NOVPUBKade sighed as he stepped into the cafeteria, rubbing the back of his neck with mild irritation. Elion had tasked him with bringing lunch for both him and Raelynn, and while Kade had no real objections, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all.
Am I his secretary or his maid? he mused dryly, shaking his head as he joined the long queue of employees waiting for their turn. He could have easily sent someone else to do this, but Elion had insisted. Knowing his boss, this was probably some indirect way of making sure their lunch wasn’t messed up. The Big Boss was particular about what he ate.
Kade exhaled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he waited. The cafeteria was bustling with employees on their lunch break, voices overlapping as people chatted over meals. The scent of freshly cooked food filled the air—grilled meats, seasoned rice, and the unmistakable aroma of strong coffee brewing in the corner.
As he stood in line, the murmur of a conversation behind him caught his attention. It wasn’t just any conversation—it was gossip, the kind that was too juicy for the speakers to keep to themselves. Kade, without turning around, simply listened.
"I swear I saw Mr. Vaelorian bringing someone with him this morning," one woman whispered, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"Are you sure?" another replied skeptically. "You know how he is. No one ever sees him with women."
"I know what I saw," the first woman insisted. "Tall, slender, definitely a woman. She walked in with him."
A third voice scoffed. "That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was a business associate or something."
"Come on," the first one pushed. "We’ve been working here for how long? Have you ever seen Mr. Vaelorian bring a woman to the office?"
A brief pause. Then, a fourth voice joined in, hesitant. "Well… no, but that doesn’t mean she’s special."
The first woman hummed knowingly. "What else could it mean? If she was just an employee, why bring her personally? That’s odd, isn’t it?"
Kade smirked to himself.
"She’s probably just another one of those…" one of them trailed off, lowering her voice slightly. "You know. A mistress or someone to warm his bed."
A ripple of laughter followed. "That would explain why he’s keeping her close. Maybe she’s a new favorite?"
Kade’s patience snapped. He turned around smoothly, fixing them with a sharp, knowing gaze.
The women fell silent instantly, their eyes widening as recognition dawned.
"Oh," one of them whispered, visibly paling.
Kade arched a brow, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Look who’s gossiping about their own boss," he drawled. "And here I thought you all were competent professionals."
The women stiffened, shifting awkwardly under his stare. One of them opened her mouth, perhaps to defend herself, but Kade wasn’t finished.
"Nonsense like this—baseless speculation and ridiculous assumptions—doesn’t do you any favors." His voice was calm, but there was a distinct warning laced beneath it. "If you have so much time to talk, maybe I should tell Mr. Vaelorian you’re in need of more work."
"No! No, please don’t—" one of them blurted out, looking genuinely horrified.
"We weren’t being serious, Mr. Anderson," another added quickly, her face flushing. "Just… just office talk."
"Yeah," another chimed in, forcing a sheepish laugh. "We didn’t mean anything by it."
Kade sighed, shaking his head. "Let’s make sure this is the last time I hear something stupid like this." His eyes swept over them, making sure his point was clear. "Focus on your work, not on things that don’t concern you."
They all nodded quickly, murmuring apologies.
Satisfied, Kade turned back around just as the line moved forward. His turn finally arrived, and he grabbed a plastic bag with Elion and Raelynn’s meals, taking them effortlessly as he stepped away from the counter.
As he walked toward the exit, his gaze unconsciously swept across the cafeteria. Employees sat in small groups, engaged in quiet conversations or eating their meals in peace.
Then, in the farthest corner, he spotted her.
Lena sat alone at a table, her back straight, eyes focused on the meal in front of her. She wasn’t scrolling through her phone or trying to eavesdrop on anyone nearby—just quietly eating, lost in her own thoughts.
Kade slowed for half a second, observing her. There was something oddly… composed about her.
He then continued walking but kept his attention subtly on Lena as he passed. Everything he had gathered about her so far seemed to be accurate—not that he had expected to be wrong. He rarely was when it came to reading people.
Lena was a loner. Not in the pitiful, outcast sort of way, but in the sense that she simply didn’t seek out unnecessary attachments. While most interns were busy trying to network, eager to form alliances that might benefit them in the future, she moved through her days with quiet efficiency. She did her work, kept her head down, and didn’t seem particularly interested in forging deep connections with anyone.
That was exactly why he had chosen her to accompany Raelynn earlier.
Kade wasn’t the type to make careless decisions, especially when it came to something as delicate as Raelynn’s presence in Elion’s office. If the wrong person had been sent, someone nosy or too talkative, rumors would have spread before the meeting had even ended. He had needed someone discreet. Someone who wouldn’t pry or gossip.
Lena had been the obvious choice.
Even now, as she sat alone, there was no hint of frustration or discomfort in her posture. She wasn’t scrolling through her phone, texting friends about how unfair it was to be sent on some errand she didn’t understand. She wasn’t stealing glances at anyone around her, trying to gauge where she fit into the company’s social hierarchy.
She was simply there, eating her meal in peace.
His gaze lingered for a moment longer before he turned away and walked out of the cafeteria, disappearing into the hallway without another glance back.
