I’ve applied for a loan. It should be approved soon. Once the funds come through, we can begin the construction."

Elowen nodded thoughtfully before turning her attention back to the blueprint of the luxurious residential tower on the desk. She pointed at a section.

"We can reduce this portion. It takes up unnecessary space and might obstruct the views from other neighboring buildings. Redesigning it would help us cut some of the additional costs."

Theron listened to her attentively, leaning over the blueprint. "You are right. We should shift this section and redesign the central passage."

Elowen gave a curt nod. "Exactly. That will also allow more natural light to enter the building."

As Elowen continued to explain her idea, Theron reached where she was pointing. His hand landed over hers. He could have withdrawn it immediately, but he paused, glancing at her. At that point, he wasn’t looking at the blueprint.

Elowen pulled her hand back and continued explaining without thinking much.

Theron, however, shifted closer to her, even though her voice was loud and clear. He inhaled the gentle, flowery meadow scent from her. It was intoxicating.

At that moment, the blueprint and project ceased to matter. All she could think about was her.

Theron wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her close to his chest, and bury his face in her hair. He wanted to keep her there, away from Soren, away from the life she had chosen without him.

The thought of her returning to her husband filled him with a jealousy he could barely contain. He wanted to take her somewhere Soren could never reach her.

"Elowen." His voice dropped.

She stopped explaining and turned her gaze to him.

He didn’t lift his head. He couldn’t. Not when his feelings were threatening to break through the carefully maintained walls around his heart. He was afraid she would see too much in his expression—his longing, his jealousy, and his desperate desire he could no longer silence.

"My parents were asking about you," he started slowly. "They want to meet the woman who saved me."

He finally looked at her expectantly.