CHAPTER FORTY FOURCRACKS IN THE GLASS
It began with a whisper. Someone from the copy team laughed too hard when Arielle walked past. A design intern asked, a little too casually, if it was true she and Damien had a “retreat romance.” Another assistant referred to her as “the CEO’s golden girl” under their breath. At first, Arielle ignored it. Office gossip was normal—she’d been in this business long enough to know that being a woman in power often meant being a target. But by the end of the week, the whispers grew teeth. --- Cole stood at the head of the conference table, all crisp lines and authority, flipping through a stack of client briefs. Arielle sat beside him, notes open, pen ready. Damien leaned back across from her, silently watching her the way he always did—focused, unreadable, and a little too protective. Th
- Writer
