Chapter Thirteen

Richard.

The air inside Kane Group buzzed with the usual morning energy—keyboards clacking, phones ringing, employees chatting in hushed voices. But as I strode through the lobby, a different kind of chatter reached my ears.

“…can’t believe she’s still here.”

“I know, right? She’s acting like she actually belongs in that position.”

I didn’t slow my pace, but my jaw clenched slightly.

They hadn’t even noticed me approaching.

“She probably thinks if she sticks around long enough, Richard Kane will put a ring on her finger.”

A round of snickering followed.

I stopped beside them, fixing my gaze on the group of employees huddled near the reception area. The moment they realized I was there, their faces drained of color. One of the men—a junior associate from the marketing department—stiffened, his laughter dying instantly. The others quickly averted their gazes, pretending to be suddenly fascinated by their phones or the floor.

One of them, a young man I vaguely recognized, cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. “G-Good morning, Mr. Kane.”

I didn’t respond right away. Instead, I let the silence stretch, watching as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

I gave them a measured look but chose not to address the gossip. Not yet.

“Get to work,” I said coolly.

They scattered within seconds, nearly tripping over themselves in their haste to disappear.

I exhaled slowly, adjusting the cuffs of my suit as I walked toward the elevator. This wasn’t just idle gossip—it was open disrespect. The fact that they felt comfortable enough to speak this way in the middle of the office, where anyone could hear them, told me everything I needed to know.

And it wasn’t the first time.

This has gone on long enough.

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the executive floor. The doors closed with a soft chime, but my thoughts remained sharp.

They doubted Emilia. They dismissed her, ridiculed her, reduced her to nothing more than a rumor.

They have no idea who she really is.

When the doors slid open, I stepped out and made my way down the hall. Just as I was passing the break room, I caught another conversation—this one spoken in hushed but unmistakably cruel voices.

“…Richard will get bored of her soon.”

“Of course he will. He’s a man. And men like him? They don’t stick with the same woman for long.”

My grip on the file in my hand tightened.

“She’s playing a dangerous game. When he’s done with her, she’ll be out on the street with nothing.”

This time, I didn’t let it slide.

I turned the corner and stepped into the break room. The casual laughter and whispering came to an abrupt halt. Coffee cups paused halfway to lips.

The group of employees—two women from HR and a man from the finance department—froze in place, their faces draining of color as they registered my presence.

I adjusted my watch, my movements slow and deliberate. “Please,” I said smoothly, “continue.”

No one spoke.

I let my gaze settle on each of them, one by one.

Michelle, a senior HR associate, opened her mouth, then quickly closed it again. The man beside her rubbed the back of his neck, shifting uncomfortably. The third woman looked like she wanted to sink into the floor.

“Nothing to say?” I asked, tilting my head slightly. “That’s surprising. You all seemed to have a lot of opinions just moments ago.”

Silence.

I let the pause stretch just long enough for discomfort to settle in. The tension in the air was thick enough to suffocate them.

“Since you have so much time to discuss irrelevant things,” I continued, my voice dangerously even, “I’ll assume your work is ahead of schedule.”

Michelle shifted on her feet. “We were just—”

“Just wasting company time?” I cut in smoothly. “Perhaps I should reassign your workload if you’re not busy enough.”

Her face paled. “No, sir. We—um—we’ll get back to work.”

“I suggest you do.”

Without another word, they hurried out of the room, their heads bowed like guilty children.

I remained still for a moment, my hands in my pockets as I stared at the now-empty space.

Pathetic.

Cowards, every single one of them. The moment they were called out, they folded. Yet behind closed doors, they had no problem tearing someone down.

I wasn’t done.

If two separate groups felt comfortable enough to gossip so openly in the office, there was no telling how deep this rot had spread. This wasn’t just idle workplace talk—it was a reflection of the culture that had been allowed to fester.

And I wouldn’t let it continue.

I pulled out my phone and called my assistant.

“Send out a company-wide meeting invitation,” I ordered. “Everyone is to be present.”

There was a pause before she answered. “Understood, sir. I’ll send it out immediately.”

I ended the call, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

Then I turned and walked out of the break room, my mind already set.

This ends now.

Thirty minutes later, the entire company gathered in the largest conference hall. Employees filled the seats, murmuring among themselves, a quiet hum of curiosity and apprehension in the air. Some exchanged puzzled glances, while others, like the ones I’d overheard earlier, looked noticeably uncomfortable. They knew why they were here—or at least, they thought they did.

Jayden and Katherine sat near the front, looking smug. Jayden leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, an arrogant smirk playing on his lips. Katherine, dressed in an expensive designer suit, whispered something to him, her perfectly manicured fingers covering her lips as they shared a knowing look.

They already believed they had this figured out.

Emilia walked in a moment later. Unlike Jayden and Katherine, she wasn’t smirking or whispering behind her hand. She moved with quiet confidence, her posture straight, her expression unreadable. But I knew her well enough to see the tension in her shoulders, the subtle way her fingers curled into her palms before she unclenched them.

She took a seat near the middle, keeping her distance from both me and Jayden.

It didn’t go unnoticed.

I heard the whispers immediately.

“She’s not sitting with him?”

“Maybe he’s finally come to his senses.”

“Maybe she’s realizing she’s out of her depth.”

Idiots.

The room hushed the moment I stepped onto the stage. The subtle creak of chairs and shifting bodies echoed through the vast space as all eyes turned to me.

“Good afternoon,” I said, my tone even.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Kane,” they echoed in unison.

I took a moment to survey the room, letting the silence stretch just long enough for discomfort to settle. I wanted them on edge. I wanted them to feel the weight of their own words before I even spoke.

“I won’t waste your time,” I finally continued, my voice calm yet firm. “So I’ll get straight to the point.”

A few people exchanged glances.

“Lately, I’ve been hearing far too much unnecessary chatter within these walls.”

A ripple of unease spread through the crowd. Some employees stiffened in their seats, others suddenly found the floor or ceiling particularly interesting.

“There is a difference between workplace discussions and blatant disrespect,” I said, my voice colder now. “And I will not tolerate the latter.”

A wave of tension passed through the crowd. Some people shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. Others remained perfectly still, clearly unwilling to draw attention to themselves.

“The focus here should be on results,” I went on, letting my words cut through the air like a blade. “On professionalism. On efficiency. Not on personal speculations, gossip, or petty rumors.”

I scanned the room slowly, taking my time, making sure my gaze landed on every department, every row of employees.

“If you have time to talk about things that do not concern you,” I said, my tone edged with warning, “then perhaps I need to rethink how your time is being managed.”

More shifting. More averted gazes.

Jayden scoffed, loud enough for the room to hear.

The sound grated against my nerves.

I turned my gaze to him, my expression unreadable. “Is something funny, Mr. Turner?”

His smirk faltered slightly, but he recovered quickly, shrugging. “Not at all, sir. I just find it amusing that—”

I raised a brow. “Amusing that what?”

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking his head. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“Good,” I said smoothly. “Because I don’t recall humor being part of this discussion.”

Katherine shifted beside him, her lips pursed, her gaze flickering between me and Jayden. She wasn’t foolish enough to speak, but I saw the resentment burning in her eyes.

I let the silence stretch again, making sure the weight of my words settled over the room like a heavy storm cloud.

Then, I moved on.

“Now, onto the real reason I’ve called you all here.”

That got their attention. The gossipers in the room looked relieved, assuming that I was about to change the subject.

They weren’t wrong—but they weren’t entirely right either.

“The Kane Group anniversary celebration is coming up,” I announced. “This event is not just a formality—it is an opportunity for us to reinforce our standing in the industry.”

A wave of whispers ran through the room, this time out of excitement rather than tension. The anniversary celebration was always a major event. Kane Group never did anything small, and this year would be no exception.

“We will be hosting some of the most influential figures in the business world,” I continued, my tone sharp. “And I expect every department to be at its best.”

This was a test.

Not just for them, but for Emilia as well.

She knew it.

Her posture didn’t change, but I saw the way her fingers tightened slightly around the armrest of her chair.

I continued, “I trust that all of you will act accordingly. Your performance during this event will reflect on this company—and on me.”

My gaze swept over them one last time, letting my words settle.

“That is all,” I concluded. “Get back to work.”

After the Meeting

As the employees filed out, the tension in the room slowly began to dissipate. Some whispered among themselves, but they were far more cautious now, their voices lower, their glances more guarded.

Jayden and Katherine were the last to stand. He shot me a smug glance before walking out, his hand resting possessively on Katherine’s lower back.

I ignored them. They weren’t important.

What mattered was the woman still seated near the back of the room.

Emilia.

She lingered as the others left, her gaze fixed on something unseen. When the room was nearly empty, I walked over.

“You handled that well,” she said quietly, her voice even.

“Of course I did.” I clenched my jaw. “I should have done this sooner.”

Her lips curled into a small, knowing smile. “And then what? They would have assumed you were protecting me. It would have only made things worse.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Still, the thought of anyone disrespecting her—whispering about her like she was nothing more than an inconvenience—made my blood simmer.

“I won’t let this continue,” I said, my voice low.

Her gaze softened, just slightly. “I know.”

Neither of us spoke for a long moment.

Finally, she gave a small nod and turned to leave, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor.

I watched her go, No one knew she was my wife.

But soon, they would.