I followed Ethan to his office.
The door closed.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
I stood a few steps away from him, still trying to process what had just happened.
“Mr. Ethan...”
He placed several documents on the desk.
“Do you know why I called you?”
I shook my head.
“It’s not because of the report issue earlier.”
I stared at him in confusion.
“Then what is it?”
Ethan looked at me seriously.
“I want to know one thing.”
“What?”
“Why did you stay silent when everyone was blaming you?”
The question left me speechless.
I had never thought about the answer.
“What should I have done?”
“Defended yourself.”
I smiled faintly.
“If I’d defended myself without any proof, people would’ve thought I was just making excuses.”
Ethan studied me.
“Do you know how many people will take advantage of an attitude like that?”
“Maybe.”
I lowered my head.
“But I don’t want to become the same kind of person they are.”
The room fell silent again.
Ethan said nothing.
But his gaze changed.
As if he had become even more certain of something.
“You’ll continue working in this position.”
I raised my head.
“Even though so many people dislike me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Ethan answered without hesitation.
“Because I judge results, not other people’s opinions.”
I fell silent.
The words sounded simple.
But to me...
They were something I had never heard before.
And yet, it turned out the problem wasn’t over.
The next day, the atmosphere in the office changed.
As I walked down the hallway, several people immediately stopped talking.
I knew they had been talking about me.
“She must have some kind of special relationship with Mr. Ethan.”
“If not, how could a new employee get treated like that?”
“Poor Vanessa. She was framed.”
I clenched my fists.
Apparently, proving myself wasn’t always enough.
People still believed whatever they wanted to believe.
I tried to ignore it.
But the quieter I stayed, the more rumors spread.
Until finally...
An anonymous email was circulated throughout the company.
Its contents sent the entire office into an uproar.
“New employee Maya joined Aurelia Group not because of her abilities, but because of her relationship with the CEO.”
My hand froze as I read the message.
My face felt hot.
Not from embarrassment.
From anger.
Someone was trying to destroy my reputation.
In a small conference room...
Several division heads had gathered.
“Is this true?”
“If it isn’t, then why is Mr. Ethan paying so much attention to her?”
I stood before them.
For the first time, I felt like screaming.
But I held myself back.
“I know many of you doubt me.”
Everyone fell silent.
“But I came here to work.”
I took a breath.
“I’m not asking anyone to like me.”
“I’m only asking for the chance to prove what I can do.”
Several people fell silent.
But then someone let out a quiet laugh.
“Talk is cheap.”
I turned around.
A man named Daniel looked at me with a sneer.
“But without Mr. Ethan’s help, would you have been able to get in here?”
The words struck deep.
Because that was exactly what they had all been thinking.
I opened my mouth to answer.
But another voice rang out.
“Enough.”
Everyone immediately stood up.
Ethan entered the room.
His face was cold.
“Mr. Ethan...”
He walked closer.
His sharp gaze swept over everyone.
“I heard someone was questioning the company’s decision.”
No one dared to answer.
Ethan took the tablet from Surya’s hands.
Then he displayed the data.
“This is Maya’s work over the past few days.”
The screen showed the corrected report.
“She found an error that could have caused the company a massive loss.”
Everyone fell silent.
“She completed tasks that even some long-time employees failed to notice.”
Ethan’s gaze swept across the room.
“So before you judge someone based on their past or appearance...”
His voice grew even colder.
“Make sure you have the same ability to prove yourself.”
I looked at Ethan.
For some reason...
For the first time, someone was standing by my side.
After the meeting ended, I approached Ethan.
“Mr. Ethan.”
He stopped.
“Thank you.”
He looked at me.
“For what?”
“For defending me.”
Ethan was silent for several seconds.
“I wasn’t defending you.”
I was slightly surprised.
“Then what were you doing?”
“I was only stating the truth.”
I smiled faintly.
“Even so... thank you.”
Ethan looked at me longer than usual.
Then he said,
“Maya.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t let other people make you doubt yourself.”
My heart beat softly.
I didn’t know why...
The words of this man always felt different.
Elsewhere in the city...
Adrian watched the news that was beginning to spread about Maya and Ethan.
His hands clenched into fists.
“They’re getting closer...”
Mrs. Ratih, standing beside him, smiled dismissively.
“Don’t worry. A woman like Maya won’t last long in their world.”
Adrian didn’t answer.
Because for the first time...
He wasn’t sure his mother was right.
He was beginning to realize...
The woman they had once thrown away was slowly becoming someone they could no longer touch.
And what was even more frightening...
Maya wasn’t merely beginning to find her place at Aurelia Group.
She was beginning to find a place in the heart of someone who had never cared about anyone before.
Ethan Aurelius.