Chapter 15 Dangerous Loyalty
1240 Words
The office no longer felt the same.
Every hallway carried whispers.
Every glance lingered too long.
And every screen seemed to display the same humiliating headlines.
Gena stepped out of the elevator with her usual composure.
Back straight.
Poker face.
Graceful.
But inside—
She felt exhausted.
The article exposing her background had spread faster overnight.
People now knew she had once struggled.
That she worked part-time jobs.
That she came from nothing.
And although she felt no shame—
Public judgment still hurt.
The moment she entered the executive floor—
The whispers softened.
Not disappeared.
Softened.
Which somehow felt worse.
Cherry hurried toward her carrying coffee and righteous fury.
“I’ve already mentally fought six people this morning.”
Despite herself—
Gena smiled faintly.
“That many?”
“One intern called you lucky.”
Cherry looked offended on her behalf.
“I almost committed violence.”
Gena accepted the coffee.
“Please don’t assault employees.”
“No promises.”
The warmth of the cup steadied her.
But before she could respond—
The elevator doors opened.
And silence swept across the floor.
Sarah.
The actress stepped out wearing white designer heels and sunglasses.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
And visibly furious.
Several employees stiffened.
Cherry muttered—
“Oh no.”
Sarah removed her sunglasses slowly.
Her gaze found Gena instantly.
And the hatred inside them was impossible to miss.
Without greeting anyone—
She walked straight toward them.
Cherry subtly moved closer to Gena.
Protective.
Sarah stopped only inches away.
“So this is where you hide.”
The insult came sweetly wrapped.
Gena remained calm.
“I work here.”
Sarah smiled bitterly.
“That’s convenient.”
Cherry crossed her arms.
“Can we skip the drama and proceed directly to maturity?”
Sarah ignored her.
Her eyes remained locked on Gena.
“You must feel proud.”
The words sharpened.
“Stealing someone else’s life.”
The executive floor froze.
Gena’s fingers tightened around her coffee.
“I think you misunderstand.”
Sarah laughed softly.
“Do I?”
Her voice trembled beneath the anger.
“Three years.”
Pain flashed across her face.
“You let me love him while pretending to be invisible.”
The accusation stunned her.
Because strangely—
Sarah sounded genuinely hurt.
And perhaps—
She was.
Gena inhaled.
“I never intended—”
“You hid.”
Sarah stepped closer.
“You hid while enjoying the privilege of his name.”
Cherry bristled.
“That’s unfair.”
“No,” Sarah answered sharply. “What’s unfair is being publicly humiliated.”
The tension crackled.
Employees quietly disappeared.
No one wanted front-row seats to this disaster.
Gena looked at Sarah calmly.
“I’m sorry you were hurt.”
The honesty startled her.
But Sarah only laughed bitterly.
“You pity me?”
“No.”
Her voice softened.
“I understand humiliation.”
That—
For a brief second—
Silenced Sarah.
But pride quickly returned.
“You think he loves you?”
The question landed sharply.
Gena stiffened.
Love?
The word felt foreign.
Impossible.
And painfully irrelevant.
Sarah smiled cruelly.
“He doesn’t.”
Cherry looked ready to throw office supplies.
“You don’t know that,” she snapped.
Sarah’s eyes darkened.
“Oh, I know Jared.”
Then—
Her voice lowered.
“He never chooses weakness.”
The insult struck deeper than expected.
Weakness.
Poor.
Gold digger.
The labels returned.
And suddenly—
Gena felt tired.
Very tired.
“I don’t want conflict with you,” she said quietly.
Sarah looked almost insulted.
“You already are the conflict.”
Before anyone could answer—
A cold male voice interrupted.
“Enough.”
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Jared.
He stood near the elevator.
Dark suit.
Unreadable expression.
And somehow—
More intimidating than usual.
His eyes moved slowly between them.
Then settled on Sarah.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Sarah swallowed.
“Jared—”
“What are you doing here?”
His tone held no warmth.
No affection.
Only distance.
She blinked.
“I came to talk.”
“You’re causing disruption.”
The public rejection visibly stung.
Sarah looked wounded.
“You won’t even hear me?”
Jared stepped forward.
His gaze shifted toward Gena.
Then—
Briefly—
To the untouched coffee in her hands.
He noticed her trembling fingers.
And immediately—
Something inside him tightened.
When he looked back at Sarah—
His face had hardened.
“You released that article.”
The accusation landed sharply.
Sarah paled.
“I didn’t—”
“You investigated my wife.”
The word wife echoed across the floor.
And this time—
It sounded less like ownership.
More like warning.
Sarah’s breathing faltered.
“I only wanted the truth.”
His expression remained cold.
“You exposed private records.”
“You embarrassed me first!”
Pain cracked through her voice.
For a second—
Silence lingered.
Then Jared spoke.
Quietly.
Dangerously.
“You embarrassed yourself when you stayed beside a married man.”
The words struck brutally.
Cherry nearly inhaled her soul.
Gena looked at him sharply.
Too harsh.
Far too harsh.
Sarah’s face lost all color.
Her eyes glistened.
And for one painful second—
She looked broken.
Then anger replaced heartbreak.
“You’ll regret this.”
Jared’s jaw tightened.
“I already do.”
The answer cut deeply.
Sarah stared at him.
Then—
Slowly—
Her gaze shifted toward Gena.
And the hatred there frightened her.
Not dramatic hatred.
Not jealousy.
Something colder.
Something quieter.
“You think he’s protecting you,” Sarah whispered.
Her smile trembled.
“But men like Jared don’t protect.”
The warning lingered.
Then—
She walked away.
The elevator doors closed behind her.
And silence remained.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
The office breathed again.
Employees vanished instantly.
Cherry looked emotionally damaged.
“I need paid leave.”
No one laughed.
Because the atmosphere had changed.
Something darker lingered now.
And beside her—
Jared remained motionless.
His gaze slowly found Gena.
“You should’ve called me.”
The statement surprised her.
“For what?”
His expression remained unreadable.
“When they started attacking you.”
Her fingers tightened.
“I don’t need rescuing.”
His jaw flexed.
“That isn’t what I said.”
The frustration returned.
Because somehow—
Every conversation with him became battle.
“I handled it.”
“You tolerated it.”
Their eyes locked.
Dangerous.
Complicated.
And suddenly—
The executive floor disappeared again.
Just the two of them.
Then—
His voice lowered.
“You don’t always have to fight alone.”
The words unsettled her.
Because he sounded sincere.
And sincerity—
From Jared—
Was confusing.
Very confusing.
Before she could answer—
Ado approached carefully.
“Sir.”
Jared looked away.
“The board meeting starts in ten minutes.”
His expression cooled.
“Prepare the conference room.”
Ado nodded.
Then hesitated.
“There’s one more matter.”
“What?”
Ado looked uncomfortable.
“The shareholders are requesting Mrs. Jacobo’s presence.”
Silence.
Gena frowned.
“Why?”
Ado lowered his voice.
“They want to discuss whether the scandal affects her executive position.”
Her stomach dropped.
Of course.
The attacks had already reached the board.
Cherry muttered—
“I hate rich people.”
And beside her—
Jared’s face darkened.
Dangerously.
Because suddenly—
This was no longer gossip.
It was war.
- Writer
