Rumors
Rumors
Hazel’s POV
The following week began like every other.
At 7:25 a.m., the executive floor was quiet.
By 7:30, Ethan arrived precisely on time.
“Good morning, Hazel.”
“Good morning, Ethan.”
The greeting had become natural now.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Professional.
Yet every time I said his name, I still noticed the smallest change in his expression.
Not a smile exactly.
Something softer.
Something only people who saw him every day would recognize.
----
Around mid-morning, I walked into the break room to refill my coffee.
The conversation inside stopped the moment I entered.
Two employees smiled politely.
“Morning, Hazel.”
“Morning.”
As I poured my coffee, I caught the end of a whispered sentence.
“...they’ve been working late together...”
“...did you see the gala photos?”
“...they make a good team...”
I froze for the briefest moment.
Not because anyone had been rude.
Because I suddenly realized people were paying attention.
I quietly returned to my office.
----
Ethan’s POV
Claire knocked once before entering.
“You have a visitor at eleven.”
“I know.”
She hesitated.
“There is... something else.”
I looked up from my laptop.
“What is it?”
“There are rumors.”
I frowned.
“What kind of rumors?”
She sighed.
“Nothing serious.”
“People have noticed you and Hazel work well together.”
I leaned back in my chair.
“And?”
“They’re talking.”
I was silent for a moment.
Finally, I answered.
“Then we make sure there’s nothing to talk about.”
Claire nodded.
“I thought you’d say that.”
----
Hazel’s POV
An hour later, Ethan called me into his office.
His expression was calm, but more serious than usual.
“Close the door, please.”
I did.
He remained standing by the window.
“I wanted to speak with you before you heard it from someone else.”
My stomach tightened.
“Is something wrong?”
“There are rumors.”
I looked down for a second.
“I heard.”
He studied my expression.
“I’m sorry.”
I looked back up.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
“I hired you because you’re exceptional.”
His voice was steady.
“I don’t want anyone believing your success comes from anything except your own work.”
Those words settled deeply in my heart.
He wasn’t protecting himself.
He was protecting my reputation.
“I understand.”
He continued, “We’ll keep doing what we’ve always done.”
“Working hard.”
“Being professional.”
“And letting our work speak for itself.”
I smiled.
“I can do that.”
For the first time since the conversation began, the tension eased from his shoulders.
“So can I.”
----
Hazel’s Inner Thoughts
That’s one of the reasons I admire him.
He could have worried about headlines.
Instead...
He worried about mine.
----
That afternoon, the executive team gathered for another strategy meeting.
Hazel presented the updated travel schedule she had prepared for the next quarter.
When she finished, Daniel nodded appreciatively.
“This is excellent.”
Olivia smiled.
“You’ve managed to reduce travel costs by nearly fifteen percent.”
Hazel blinked.
“I... I just reorganized the routes.”
Ethan looked around the table.
“No.”
Everyone turned toward him.
“You improved the process.”
He met Hazel’s eyes.
“Credit belongs where it’s earned.”
A quiet silence followed.
Then the room filled with approving nods.
Hazel felt her cheeks warm, but this time she didn’t look away.
She simply smiled.
And in that moment, any whispers in the hallways mattered a little less.
Because the respect she was earning wasn’t being given to her.
She was earning it—one thoughtful decision, one long day, and one quiet act of excellence at a time.
As the meeting ended, Ethan held the door open for the executives to leave. Hazel lingered for a moment, gathering her notebook.
When they were finally alone, she looked up at him.
“Thank you.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“For what?”
“For believing in me.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“I told you on your interview day.”
He waited until she met his eyes.
“You earned your place here.”
For reasons neither of them could fully explain, those words meant even more now than they had on her first day.
----
Ethan’s POV
The rumors didn’t disappear.
If anything, they grew quieter.
More careful.
People stopped whispering when Hazel or I entered a room.
But they still watched.
I noticed.
So did she.
The difference was...
Neither of us allowed it to change the way we worked.
----
Thursday afternoon.
My office.
“Hazel.”
She stepped inside carrying a folder.
“Yes?”
“I’ll be flying to Boston tomorrow morning.”
“I’ve already confirmed the flight.”
“I know.”
She handed me the itinerary.
“Hotel reservations are complete.”
“The client requested the updated proposal.”
“It’s in your briefcase.”
I looked at the leather case beside my desk.
She really had thought of everything.
Again.
“I’ll be gone until Saturday evening.”
She nodded.
“I’ll manage things here.”
“I know you will.”
There it was again.
Trust.
Complete and unquestioning.
Something I rarely gave.
----
Hazel’s POV
Friday felt... strange.
For the first time since I’d started working at Blackwood Corporation...
Ethan wasn’t there.
His office remained dark.
His coffee machine stayed silent.
No calm “Good morning.”
No quiet conversations between meetings.
The executive floor felt oddly empty.
Claire noticed me glancing toward his office more than once.
“You miss having someone reorganize your schedule every five minutes?”
I laughed.
“I miss having someone who actually drinks the coffee I make.”
She smiled knowingly.
“Only the coffee?”
I looked away.
“...Yes.”
She didn’t believe me.
Honestly...
Neither did I.
----
The day remained busy.
Meetings.
Phone calls.
Emails from Boston.
At exactly 3:15 p.m., my phone rang.
Ethan.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Hazel.”
His voice sounded quieter than usual.
“I’m afraid I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.”
There was a brief pause.
“I left the blue project folder on my bookshelf.”
I smiled.
“I already noticed.”
“You did?”
“You’ve trained me well.”
A soft chuckle came through the phone.
“I need the contract inside.”
“I’ll scan it and send it within ten minutes.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
My heart warmed.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Before hanging up, he added quietly,
“...Thank you.”
----
Ethan’s POV
The meeting in Boston ended later than expected.
By the time I returned to my hotel room, my inbox already contained Hazel’s email.
Not only had she sent the contract...
She had summarized the important clauses.
Highlighted potential concerns.
And attached notes from legal.
I leaned back in the chair and smiled.
“She always goes beyond what’s asked.”
I picked up my phone before I could think twice.
Ethan: Thank you. You saved me several hours.
The reply came less than a minute later.
Hazel: That’s what partners do.
I stared at the screen.
Partners.
She probably meant professional partners.
Work partners.
Nothing more.
Even so...
The word lingered in my thoughts.
Without realizing it, I typed another message.
Ethan: Get some rest. You’ve earned it.
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Then disappeared.
Then returned.
Finally...
Hazel: Only if you promise to do the same.
I laughed quietly to myself.
She was impossible.
In the best possible way.
Ethan: Deal.
----
Hazel’s POV
I smiled at my phone long after the conversation ended.
“Partners.”
Maybe it had been a silly word to use.
But somehow...
It felt right.
Not because we were anything beyond colleagues.
Because we trusted each other.
Respected each other.
Worked together.
That evening, I watered the small orchid Ethan had placed in my office on my first day.
Its white blossoms had opened completely.
I smiled.
“So have we,” I whispered to myself.
Not romantically.
Not yet.
But the walls between us had slowly begun to fall.
One conversation at a time.
One act of kindness at a time.
One quiet moment at a time.
Neither Ethan nor Hazel knew what the future would bring.
But one thing had become impossible to deny.
Life at Blackwood Corporation no longer revolved around schedules and meetings alone.
Somewhere between early mornings, shared coffees, rainy days, and unwavering trust...
Two hearts had begun walking toward each other.
Neither of them had taken the final step.
But both of them were beginning to realize...
They wanted to.
----
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