"Serves her right! Always strutting around like she owns the place just because she's dating the CEO. Look at her now!"
"Thank God Mr. Gilbert sided with Tania. She's always so sweet to us—she deserves that prize."
"Exactly. Acting like she's the boss's wife when clearly, she's not the one he actually cares about."
The whispers sliced through the air, relentless.
Tania clutched her new phone, standing at Neal's side, triumph barely concealed beneath her lashes. Then she tugged at his sleeve, her voice dripping with rehearsed reluctance:
"Mr. Gilbert, is this really okay? Ivy Pruitt is your girlfriend, after all. Maybe... maybe I should give the phone back to her?"
Neal reached over and patted her shoulder—Loss, gentle—before turning to me. His tone shifted instantly, edged with impatience:
"Ivy, look how considerate Tania is. Would it kill you to be a little more gracious?"
"The boxes were identical. It was pure chance. Are you really going to fight a new employee over this?"
I stared at him. And then I smiled.
"Chance?" My voice cut through the murmurs. "Neal, do you think everyone here is blind?"