Chapter 21 Fractures Beneath The Surfaces

The hallway was empty. Late afternoon sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor, but Yerin barely noticed. Her focus was on the man leaning against the wall, his smirk still in place as if he hadn’t just publicly shamed Elliot in front of the entire team.“That was low,” she said, her voice sharp. “Even for you.”Jayden tilted his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. “Why? Because I wasn’t nice about it?”“Because it was cruel. And it wasn’t about work. It was personal.”He pushed off the wall and took a step closer, his voice dropping. “Unnecessary, huh?” His gaze was too knowing. “Then why are you so upset?”Yerin’s jaw tightened. “I’m not.”“Right.” He didn’t look away. “You always do this. Act like nothing gets to you. But I see you, Yerin.”Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “You think you know everything.”He let out a quiet laugh. “No. But I know you.”There it was—something underneath the words, something heavy and real. She could handle hi

Last Updated : 2026-04-16

Chapter 22 Insecurity

Yerin stepped into the conference room and saw Elliot already seated at the head of the table, his gaze fixed on his laptop. A deep furrow lined his brow. She had worked with him long enough to know something was off.She took her seat and opened her laptop. As the presentation slides loaded, her eyes flicked across the numbers. A frown crept onto her lips. The budget allocation didn't match. A glaring discrepancy.Elliot was meticulous. He didn't make mistakes like this.But he had.The door opened. Hazel walked in, followed by Jayden. Hazel's lips were pressed into a thin line, her phone still in hand. “I just need time to draft a proper PR response before management finds out,” she muttered, slipping into the seat across from Yerin.Jayden was uncharacteristically quiet. He took a seat beside Hazel, his gaze flickering toward Elliot before settling on the report.Yerin exhaled and closed her laptop. “Alright,” she said. “Someone needs to explain what happened.”Elliot's jaw tighten

Last Updated : 2026-04-20

Chapter 23 Simple But Deep

Elliot hadn't been himself since they'd returned from the workshop. Usually, he carried himself with easy confidence, always ready with a reassuring smile. But today, he looked completely drained.A meeting had been scheduled to finalize the budget adjustments. Yerin sat beside him. Hazel and Jayden were already there, the air stiff. Hazel wasn't looking at Elliot. Jayden leaned back, arms crossed, his face unreadable.Yerin didn't care about their silent battle. She had a job to do.She opened her laptop. “I've restructured the budget allocation. If we cut unnecessary operational expenses and reassign a portion of the expansion funds, we can make up the gap.”Elliot let out a long breath. “That sounds reasonable. It's the best shot we've got.”The meeting continued, technical and detailed, until they had a solid plan. But even as Yerin closed her laptop, Elliot's tension hadn't eased. His fingers tapped against the table, his gaze distant.When the others left, he lingered.“Do you w

Last Updated : 2026-04-20

Chapter 24 Not Really Bad

The mistake was found late in the afternoon. A wrong number in one of the market reports had thrown off their entire forecast, putting key decisions in jeopardy. Not a small error—the kind that could wreck the whole project.The room went silent. Elliot froze, the color draining from his face as he stared at the numbers in disbelief. He had been trying so hard to hold everything together, and now it was crumbling because of him.Yerin felt a sharp ache in her chest watching him.Jayden was the first to speak. “We need to fix this. Now.”Hazel took a sharp breath. “We can rework the approach, but we don't have much time. We have to tell leadership before they find out on their own.”Elliot's voice was quieter than usual. “I'll take responsibility. I should have caught this sooner.”Yerin clenched her fists. “Let's focus on solving it first. We'll figure the rest out after.”Elliot met her gaze briefly. Gratitude, maybe, or just pure exhaustion. Then he nodded.Jayden was already moving

Last Updated : 2026-04-20

All Chapters of The Second Lead Us - Let's Destroy Their Love: Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

Chapter 21 Fractures Beneath The Surfaces

Chapter 22 Insecurity

Chapter 23 Simple But Deep

Chapter 24 Not Really Bad