Chapter 67 Why'd You Do It?

Chapter 67 Why'd You Do It?
Come on, Scarlett. You can do this.

I repeat the words as the elevator climbs toward my floor. My heart is beating so fast I can feel it in my throat.
Today is the day I finally face everyone at the office after the scandal exploded.
When the elevator doors finally open, I take a deep breath and step out.

Conversations die instantly when I walk onto the floor. Heads turn in my direction, and for a split second, the entire floor goes eerily quiet.
My legs feel like jelly, but I force myself to keep moving, lifting my chin high.
I nod at a few familiar faces as I walk past, pretending I don’t notice the whispers following me.

It's stupid.
Five years I have worked here.
Five goddamn years of being reliable, professional Scarlett Thorn.
Now I'm just “the girl sleeping with the boss.”

Eventually, I make it to my desk without collapsing, but my hands are shaking as I reach for my mouse.
I’ve barely logged in when Beverly appears beside my desk, wearing the brightest, proudest beam I’ve ever seen.
“See? You made it!” she says happily, leaning against the edge of my desk.
“Yes, but I feel like I’m going to pass out any second,” I mutter, glancing around nervously.
Beverly laughs softly. “You didn’t rob a bank or offend anyone, darling. All you did was get yourself some billionaire dick, so…”

“Oh my god, Beverly, shut up,” I hiss, covering my face with both hands as heat floods my cheeks.
Two of my female colleagues, Cindy and Michelle, appear almost immediately, their eyes shining with curiosity.
I inwardly groan but force a polite smile onto my face.
“Hey, Scarlett,” Cindy greets, trying to look casual.
“Hey, Scar,” Michelle adds with a grin.
“Hi, guys," I respond.

“So… we heard the news,” Cindy begins, unable to contain her excitement.
“Obviously,” Michelle chips in, giggling.
“And we’re not here to judge,” Cindy continues, leaning in. “Honestly, Mr Moore is smoking hot. I would’ve done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”
Michelle nudges her friend, laughing. “We both would’ve.”
Beverly shoots me a look that says, "See?" This isn’t so bad."
I manage a small, awkward smile. “Thanks… I think?”

“Now…” Cindy leans in even closer, lowering her voice. “We saw Mr Moore’s post. And yours, of course. So you two are official-official, right?”
“Uh-huh,” I reply, nodding.
“So… are you still going to be working for him?” Michelle asks, her eyes wide. “Isn’t that weird?”
Cindy nudges her. “He’s not even staying as head of this branch, remember? He’s supposed to go back to London eventually.”

“Yeah, but it’s been months and he’s still here,” Cindy fires back, then turns her gaze to me with a mischievous smile. “Besides… his girlfriend is here. Maybe he’ll stay just for you.”
Michelle lets out a little squeal. “Oh my God, that would be so romantic! The big bad CEO staying in New York because of love. I’m living for this.”
I shift uncomfortably in my chair, forcing another awkward smile. “It’s not… I mean…” A sigh escapes me. “He has responsibilities in London too, and…”
Cindy waves her hand dismissively.

“Please. That man looks at you like a priceless jewel. I saw the video. And the way he kissed you?! Whew. Oh my god… I need whatever that man is having.”
Michelle nudges her again, giggling. “Right? The way he had his hand on your neck in that clip was so hot. Like, boss-me-around hot.”
My face burns hotter. I can feel the blush spreading down my neck. “Guys, please…”

Beverly finally steps in, clapping her hands once. “Alright, alright, that’s enough interrogation for one morning. Let the poor woman breathe. She just got here.”
Cindy and Michelle groan dramatically but start backing away with playful smiles.
“Fine, fine,” Cindy says, winking at me. “But we want the whole scoop later, Scar.”
“Welcome back!” Michelle adds cheerfully before they both head off, still whispering and giggling between themselves.
I let out a heavy sigh of relief the moment they’re out of earshot.
“Thank you,” I mutter to Beverly. “I thought they were going to ask for a play-by-play.”

Beverly chuckles. “They mean well. Told you it wouldn’t be that bad. Most people here are just nosy, not hateful.”
I rub my temples. “Gosh, I can't wait for this to be over.”
“Give it a week or two.”
Before I can respond, I spot Jay walking toward my desk from across the floor.
Beverly follows my gaze and lets out a quiet sigh. “Yup. I’m not sticking around for this one. Good luck, babe.”
She squeezes my shoulder and quickly disappears before I can even protest.

Jay stops in front of my desk. For the first time since I've known him, he looks rough.
His light blue shirt is slightly wrinkled, his slim black tie is a little crooked, and his hair is messy.
The wrinkles under his eyes tell me he hasn’t slept well in days.
“Hey, Jay,” I whisper softly.
He doesn’t reply, standing there and staring down at me with a storm of emotions washing across his face.

I gulp and try again. “I’m sorry. I should’ve…”
“So,” he cuts in, his voice low and cracked. “You and Moore, huh?” A bitter laugh slips out. “What a way to find out.”
Guilt crashes over me. “Jay, I'm so sorry,” I say, leaning forward in my seat. “I wanted to tell you. I really did. It’s just… complicated.”
I glance around again. A few colleagues are already pretending not to watch us, their eyes darting away too slowly.
The last thing I need is more gossip spreading.
“Look, now’s not a good time,” I say quickly, meeting his eyes again. “Can we talk during lunch? Please? I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

He stares at me for a long moment before finally giving a stiff nod.
“Fine. Lunch break. At our usual place.”
I give him a small smile as he turns to head back to his floor.
The rest of the morning is pretty much torture. Eyes are on me during my trip to the printer; eyes are on me during my trip to the restroom. And literally every other place.
When break finally comes, I’m relieved to see Lawrence has already arranged security. Two discreet guards wait near the entrance of the café close to the office, keeping any lingering paparazzi at bay.

Jay and I sit at our spot.
We've ordered food, but none of us have touched it.
I take in a deep breath and start talking, explaining everything—how Lawrence and I fell for each other—to him.
His expression stays mostly blank, but sometimes I catch a flicker of hurt.
“So, your grandma was never sick," he states flatly.
"Yes," I whisper.
He picks at his pasta with his fork.
“I hated lying to you,” I continue quietly. “You’ve always been such a good friend to me.”
"But you did," he says.
“I’m really sorry, Jay.”
He shakes his head.

Before he can continue, I smell Lawrence's cologne a few seconds before he appears beside our table.
“Lawrence, what are you doing?" I ask in a surprised whisper.
He leans down and presses a soft kiss to my cheek, right there in the middle of the café. A few people at nearby tables turn to stare, whispering excitedly.
The scandal is still fresh; seeing us together in public is like watching live drama.
My eyes widen at him. “What are you doing?” I mouth, but he smirks at me in return.

“Hey, baby,” Lawrence says casually, pulling out the chair beside me and sitting down.
He calls the waiter over with a simple gesture. “Coffee. Black, please.”
Jay shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “Mr Moore.” He mutters in greeting.
Lawrence nods, lacing his fingers with mine on top of the table.
The silence that follows is so awkward, I want to disappear into thin air.
Desperate to fill the tension, I straighten and turn back to Jay with a forced smile.
“You know, Jay is really amazing at what he does,” I say, squeezing Lawrence’s hand.

“He’s the best in IT. There was a time the entire system almost crashed last year. Jay caught it and fixed everything within three hours or so. He’s a genius with troubleshooting and security protocols.”
Jay looks slightly embarrassed. He clears his throat. “It wasn’t that big of a deal…”
“No, it was,” I insist, trying to keep the conversation going. “You should tell Lawrence about that new thingy you’ve been working on. I've forgotten the name.”
I urge. “He’d probably find it interesting.”

Jay starts to mutter a few technical details about the project, barely looking up from his plate.
Lawrence’s coffee arrives, and he takes a slow sip of it, still listening intently.
When Jay finishes, Lawrence sets his cup down and leans a little bit forward, his elbows on the table.
“Hmm.” He nods. “Interesting.”
His green eyes lock onto Jay. “So, why’d you do it?”
Jay blinks, confused. “I don’t follow, sir? Do what?”
Lawrence’s expression doesn’t change. “The photos.” He says calmly, staring straight at Jay, his voice low and frighteningly even. “Why’d you leak them?”