Chapter Thirty-Nine: Office Gossip Frenzy

Aria Lane had never been more aware of her entrance into an office building.

The moment she stepped into Cole Industries that morning, heads turned.

Conversations paused.

People elbowed each other.

And the whispers started.

"Is that her?"

"She stayed at his place during the storm."

"I heard they made out in the elevator."

Aria gritted her teeth, plastered on a bright, fake smile, and made a beeline for her desk.

Olivia intercepted her halfway there.

"Conference room. Now."

Aria sighed. "Liv, I really need coffee—"

"Now, Lane."

She grabbed Aria by the wrist and dragged her into an empty room, slamming the door shut.

"Okay, spill," Olivia demanded, hands on her hips. "What happened last night?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that. You left karaoke early, then you didn't answer texts, and now you show up in Ethan Cole's hoodie."

Aria winced. "Okay… something."

Olivia gasped. "Aria!"

"It wasn't planned! There was a storm, my building flooded, and I got stuck in his elevator—"

"You got stuck in his elevator?! That's some K-drama level fate, girl."

Aria groaned, dropping her head onto the table. "We kissed, Liv. Multiple times. And then I stayed the night. No, not like that," she added quickly at Olivia's gleeful expression. "Just… fell asleep on his couch."

"And?"

"And now everything's weird."

Olivia smirked. "Weird how? Sexy weird or existential crisis weird?"

"Both."

Olivia grinned. "I'm so proud of you."

Before Aria could protest, the door opened — and Chloe poked her head in.

"Boss man's calling an all-hands meeting. Now."

---

Five minutes later, the entire office crammed into the main conference room.

Ethan stood at the front, sharp in a charcoal suit, hair still slightly tousled from the storm.

Aria did not remember how to breathe.

"Thank you for coming," Ethan began. "I'll keep this brief. As of next week, Cole Industries will be merging with Strathmore Tech."

Gasps rippled through the room.

Aria's jaw dropped. Strathmore Tech? That was one of their biggest competitors.

"This merger will expand our digital division and open new market opportunities," Ethan continued. "We'll be restructuring teams and bringing on new department heads."

More murmurs.

Aria's stomach twisted. New heads meant job shifts. People could get cut.

Or worse — she could be reporting to someone else.

After the meeting, chaos erupted.

Aria barely made it back to her desk before Chloe and Olivia cornered her again.

"A merger?! Did you know about this?" Chloe demanded.

"Nope. Total surprise."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "You sure? Because you spent the night at his place."

"I'm sure. Believe me, the only thing we discussed was grilled cheese and… other things."

Chloe smirked. "Uh-huh."

---

An hour later, Aria's phone buzzed.

Ethan: My office. Five minutes.

She sighed, grabbed her notebook, and made her way up.

Inside, Ethan was pacing.

He looked up when she entered. "Close the door."

Aria did, bracing herself. "If this is about the merger, I swear I didn't know—"

"It's not that."

He crossed to her in three strides, cupped her face, and kissed her.

Hard, fast, like he'd been dying to since she left.

When he pulled back, they were both breathless.

"I don't care about rumors, Lane," he said, voice low. "I don't care what this merger changes. But I'm not pretending last night didn't happen."

Aria's heart did a reckless somersault.

"Good. Because I don't want to either."

He grinned — and for the first time, it wasn't the cocky CEO smirk.

It was soft. Real.

"Friday night," he said. "Dinner. Not work. Not an accidental elevator incident. An actual date."

She smiled. "It's about time, Cole.".....