My Corporate Affair

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sophie....

The air in the meeting room was heavy, thicker than usual. No one dared to speak unless necessary. Even Mia, who always had something to whisper, sat stiffly beside me. All eyes subtly drifted toward the door when Elliot walked in.

He looked… different.

Not physically, he was still the same man in the expensive suit with the sharp jaw and unreadable eyes. But there was something about the way he carried himself today, like a light had dimmed behind his usually confident gaze.

I watched him carefully, noticing the way his shoulders tensed as he stood in front of us.

“The project,” he said, voice low but steady, “has been suspended until further notice.”

The silence that followed made my chest tighten.

People exchanged glances, some nodded. A few avoided looking at him at all. But I couldn’t stop watching him. His eyes flicked across the room quickly, until they landed on mine.

He looked at me. Just for a second. But it felt like longer.

There was no arrogance in his gaze today. No guarded walls. Just quiet. And a kind of sadness he wasn’t used to showing.

Everyone began to leave. Chairs shifted. Shoes clicked. The room slowly emptied.

The meeting was over, but the weight of it still lingered in my chest. I needed air. Or food. Or maybe both. When Mia nudged me and whispered, “Cafeteria?” I didn’t hesitate.

We found a small table near the corner, away from the usual noisy crowd. Our trays clinked down as we settled in. Mia was the first to speak, her tone soft but serious.

“I can’t believe they leaked that video,” she said, shaking her head. “He was obviously way younger. It’s so unfair how people forget that humans grow.”

I nodded slowly, pushing food around on my plate.

“He didn’t even look like the same person,” I murmured. “He’s changed. He’s nothing like that now.”

Mia leaned in, her brows drawn. “Exactly. I mean, have they forgotten he’s the reason this place doesn’t feel like a prison? He actually treats people with respect.”

Before I could reply, a sharp giggle pierced the air. I turned slightly, catching sight of a group of interns, three of them, sitting just a few tables away. All girls. Their voices weren’t exactly quiet, either.

“Did you see the way he kissed that girl? I mean, CEO or not, that was disgusting.”

“I know, right? And to think I actually used to admire him.”

“Well, now we know the type of guy he is. Ew.”

Something inside me snapped.

I tried to ignore it. I really did. I stabbed my fork into a piece of chicken and kept my eyes down. But the more they talked, the more the blood rushed to my ears. It was like everything inside me boiled over at once.

My hand slammed down on the table, hard.

The entire cafeteria went quiet.

Forks froze mid-air. Heads turned. Even Mia blinked at me, shocked.

“Sophie…” she whispered. “Calm down, ”

But I was already on my feet.

“You think you’re being funny?” I said, loud enough for the entire cafeteria to hear.

The group of interns blinked up at me, startled.

“Talking about someone like that behind their back? Judging a person for something he did years ago? When he was young?”

I took a step closer. My voice trembled, not with fear, but with anger.

“Have you all forgotten what kind of boss he is? How respectful he’s been to everyone? How comfortable he’s made working here for all of us?”

No one answered. The silence in the room was deafening now.

“You’ve all seen the way he supports people here. The way he never raises his voice, how he carries himself with so much grace, and now that someone leaked something from years ago, suddenly you all think you know him?”

The interns looked down, embarrassed. One of them fiddled with her spoon.

“Tell me,” I continued, voice sharp but clear, “how many of you are perfect? Never made a single mistake? Never done something dumb when you were younger?”

Still, silence.

“You want to talk about him? Then talk about how he comes in early and stays late. How he checks in on staff. How he cares.”

Mia slowly reached for my hand under the table, but I was shaking.

“We don’t get to judge someone for who they used to be, especially not someone who’s worked so hard to be better.”

My heart was pounding in my chest as I looked around, meeting every single gaze that was thrown my way. Some looked ashamed. Others thoughtful.

But they were listening.

I slowly sat down, chest rising and falling, as the sound slowly returned to the room, chairs creaking, utensils clinking. But this time, the whispers were gone.

Mia squeezed my hand, a proud smile tugging at her lips.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” she muttered playfully.

But I didn’t smile.

All I could think about… was how Elliot must have felt walking in here today.

And how badly I wanted him to know that someone still had his back.

Just as things began to settle, I reached for my drink, hoping the adrenaline would wear off soon. My pulse was still racing from the confrontation, but at least the cafeteria had gone quiet. Some people even nodded at me, small gestures of agreement. Maybe it meant something.

Then I heard footsteps.

Slow, deliberate ones.

I looked up to see one of the interns from the table, the one with the loudest mouth,walking toward me. Her brows were raised in mock innocence, but the sharp curl of her lips said otherwise.

She stopped right in front of our table, arms crossed, voice loud enough for everyone around to hear.

“No wonder you’re defending him like your life depends on it,” she sneered. “You’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”

My breath caught.

The words hit me like a slap before I even moved.

Mia gasped beside me, eyes widening in disbelief. Gasps echoed around the cafeteria. Forks clattered against plates. People straightened in their seats, watching.

And me?

I saw red.

Without thinking, my hand flew up and cracked hard across her face.

The sound echoed.

She stumbled a little, shocked, hand flying to her cheek. For a split second, I thought she’d back off.

But no.

She lunged.

“You crazy....!” she screamed, pushing me.

That was it.

I grabbed her wrist and shoved her back, the plastic tray on our table crashing to the floor. She swung again, I ducked. My fingers gripped her arm as I pushed her back with everything in me, rage boiling in my chest.

We tumbled into the next table, chairs scraping as people jumped out of the way.

“Sophie, stop!” Mia cried, trying to grab me.

But I wasn’t listening. She had no right. No right to say that. Not after everything. Not after what Elliot had been through. Not after the way they all turned on him so fast.

“You think you can just run your mouth and say anything?” I shouted as I grabbed the girl’s wrist again, shoving her against the table. “You think this is funny?”

“Get off me!” she yelled, trying to wriggle free.

Hands were everywhere now. Two guys from HR pulled me back, another intern dragged her away. The room was chaos, voices shouting, phones out, someone yelling to call security.

I was breathing hard, my hair loose from its ponytail, palms aching from the slap. My blouse was crumpled, and I could feel a scratch burning on my arm.

The intern stood at the far end, surrounded by her shocked friends. Her lip was bleeding. She stared at me like she couldn’t believe I actually hit her.

Mia held onto me tightly, whispering, “It’s okay… it’s okay… Just breathe…”

But I couldn’t.

I didn’t regret it. Not even a little.

Because for once, someone needed to be loud for Elliot. Someone needed to fight back for him.

And if that someone had to be me, then so be it.