chapter 117

Kurtis's POV

The moment I walked into the office, something felt… off. Normally, there was this lively hum of activity, casual greetings exchanged, smiles thrown my way. But today? It was like the air had thickened, the usual buzz dulled to a strange hush. Everyone still greeted me, but there was a hesitation in their voices, a shift in their gazes, like they sensed something was wrong and didn’t want to poke the bear.

Maybe it was the way I avoided eye contact, how I kept my head down, making a beeline straight for my office without a single word. Not my usual style. Then again, nothing felt usual these days.

As I walked past, I felt their eyes on me, polite smiles stretched a bit too thin. There was something in their gazes, a pitying softness that made my skin crawl. Pity was the last thing I wanted.

“Morning, Mr. Kurtis,” one of the interns greeted. Her voice was barely above a whisper, almost like she was afraid to speak too loudly.

I gave a stiff nod, a half-mumbled response, an