Someone from the office

Xander's POV

The drive to the office was silent, except for the low hum of the engine. My mind replayed Kaia’s words over and over, her voice cold and final. "I want to end the contract." I had stood there like a fool, unable to respond, and then I watched her leave, knowing I had pushed her to that point.

When the call came from my secretary, I thought it would be a minor issue. But the urgency in her voice said otherwise.

As soon as I stepped into the office building, I could feel the tension like a physical presence. Phones ringing off the hook, assistants scrambling from desk to desk, voices raised in hushed panic. People avoided my gaze or gave me tight, fake smiles.

My secretary, Melissa, rushed to me, clutching a tablet with trembling hands. “Sur, someone leaked your private life, it's everywhere. Social media, blogs, news channels. And Kaia... they know she left you."

She tapped the screen, showing headlines screaming things like:

Billionaire Xander Kendricks Caught in Cheating Scandal — Wife Walks Out!

Insider Sources Claim Mrs. Kendricks Left Due to Infidelity

Power Couple Crumbles: What Really Happened Behind Closed Doors

A dull pressure bloomed behind my eyes, this was too much. My thoughts quickly drifted to Kaia, would she ne okay?

"Who leaked it?" I asked, voice low.

"We don't know yet. PR's trying to control the damage but..." Melissa hesitated. "The board has called an emergency meeting. They want to see you. Now."

The elevator ride to the top floor felt like a noose tightening. By the time I stepped into the boardroom, they were all there. Ten men and women, each looking at me like I was the problem.

"Kendricks," the Chairman, Mr. Hale, said looking at me concerned. "Care to explain how your personal mess became a corporate disaster?"

"We trusted you to represent this company with dignity," another board member said. "You're not just a CEO. You're the face of Global Holdings."

"Do you understand how this affects our investors? Our stock price?"

I stood at the head of the long glass table, jaw tight, hands clenched at my sides.

"It was a mistake," I said evenly. "A personal mistake. It won't affect the company's operations."

"You don’t get to decide that anymore," anothe board member snapped. "You've given every competitor a reason to question our stability. We have to consider voting in a temporary replacement."

My gaze swept over them. "You're saying one headline is enough to push me out?"

"It’s not one headline, Xander, It’s dozens. It’s your face plastered on every screen with women who aren’t your wife. It’s your name trending with hashtags like 'Serial Cheater' and 'Corporate Pig.' You think shareholders will sit quietly through that?"

"Give me time," I said through gritted teeth. "I can fix this."

They exchanged glances, reluctant. Doubtful.

I knew I had put Hale on the spot, he had always been my very good friend, I looked at him with my eyes pleading. 

"You have seventy two hours, Fix it or step down." Hale said finally. 

Kaia's POV

Moving out of Xander’s mansion had felt like walking out of a tomb. At first, I had expected to be afraid again, to feel those eyes watching me, the prickling sensation on my skin that had haunted me for weeks. But as the days passed, nothing happened.

No more mysterious packages, no more threats.

I should have felt relieved. But instead, it made me uneasy. Why did it all stop the moment I left Xander?

The thought lingered in the back of my mind as I sipped coffee at my desk, the buzz of the office fading into the background. Then I heard my name from the hallway.

"Did you hear about Kaia Kendricks?" someone whispered.

"She left him after he cheated on her. Multiple times."

"It’s all over the internet. My sister sent me a link this morning."

I froze.

I pulled out my phone and opened the browser. And there it was.

Photo after photo. Blurred shots of Xander with different women. Headlines. Quotes from anonymous sources. Speculations.

Because now the world knew now. 

I turned off my phone and stared at the wall. And then, slowly, something began to piece together in my head.

The threats, the sudden silence after I left. The leaks.

Someone wanted me out of the house. Someone wanted to break us apart. And now someone had made sure the entire world knew.

Who would benefit from that? Not Xander, his reputation was on the line. Not me—I hadn’t leaked anything, and I hated attention.

Then who?

It suddenly clicked, it was someone from Xander's office.