Rumors
2566 Words
The rumors started before nine in the morning.
Which honestly felt impressive.
I hadn’t even sat down yet.
I walked into the office clutching coffee and dignity.
Only one of them survived.
Two women near the printer suddenly stopped talking when I passed.
Then immediately started whispering again.
Not subtle whispering either.
Aggressive whispering.
The kind designed to be overheard.
I kept walking anyway.
Professionalism.
Growth.
Character development.
Behind me—
“That’s her.”
“I heard they were stuck for twenty minutes.”
“No, Elena said it was longer.”
“Elena talks to people?”
Okay.
Rude.
I pressed the elevator button harder than necessary.
The doors opened.
Thank God.
Unfortunately—
Vincent was already inside.
Leaning casually against the wall with coffee in one hand and sunglasses hanging from his shirt.
Why did this man look like he vacationed emotionally?
He grinned immediately.
“Well, if it isn’t the company scandal.”
I walked inside slowly.
“I hate this place already.”
“Mm. That means you’re adapting beautifully.”
The elevator doors closed.
Vincent watched me over the rim of his coffee cup.
“You look stressed.”
“People are talking.”
“People here would gossip about oxygen if given enough time.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It shouldn’t.”
I stared at him.
“You’re surprisingly honest.”
“I’m surprisingly handsome too. Life is mysterious.”
I snorted despite myself.
Vincent pointed immediately.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The laugh.”
“What laugh?”
“The one that gets you in trouble.”
Before I could answer, the elevator opened again.
Nathan stepped inside.
And instantly—
the air changed.
Again.
How did he keep doing that?
The entire elevator seemed quieter the second he entered.
Nathan barely looked at either of us.
Cold expression.
Perfect suit.
Dark tie today.
And those same exhausted eyes hidden behind calm indifference.
“Morning,” Vincent said casually.
Nathan gave a short nod.
That was all.
Nothing else.
Not even a glance toward me.
Which was ridiculous.
Because somehow that bothered me more than it should have.
Yesterday we were trapped in an elevator breathing the same air dramatically like a romance movie with emotional damage.
Today?
Nothing.
Professional distance.
Complete indifference.
The elevator stopped on Nathan’s floor.
He walked out without speaking.
Without looking back.
And weirdly—
my chest tightened a little.
Vincent noticed immediately.
“Ouch.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“That one hurt your feelings.”
“It absolutely did not.”
“Mm.”
He sipped his coffee slowly.
“You know, for two people who definitely aren’t flirting, you both look exhausted by each other.”
I looked away quickly.
“That makes no sense.”
“Exactly why it’s interesting.”
---
By lunch, the rumors somehow got worse.
I didn’t even understand how.
I was literally just answering emails.
Yet somehow people looked at me like I secretly married a billionaire in the elevator overnight.
Chloe nearly launched herself across my desk dramatically.
Chloe Parker.
Marketing department.
Loud lipstick.
Louder personality.
And absolutely no respect for personal space.
“You survived.”
I blinked.
“…Hi?”
She dropped into the chair beside my desk.
“People are saying Mr. Vale stared at you for ten straight minutes.”
“That never happened.”
“Disappointing. I wanted romance.”
“There is no romance.”
Chloe gasped theatrically.
“That’s exactly what people in romance say before ruining their lives.”
I rubbed my forehead tiredly.
“Please leave.”
“No.”
Chloe leaned closer instead.
“You’re pretty though.”
“That feels unrelated.”
“It never is.”
Before I could answer, Elena appeared beside us quietly.
Which somehow felt scarier than if she yelled.
Chloe straightened immediately.
“Good afternoon.”
Elena ignored her.
Of course she did.
Her eyes moved toward me calmly.
“Mr. Vale needs the Henderson files.”
“Okay.”
I stood quickly.
Chloe whispered dramatically as Elena walked away—
“She walks like she knows state secrets.”
“She probably does.”
“She definitely has a hidden body count.”
“Chloe.”
“Professional body count,” she corrected.
I laughed accidentally.
Again.
Maybe I needed help.
---
Nathan’s office felt colder than the rest of the building.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like warmth wasn’t allowed inside.
I knocked once.
A quiet—
“Come in.”
Same voice.
Different temperature.
Nathan sat behind his desk reading something on his tablet.
He didn’t look up immediately.
Which somehow made me hyper aware of everything.
The silence.
The ticking clock.
The sleeves rolled slightly past his wrists.
I placed the files carefully on his desk.
“Elena said you needed these.”
Nathan nodded once.
Still reading.
“Leave them there.”
Professional.
Flat.
Cold.
I hesitated slightly.
Then—
“Okay.”
I turned toward the door.
“Isla.”
I stopped immediately.
Nathan finally looked up.
And for one small second—
something softer almost appeared in his expression.
Then disappeared again.
“Your report yesterday had formatting mistakes.”
Oh.
Right.
Work.
Of course.
“I’ll fix them.”
Nathan held my gaze quietly.
“You take criticism personally.”
I folded my arms instinctively.
“I take unnecessary criticism personally.”
A pause.
Then unexpectedly—
“You looked uncomfortable this morning.”
My heartbeat stumbled slightly.
What?
I frowned.
“With the rumors,” he clarified.
“Oh.”
Right.
Obviously.
I looked down briefly.
“They’re just annoying.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened slightly.
Almost unnoticeable.
“People pay attention to things that don’t concern them.”
The way he said it felt…
experienced.
Heavy somehow.
Before I could answer, Elena walked in quietly holding her tablet.
Her eyes moved between us once.
Sharp.
Observant.
Then calmly—
“The investors arrived early.”
Nathan looked away from me immediately.
The distance returned so fast it almost felt imagined.
“I’ll be there in five.”
Elena nodded once.
Then before leaving—
she looked at me carefully.
“Stay a moment.”
Nathan glanced toward her briefly.
But said nothing.
After he left the office, silence filled the room.
Elena placed the tablet down slowly.
Then looked directly at me.
“You should be careful.”
My stomach tightened slightly.
“About what?”
“People notice when he notices someone.”
The words landed strangely hard.
I forced a laugh.
“I don’t think Mr. Vale notices me that much.”
Elena held my gaze calmly.
“You’d be surprised.”
Something about her tone made my chest feel weird.
Not threatening.
Not jealous.
Almost protective.
Which somehow felt worse.
I looked away first.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Elena was quiet for a second.
Then softly—
“Because this office can become cruel very quickly.”
And suddenly—
I understood.
Not warning.
Experience.
Before I could ask anything else, she picked up her tablet again.
Professional mask back in place.
“You should return to work.”
Then she left.
And somehow the room felt colder afterward.
---
Nathan avoided me for the rest of the day.
Completely.
No unnecessary conversation.
No eye contact longer than two seconds.
Nothing.
Which should not have bothered me.
At all.
But every time Vincent stopped by my desk smiling shamelessly—
Nathan somehow disappeared entirely.
Like avoidance had become strategic.
“You’re frowning at your screen again,” Vincent said while dropping into the chair beside me.
“I’m working.”
“You look like you’re preparing emotional revenge.”
“That too.”
Vincent grinned.
“I like this side of you.”
“That sounds concerning.”
“It should.”
He slid a chocolate bar onto my desk casually.
I stared at it.
“What’s this?”
“A peace offering.”
“For what?”
“I flirted with you before caffeine yesterday.”
“…That’s fair actually.”
“I know.”
I laughed quietly.
Again.
And Vincent pointed dramatically.
“There.”
“Oh my God.”
“You do that laugh more around me now.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
“You notice too much.”
“Occupational hazard.”
“What exactly is your occupation?”
Vincent leaned back proudly.
“Beautiful menace.”
“That’s not a real job.”
“You wound me.”
But before I could answer—
I felt it.
That strange awareness again.
I looked up instinctively.
Nathan stood across the office near Elena.
Talking quietly.
Expression unreadable.
But his eyes were already on us.
Not Vincent.
Me.
The look lasted maybe two seconds.
Three at most.
Then Nathan looked away first and continued talking like nothing happened.
Vincent followed my gaze slowly.
Then smiled.
Dangerous smile this time.
“Oh,” he murmured softly.
Oh no.
I immediately hated that tone.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s clearly not true.”
Vincent stood slowly.
Still smiling slightly.
“This just became significantly more entertaining.”
“Please never say things like that.”
“No promises.”
---
Nathan called late that night.
12:47 came and went.
Nothing.
12:58.
Still nothing.
Which was stupidly disappointing.
Jay noticed immediately from across the room.
“You look abandoned.”
“I do not.”
“You checked your phone four times in thirty seconds.”
“I’m checking the time.”
“You looked emotionally invested while doing it.”
I threw a pillow at him.
He caught it proudly.
“Violence. The behavior of guilty women.”
At exactly 1:16 AM—
my phone rang.
Unknown Number.
My chest tightened embarrassingly fast.
Jay pointed dramatically from the couch.
“Your toxic batman returns.”
“Go away.”
“I live here.”
I answered before he could continue.
“…Hello?”
Silence.
Then soft breathing.
And immediately—
I knew something felt off.
Nathan sounded tired before he even spoke.
Not normal tired.
Heavy tired.
The kind hidden underneath people all day.
“You’re awake.”
His voice was lower tonight.
Rougher somehow.
I sat up slowly against the headboard.
“You’re late.”
A quiet pause.
“…I know.”
No teasing.
No soft sarcasm.
Just exhaustion.
Jay glanced toward me once from the couch.
Then surprisingly lowered his game volume without saying anything.
I swallowed slightly.
“Long day?”
Nathan exhaled quietly through the phone.
“You laughed a lot today.”
My heartbeat stumbled.
Because—
what?
I frowned slightly.
“What?”
Another pause.
Then softer—
“Did he make you laugh today?”
And suddenly—
I realized something terrifying.
Nathan sounded jealous of Vincent
- Writer
