**Chapter 7: The Gossip Begins**  

The morning after the charity dinner, Ellie's eyes flew open to the sound of her phone buzzing off the hook on her bedside table. She let out a groan, reaching her arm towards the phone while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She had not got enough rest from the dinner. 

When she checked her notifications, Ellie was certain that her heart had been suppressed beneath the stress of the situation. 

To her disbelief, her social media was filled to the brim with messages, tags, and mentions. The fashion and gossip sites had plastered her name as the main focus of attention. 

**"Who is Ellie White? The Rivaling Mystery Woman Contesting Lucas Hunter's Arm"** 

**"The Eternal Lucas Hunter Flame? The Unsanctioned Inside Gossip Regarding the Charity Dinner"** 

**"From Assistant to It Girl: The Exquisite Ellie White Reigns at New York Charity Gala"** 

Ellie's blood began to boil and her upset stomach and anger worsened the more she scrolled. Lucas and she both attended the event, and the photographs told more than rummaging through the articles filled with captions. To this day, the memories screamed at her. Her simple black dress versus his perfectly tailored tuxedo. Other shots of them walking into the venue showed him with his arm around her waist. Some moments captured the deep conversations shared between them during the dinner. 

Reading the captions only worsened her pain.

**"Has Lucas Hunter finally found a special someone? Around the world people are talking about Ellie White after their hot and heavy interaction at the charity dinner last night."** 

**"Out of the way, models. Ellie White is now the most recent addition to the ever growing Lucas Hunter's love collection."** 

**"Lucas Hunter is known to add more to his relationships, but this chemistry is on a whole different level."** 

Trembling hands shattered what little confidence Ellie had when she pressed the call button. Trembling hands, triggered by fear. Shivering at the realisation that she was about to have a nervous breakdown. The most excruciating part was that she didn't want any of this publicity in the first place. She was just Lucas's assistant, nothing more. 

But the public eye has a different understanding. 

She stepped out after getting dressed, catching the subway that would take her to work; her head was running laps. Did she ever think about how Lucas would react? He absolutely despises anything and everything to do with him being in the limelight. What will raise his blood pressure even more is wondering what the media is going to do with all the information. And his company? Well, they would go along with the reputation he worked so hard to build without ever coming undone. 

As she set foot in the office, the reason for the discomfort and whispering became quite clear. 

As she made her way to her workspace, every single one of her colleagues began murmuring while giving her glances. Glimpses that made her head spin as she moved towards her desk. 

Halfway to her chair, Clara strutted like she owned the place, and the look on her face was infused with authority. 

"Mr Hunter wants you in his office now," was her curt response. 

Turning towards Lucas's office, Ellie's heart took a dive, but thankfully she followed Clara without saying a word. 

The expression on Lucas's face was no different than a bad storm, and when she stepped inside, he shoved a pile of papers at her.

Before him lay the tabloids with their front pages boldly displayed for everyone to see.

"Miss White," he beckoned her with a cold voice that sent chills down her spine. "Want to explain this?"

Ellie was finding it hard to breathe and felt anger boiling within her when the question was asked; Mr. Hunter was gripping his chair as if it could help him calm down. "Sir, I have no clue how this escalated, I was merely following orders," she managed to spit out.

"Your job–" he interjected, "I gossips Bull Shit, and DOES NOT involve letting personal life scatter into affair At Divorce Industry. Do you calculate the damage that this turns out to be on the reputation of the Company?"

Although Ellie wanted to punch him, she tried reasoning with him instead, "Listen to me now, Mr. Hunter, what am I supposed to do when attending the event with you."

"Interrogator complexity is impossible to achieve with current technology, but when do expect a combination of outstanding barding skill and talented voice?" he asked with narrow questioning eyes. "Regardless, we need to reappropriate ourselves before all hell breaks loose."

Thinking deeply, she admitted, "I have no plan, so we might lose it at the meeting, what do you think?"

With every passing second, the distance between his lips was increasing; the further he was, the blurrier everything appeared, "order for the- allow "these" bomb"Gazi el tor" on an extremely wide scale, in mark distinction or total mark, plans that are however secret to the young lady in question, is single mark, or" she uttered curiously, "what felt his sense as singularity order's."

Instead of speaking to her, he pulled out a cigarette, feeling that burning sensation over her reddened cheeks allowed him to scale down.

"Of course, Mr. Hunter. It is my responsibility to ensure this gets fixed."

He nodded curtly and waved her off.

Ellie felt as if she had been reprimanded like a little girl upon his dismissal of her.

Yet further conjuring of such thoughts was pointless, especially considering the little time she had.

All day was a frenzy of damage control activities. Alongside the rest of the PR team, Ellie worked to put together a statement, which went out later that afternoon.

**"Hunter Fashion Group would like to clarify that the relationship between CEO Lucas Hunter and his assistant Ellie White is strictly professional. The recent speculation surrounding their appearance at last night's charity dinner is unfounded and misleading. We appreciate your understanding and respect for their privacy."**

The statement did some damage control; however, it did not entirely eliminate the gossip.

In the days that followed, Ellie's life was put under a microscope. Paparazzi began to stalk her from work and flooded her social media pages with messages both good and bad.

The onslaught of messages was challenging. She pushed forward and concentrated more on her work, but the task was daunting.

There was an aura of anxiety in the office.

Her colleagues did not make a secret of their discontent towards her, and a handful of them were even outright aggressive.

One day, while she was away getting herself a drink, she happened to overhear a conversation between two coworkers.

"Seriously, did you hear what she said? Idiot!" said one of them with a sly smile and sarcasm. "I cannot believe she thinks she is special because she attended one event with him."

"Oh yeah, I remember. It was cringeworthy," the other replied, also laughing and smoothing her hair. "What a great example she is as a higher-level assistant, but come on, what does he see in her?"

Ellie's hands trembled as she prepared her cup of coffee. Instead of revealing how deeply affected she was, she tried to remain strong.

To her, it was not about proving her worth to people, so she was determined not to let anyone's opinion shake her.

And gossip continued to spread.

A few days later, Lucas's family members decided to intervene.

While Ellie was sitting at her office desk finalising some work, Clara walked into the office without asking for permission, wearing a strange look on her face.

"Miss White," Clara started while straightening her back. She sounded stern. "Mr. Hunter's mother does not need an introduction, but I feel the need for protocol, so I will say it. She is here to see you."

What was shocking was that this just gave her genetic connection. "His mother?"

Clara confirmed by nodding her head, taking a step aside for a tall and very elegant woman to enter the room.

She was every bit as intimidating as her son, for sure. Lucas's mother.

She wore a tailored suit, had perfectly styled hair, and her face showed no emotion.

"Miss White," she said, her tone lacking any warmth. "I'm Elizabeth Hunter. We need to talk."

Ellie rose to her feet with her hands tightly at her side. "Of course, Mrs. Hunter. What can I do for you?"

Elizabeth scrutinised her then began to glare. "So, let me summarise. The rumours circulating about you and my son are utterly scandalous. They make the family look bad, as well as the company. I want them to stop."

Ellie felt embarrassed and was burning with rage, but still managed to calm herself. "Of course, Mrs. Hunter. I have been doing everything I can to manage the situation—"

"I suggest you do more," Elizabeth responded, interrupting her. "I want you to stop coming into contact with my son. Is that clear?"

Ellie felt angry, but not wanting to lash out, instead said, "Mrs. Hunter, I'm simply his assistant. I'm not trying to—"

"I don't care what you're trying to do," Elizabeth said as her freezing glare did not falter. "Just do not come anywhere near him, if you know what is good for you."

After saying this, she left the room, leaving Ellie feeling frustration and anger curling up in her fists.

This was not something she had ever imagined experiencing. All the efforts she had to undergo to establish her credibility seemed to have backfired, as she was being treated as a gold-digger seeking opportunities. She would not allow it to shatter her. One way or another, she was stronger than this. The last week felt like a haze of constant work and gossip, but somewhere Ellie compelled herself to focus. She understood she had no control over people's comments about her; nevertheless, she had full control over her reactions. And she aimed to rise above it all. By the time Friday afternoon came around, Ellie was completely worn out yet relieved at the prospect of finishing off her week. The week would now be behind her, and life would be easier. On the other hand, Lucas had other plans and called Ellie into the office while she was preparing to gather her things. "Miss White," he said, addressing her in an unengaged tone. "Yes, Mr. Hunter," Ellie answered while mentally preparing herself to listen to his further comments. "The rest of the week I did not know how to say this but your handling of the situation has been above satisfactory." He had this intent stare that made Ellie feel a little unsure, forcing him to reevaluate his earlier decision. Blinking her eyes, she replied, "Thank you, Mr. Hunter." Deferring with a muted head gesture, he did not voice anything further. "Right then." Meandering around the office, Ellie burst into a smirk. For the first time in a week, she was free to receive compliments. Although the week was harsh, Ellie believed that whatever situation arose, she managed to get through it with ease.

And for now, it was more than enough.

She was able to overcome the gossip.

Moreover, she was prepared for any upcoming challenges.