Chapter 5 RUMORS & RISKS

Aiden didn't look at her again.

After whispering "This can't happen," he retreated into his office like a man escaping a fire he had set himself. Lila stood frozen in the quiet workspace, her skin still tingling everywhere he had touched. His sudden withdrawal felt like someone had slammed a door in her chest.

She forced herself to breathe, to steady her trembling hands.

This wasn't the first time life had thrown something painful at her. She knew how to carry burdens quietly. But this... this was different. This was a wound she didn't know how to hide.

She wiped her cheeks, fixed her hair, inhaled deeply, and whispered to herself:

"Focus. Survive. Don't let this break you."

With stiff legs, she returned to her desk and tried to bury herself in paperwork. But the atmosphere shifted the moment she stepped into the open floor.

Eyes flicked toward her. Conversations halted mid-sentence. A few coworkers exchanged looks she didn't understand.

She sat slowly, pretending not to notice.

But whispers rose almost immediately.

"Did you see her with him earlier?"

"I think she came out of his office."

"She was crying."

"Do you think... something happened?"

Lila's pulse spiked.

Oh no.

Rumors already? Over what? A conversation? A moment where he'd tried to comfort her? Or-worse-the moment where he almost crossed a line he clearly wished he hadn't?

A woman from accounting leaned to the side and whispered to another coworker, loud enough for Lila to catch:

"She won't last. He always burns them out."

Burns them out?

What did that even mean?

Before she could process it, Jenna walked past her desk-slow, purposeful, and smirking.

"Well," Jenna said sweetly, "seems like someone had a big morning."

Lila tensed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't worry." Jenna leaned in, lowering her voice. "Everyone knows he's impossible to resist."

Lila blinked. "There's nothing going on."

Jenna's smile sharpened. "Good. Keep it that way."

Then she walked off, leaving Lila staring after her with confusion and dread coiling in her stomach.

Why were they acting like this? Why did it feel like there was something everyone knew-something Lila had yet to discover?

She pushed the thoughts aside and forced herself to finish the work Aiden assigned. She would not let his withdrawal-or the whispers-affect her professionalism.

After lunch, the tension ramped up.

Whispers grew more frequent.

People glanced at her like she was a ticking bomb.

Her email inbox suddenly filled with vague reminders about "professional boundaries" and "appropriate conduct."

Ridiculous.

Nothing happened.

Well... something had almost happened.

But Aiden had shut it down.

Still, the air on the floor felt poisonous, the tension sharp enough to cut.

Around 3 p.m., Claire approached her desk.

"Lila, have you met Victoria yet?"

Lila frowned. "Who?"

Claire hesitated. "A... very senior consultant. She used to work closely with Mr. Blackwood a few years ago."

Something in her tone sounded cautious. Nervous even.

"She's coming back today," Claire continued. "Just... be polite. Be careful. And don't be alone with her."

"What? Why?"

But Claire didn't answer. She just gave Lila a tight smile and walked away.

A cold ripple slid down Lila's spine.

---

The elevator dinged at 3:12 p.m.

Lila looked up-and the world seemed to slow.

A woman stepped out of the elevator: tall, beautiful, and dressed in a sharp black dress that looked sinfully expensive. Her heels clicked with confidence. Her brown hair cascaded in perfect waves. And the smile that curved her lips was razor-sharp.

Victoria.

Even without an introduction, Lila knew instantly.

The air changed around her.

People stiffened.

A few whispered her name.

Victoria didn't look left or right-she just walked like the building belonged to her.

And then her eyes locked onto Lila.

Not curiosity.

Not confusion.

No-Victoria looked at her as if she were something under her shoe.

She approached slowly, each step deliberate.

"You must be the new assistant," Victoria said, voice smooth like silk hiding a blade.

Lila stood. "I'm... Lila Hart. Nice to meet you."

Victoria's eyes traveled over her-down her blouse, her skirt, her shoes-and returned with a glint of amusement.

"How adorable," she murmured. "You look so... new."

Lila forced a polite smile. "I'm still learning."

"Oh, I'm sure," Victoria said. "You're learning a lot quickly, aren't you? Especially about Mr. Blackwood."

Lila's heart stuttered. "I don't know what you-"

Victoria held up a hand. "Please. I've been around long enough to recognize patterns."

Patterns?

Victoria stepped closer, lowering her voice just enough for nearby coworkers to still hear.

"Let me save you the heartbreak, darling. You're not the first girl to catch his attention, and you won't be the last."

Heat drained from Lila's face.

"He's a machine," Victoria continued. "He burns through people. Employees. Assistants. Anyone who gets too close."

Lila's stomach twisted.

"That's not-" she started.

Victoria leaned in, her perfume suffocatingly sweet.

"Just be smart and stay in your place."

Lila clenched her fists. "I'm only here to work. That's all."

Victoria smiled-a slow, cruel stretch of lips.

"Good." She turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "Because the ones who try to be more than that..."

Her gaze snapped to Lila's.

"...never survive long."

Then she walked away, hips swaying, confidence dripping off every step.

Lila sat down shakily, her chest tight.

What had happened between Victoria and Aiden? Why did she feel so threatened? And why did everyone act like Aiden was some kind of danger?

She tried to steady her breathing and returned to her tasks, but her concentration was destroyed.

Everything felt wrong.

Everyone felt hostile.

And Aiden's sudden coldness now had a shadow she didn't understand.

---

Later that afternoon, Lila stepped into the hallway to make copies of several reports. She walked past a slightly open conference room door-Victoria's voice drifting out.

Lila froze.

She wasn't trying to eavesdrop.

She wasn't even supposed to be here.

But the words were impossible to ignore.

"-pathetic," Victoria said, her tone dripping venom. "Every time he brings someone new in, they think they're different. They think they're special."

Someone else murmured something Lila couldn't hear.

Victoria laughed-low, harsh, humorless.

"No. She'll be no different," Victoria said. "She'll be the next one he'll destroy."

Lila's breath vanished.

Her heart stopped.

Her entire world seemed to tilt sideways.

Victoria continued, voice cold and confident:

"He ruins everything he touches. Including people."

Lila stumbled back quietly, her chest clenching.

Next one he'll destroy.

Next one.

Her throat tightened with something too sharp to swallow.

Was she walking into something she didn't understand?

Was Aiden really that dangerous?

Or was Victoria lying?

She didn't know.

All she knew was that her first real day at Blackwood Industries had just turned into something darker than she expected-

-and she was suddenly very, very alone.