The Fire They Started
(Isabella’s POV)
I didn’t cry. Not when I left Ace’s office, not when the stares trailed me back to my desk, not even when Sophia sauntered by, her lips curling into a smirk as she whispered, “Mistress,” just loud enough for me to hear.
But the ache in my chest tightened, coiling like a serpent with each tick of the clock.
I attempted to work. Truly, I did.
Yet, the emails blurred into indecipherable lines. Reports that I’d typically dissect in minutes now resembled ancient hieroglyphs. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but the weight of a hundred unseen eyes bore down on me, pressing into my skin, making every movement feel scrutinized.
The rumors had ignited like wildfire, and I was suffocating in the smoke.
Around noon, Melissa approached my desk, a stea
