Chapter 89 The rumors

By the following morning, the photographs of Elowen and Theron had spread across the company’s internal portal. They had been uploaded anonymously, accompanied by a short caption that left little room for interpretation.

’Is this how the new chief designer earns the CEO’s special attention?’

The pictures showed Theron carrying Elowen out of the café, his arms wrapped securely around her. In another photograph, he appeared to be leaning close to her while she sat at the table.

Anyone looking at those photographs could easily draw a wrong conclusion.

"Oh, my goodness! Is that really Mr. Knox?" A woman scrolling through the company portal stopped in surprise. "What is he doing with Elowen?"

She zoomed in on the photographs, her expression filled with disbelief.

A few other employees gathered around her.

"I also couldn’t believe it at first," another one said. "Mr. Knox actually carried her! This is shocking."

"Are the pictures even real?" someone questioned.

"They look genuine, though."

"Maybe she was injured or something," the first woman speculated. "Why else would he carry her like that?"

"That’s what I thought," the second one said. "But look at the other picture."

She swiped to the photograph taken inside the café. "Why were they sitting so close?"

"I wonder when these photographs were taken," another woman wondered.

"I saw them leave the office yesterday afternoon," a man chimed in. "I thought they were going for the site inspection."

His words only added to their suspicion.

"I thought they were professional," the first woman said in shock and disbelief. "But they are actually having an affair."

"It’s too early to jump to conclusions," the second woman said. "A few photographs don’t tell us the whole story."

"Exactly. Maybe someone is trying to set them up."

"Who would try to set them up?" Daphne approached with a confident gait. "I mean, we are talking about the boss here. Who would dare to upload fake photographs to provoke him?"

She glanced at the screen. "Well, I agree that we shouldn’t start assuming things. Maybe Mr. Knox is simply being considerate."

She pretended not to start suspecting them. Her words sounded reasonable, but she didn’t leave it there.

"But there is no smoke without fire."

The woman beside her looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." Daphne shrugged. "It’s just... I did notice some things that make me suspicious."

The employees exchanged glances.

"Just like me, someone might have seen them together, snapped their photographs, and posted them on the portal to expose their affair," Daphne continued. "Whoever uploaded them clearly wants everyone to suspect that something is going on between them."

A young woman approached. "Elowen is married. How could she have an affair with the boss?"

She shook her head as she checked the photographs again, reluctant to believe what she was seeing.

"A few days ago, I saw her husband come to pick her up. He is so handsome. And he looked wealthy too. Why would Elowen look for another man when she already has such a husband? I don’t believe she is actually cheating on him."

"You are right," Daphne agreed. "Elowen doesn’t seem like someone to cheat on her husband. But we shouldn’t ignore the fact that they have grown quite close lately."

One of the women frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

"I’m not saying anything." Daphne lowered her voice. "As a married woman, Elowen should have been more careful. She should have maintained a distance from Mr. Knox to avoid rumors. But she openly went out with him and spent time with him."

The conversation turned more intense.

A man who had been listening quietly spoke up. "Whatever the truth is, the company shouldn’t have to deal with a scandal involving its CEO and an employee."

"That’s exactly what I’m worried about," Daphne said, continuing her pretense. "But some people don’t care about anything. To them, getting the higher position matters the most."

Her words only made them even more curious.

"Daphne, care to explain what you exactly mean by that?"

Daphne opened her mouth and made a startled look, as if she had said something she shouldn’t.

"I’m trying to make sense of what is happening. I just can’t ignore the fact of how quickly Elowen has gained the boss’ favor. She was nothing but an assistant designer for years. And then, all of a sudden, she became the chief designer."

"Well, she is a good designer," someone pointed out.

"I’m not denying her talent." Daphne smiled. "I’m wondering why he chose her over some of the more experienced designers."

That made everyone consider.

"Perhaps he likes her work," the young woman said tentatively.

"Perhaps." Daphne nodded in agreement. "But I still kept questioning whether she got that position because of her talent."

She let out a weary sigh. "I hope they are innocent. It would be unfortunate if something like this affected their reputation. But I still don’t understand why Mr. Knox has carried her out."

She deliberately said that to deepen the suspicion in their minds.

The women exchanged an uneasy look. They had known Daphne had been jealous of Elowen. They weren’t entirely convinced by her accusation.

"He is the CEO," one of them pointed out. "Maybe he was just helping an employee."

"Helping?" Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Maybe. But did he have to sit so close to her to help her, as if he were about to kiss her? And he certainly didn’t need to carry her out in his arms. That’s hardly appropriate behavior between a boss and his employee. Don’t you think so?"

The employees exchanged another round of glances.

"Everyone has noticed it," Daphne went on. "Mr. Knox has been giving her special attention ever since he took over the company."

She held up her phone and pointed at the photograph of Theron carrying Elowen in his arms.

"I am not trying to blame anyone. I just want to know the truth. And these photographs are quite damning."

The man who spoke earlier stepped up. "Daphne is right. The photographs don’t lie."

His agreement seemed to settle the matter for others. Their initial doubts gradually gave way to certainty.

Daphne noticed the change in their expressions. A twisted sense of satisfaction filled her chest.

After this scandal, Theron wouldn’t be able to keep Elowen around. The board wouldn’t tolerate such a controversy.

Whether he wanted it or not, he would have to fire her.

And Elowen... She would never be able to walk through the company with her head held high again.

Daphne’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smile. This was revenge for all the humiliation she had suffered.

’Elowen, I want to see how you explain yourself now.’

By the time Elowen arrived at the office, almost everyone had seen the pictures. She noticed the weird glances the moment she entered the office building.

Several groups of employees huddled together in the corners, staring at something on their phones.

Conversations stopped as she passed. Some quickly looked away, while others openly stared at her. A few whispered behind their hands, their eyes following her all the way to the elevator.

Elowen’s steps slowed.

The way they looked at her, only to avert their gazes when she turned toward them, made it obvious that she was the subject of their conversation.

’Is something wrong?’

Elowen looked around, trying to understand what was happening. No one approached her. Instead, they continued exchanging strange looks.

A knot formed in her stomach.

She had grown accustomed to the curious glances lately because of her position. But this was different. There was something unpleasant in their expressions, something that made her feel as though she had unknowingly become a topic of gossip.

When she reached her desk, Vera hurried toward her.

"Elowen, you are here." Her face was pale, and her voice was slightly shaky. "I thought you were not coming."

Her serious expression immediately made Elowen uneasy.

"Why wouldn’t I come?" she asked. "What is going on?"

Vera looked around before taking her by the arm and leading her to a quieter corner.

"Have you checked the company portal?