Chapter 351 Olive Branches

Ella

The light filtered into the offices as I walked into the open floor plan, and I felt like I was walking into a den of wolves. My coworkers had that shifty, guilty look on their faces that I had become all too familiar with recently. I already knew why.

From the corners of my eyes, I noticed heads quickly swivel back to their desks, computer screens blinking to life as if they had been hard at work all along. But the reality was all too clear: they had been watching. The entire office, it seemed, had been huddled around the window, trying to catch a glimpse of my conversation with Logan.

A weight settled in my stomach. This had been precisely what I had hoped to avoid. It wasn’t just the topic of whispers, I had become the spectacle of the morning. Hell, I had become the spectacle of the year. I had had enough.

“Really?” I said, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice. I planted my hands on my hips, trying to convey both authority and exasperation. “You all don’t have anything better to do?”

The room remained awkwardly silent. Their shared guilt was written all over their faces.

I exhaled, grounding myself, before deciding to tackle the elephant in the room head-on. “Yes,” I began, “I am seeing Logan Barrett. And yes, he is… Well, he is who he is. But that doesn’t mean this place should turn into a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie, with everyone peeking around corners and whispering behind hands.”

A few heads ducked, others averted their eyes, but I wasn’t finished. “It’s none of your business. And frankly, you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Acting like a bunch of gossipy teenagers.”

By the end of my little speech, the atmosphere was thick with embarrassment. Pleased with the silence that followed, I made my way to my office.

felt like a victory,

I was called into a meeting with Mr. Henderson and Bryan Fleming, one of

I started at the firm that he saw me as a green, inexperienced rookie who, in his esteemed opinion, had yet to earn her stripes. His gaze was stern, scrutinizing every word I

“your lack of experience in the field is

bristled at his condescending tone but maintained my composure. “I’ve successfully handled several high-profile cases, including the ones with Logan Barrett, one of our most significant

Logan,” Bryan sneered, an insinuating smirk playing on his lips. “Isn’t he your boyfriend? It seems like a pretty convenient, and dare

my professionalism and reducing my accomplishments to mere favors from a ‘boyfriend’. My cheeks burned, and I was about to retort when Mr. Henderson stepped

a sharp look. “Her accomplishments speak for themselves, and it is unbecoming to belittle our colleagues based on unfounded assumptions and petty

replaced by discomfort

“and we expect everyone to treat her with the respect she

resentment. The meeting continued, but the air remained charged, every

slinked away, I found myself alone with Mr. Henderson. My gratitude bubbled to the surface, eclipsing my lingering annoyance.

eyes softening ever so slightly. “I won’t always be there to stick up for you, Ella,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “But out of respect for Logan, I’ll do it

individual merits. It left a sour taste in my mouth, the realization that my ‘boyfriend’s’ reputation might be the

I walked out of the conference room, the feeling of being undervalued

soon enough,” Ema said, her voice tinged

managed to hold in a scoff. “Yeah. If that day ever

my office had me realizing that I had forgotten

I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Knew I was

was getting antsy for something to eat. With a sigh, I grabbed

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