Chapter 6

DANIELLA POV

Rumors don’t waste time to go round and before I knew it, the whispering began. She slept her way into his office. I started receiving judging stares everywhere I went.

It was so hard to act like everything was alright when it wasn’t. Behind polite smiles that disappeared the moment I turned my back. Eyes lingered on me longer than they should have, sharp with judgment, heavy with assumptions I had never earned.

It was hard to breathe. It was harder to pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t.

I kept my head down and focused on my work, but the weight of it all pressed against my chest. Every laugh I heard felt like it was about me. Every silence felt loud. I had worked so hard to survive here, to prove that I deserved this job, and now it felt like none of it mattered.

All they saw was a story they had already decided was true.

Rider did not say anything. He did not look at me differently, at least not in front of anyone. That almost hurt more. The silence between us grew heavier, filled with things neither of us dared to address.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to defend myself. I wanted someone to see me for who I really was, not the version they had created in their heads.

But I said nothing.

Because in a place like this, words could destroy me faster than anything.

And so I swallowed the pain and kept working, pretending that my heart was not breaking a little more with every whispered sentence.

“You’re really going to keep working like you don’t care?” My coworker asked softly, with a smile that was too sweet.

I kept typing.

“You know he’s watching you,” she added. I froze, because she was right.

A presence behind the glass office doors.

Rider was there, watching, listening to all the rumors and said nothing. But looking at his face. I realized the rumors weren’t just hurting me. They were hurting him too.

The silence that followed was heavy.

Then, without warning, Rider walked out of his office.

His eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on me, the air around us shifted. It wasn’t a look of attraction, it was a look of ownership.

“Daniella to my office” he said jolting me out of my daydream and I realized I had been staring longer than expected.

“Yes sir” I replied, standing up from my seat while he leads the way to his office. I noticed the eyes following us but I brushed it aside. They can think whatever they want to think I’m not a slut.

While inside his office, Rider offered me a seat and I reluctantly agreed. Then he started blabbing about a meeting and honestly I was just trying to keep up with how fast he was talking.

“Daniella can you hear me or have I been talking to myself”?. His question jolted me from my daydream again. Seriously what’s wrong with me and just blanking out recently. Looking at his face I noticed he was slightly annoyed with my blank out.

Uugh sorry sir. Yeah I was listening sir.

“Okay Daniella since you were listening what was I talking about”? He asked with a smirk on his face. I freezes at his question because I wasn’t actually listening then I tried patching up some of his sentences together.

Ooh uuhm sir you were talking about me leading the meeting tomorrow.

“Yes Daniella I said that about 5 minutes ago but you just weren’t listening. Or do you want me to helo you understand better”? He asked with a sexy smirk on his face and I knew right away that he was just trying to flirt with me. Yet, I couldn’t stop the blush from appearing on my face. His words seemed to affect me more than I want them to. I could only shake my head in disapproval and he laughed and continued taking about the meeting.

I’ve never led a meeting before and this sexy green God was trusting me to lead his meeting and wanted me to go solo!! I was so freaked out but didn’t bother showing it. If I wanted to earn his trust, I’ll just have to start by doing exceptionally well in my preparation for the meeting. Thankfully it’s not something serious so I was getting confident in myself thst I could do it.

By the time he was done, he told me to be at work as early as 8 to set up the meeting board for everyone. I thanked him and headed out of his office to start drafting out the marketing plan I was going to present when he stopped me by the door.

“Daniella, I’m sorry about the rumors okay.. I know how you feel right now. You worked hard to get this job but people can’t understand that. I’m hoping you’re not angry at me for trying to be a nice boss to you. He said. His voice hinting on how sad and tired he was.

I looked at him and seeing his eyebags, I knew the work was also having a huge toll on him and the rumors weren’t helping matters.

For what is what sir, I believe In myself that I’ll be able to convince my coworkers that it’s my hard work and diligence that got me this far and honestly I’m going to use this meeting to show them that I’m capable sir. So don’t think that I’m in this mess because of you sir I replied slightly smiling at him.

He looked shocked at my reply and just smiled. You know you can call me Rider, we’ve passed this formality stage he looked at me while smiling.

It’s fine sir.

With the rumors going round, I don’t want to make it worse by calling you by your first name sir and besides we’re at a work environment and you’re the boss, so I’ll still give you that respect sir. Now if there’s no important message again I’ll like to take my leave sir. Thank you again for your kind gestures. And with that I left the office not giving him the chance to reply to me.

I went to my seat and tried calming my heart. Literally this shit needs to start taking permission from my brain cause what the fuck was that. I sighed in frustration and started working on the project for the meeting. It wasn’t hard, literally just a day job and I knew I could do it. By lunchtime, I was already done and just needed to print out my paperwork and go through them for correction.

I decided to get at coffee from the coffe shop opposite the office. I wasn’t feeling hungry but I was feeling exhausted so coffee was just the best choice for me. On my way to the elevator, I bumped into someone I hadn’t seen before in this office. I guess he’s one of the high staffs that are hardly ever seen around.

“I’m so sorry sir”, I’ll try to watch where I’m going to next time.

Ooh it’s fine we both didn’t watch where we were going to. I’m Taylor by the way. He said looking at me with a puzzled expression.

I’m Daniella, nice to meet you Taylor.

Are you new here cause I know literally everyone who works here and I haven’t seen you before. He said looking at me like I was a threat. Yeah I’m new I just started working here about a week ago or so. Probably why you haven’t seen me around. And I noticed his tensed shoulder relaxing as he heard my replies.

“That’s nice, I’m guessing you’re the new secretary then”. I nodded my head in approval and he smiled at me like I was a kid .

I hope the Rider isn’t stressing you too much he’s always on high alert and very ruthless to people that don’t know him personally. But don’t be scared Ella he’s not as bad as people say he is.

I smiled at him and just assured him that I wasn’t scared of Rider, and I didn’t care about the rumors. All I cared about was my job and I didn’t want to let it go because of what people had to say.

He was surprised at my answer and just smiled at me and decided to follow me to the coffee shop.

I realized that me and Taylor had a lot in common and it wasn’t really hard for us to talk like close friends. He even helped with my projects, showing me where still needs correction. And with his help I finished it earlier than expected. Taylor was very funny but also serious when it comes to business.

Throughout the remaining work hours, me and Taylor bonded very well and I couldn’t wait to tell Lilian about the new friend I met at work, despite all the rumors which I’m surprised he never spoke about, maybe he hadn’t heard about it.

Taylor collected my number and left for Rider office. Immediately work closed for the day, I didn’t waste time to leave the office before Rider offers me a ride. I took a cab because I didn’t feel like taking the bus today.

By the time I got home, I crashed on the couch. Lilian called out to me from the kitchen but I was too tired to get my ass off the couch.

I kept on thinking about Rider and the meeting, and I can’t lie, I’m scared about the meeting. But at the same time I want to make Rider proud of me which I don’t even understand why.

One thing I was sure of was my relationship for Rider wasn’t the normal CEO and Secretary relationship.