Chapter 5 Crossed wires

By the time Elena arrived at the office the following Monday, her phone was buzzing nonstop.

She stepped into the conference room, confused by the looks on her interns' faces - pity, awkward smiles, tension. Talia, her assistant, shoved a phone in her hand.

"Have you seen it yet?" she asked.

Elena stared at the screen.

"Maddox's New Flame or Just a PR Puppet?"

Is billionaire tech king Grayson Maddox dating his event planner? Sources say the two have been spending late nights together in secret locations. Is this a romance, or just another calculated image stunt?

Elena felt her blood drain.

The article was filled with half-truths, twisted quotes, and photos of them together - one from the rooftop, another as they left a planning session. It made her look like arm candy. Unprofessional. Desperate.

And Grayson?

There wasn't a single comment or statement from his side.

No denial. No support. Just silence.

She marched into his office, barely waiting for permission. He was at his desk, focused as ever.

"Are you just going to let the media drag me through the mud like that?" she asked, voice shaking with fury.

He didn't even look up. "It'll pass. Stories like that always do."

"I'm not a story, Grayson. I'm a person. And I built my career from scratch after someone tried to destroy it. I won't go through that again."

He leaned back, folding his hands calmly. "Then maybe you should've known better than to let anyone take those photos."

The words sliced like knives.

"You think this is my fault?" she whispered.

He hesitated.

"Elena, the world looks for weakness in people like me. Anyone close to me becomes a target. I didn't ask you to protect me, and I can't protect you either."

She stood there, stunned.

"I trusted you," she said quietly. "And I'm starting to realize that was a mistake."

She left without waiting for a response.

And this time, he didn't stop her.