Desired by All and He Threw Away 42

Aiden’s POV 

The first time i hear it i think i have misheard. 

Its early and the office hums with low conversation and the hiss of the coffee machine But then i catch it again 

– Taylor’s name the word manager and that particular tone people use when they think cruelty is just conversation. 

– 

By noon the rumor has spread like spilled ink- fast staining everything it touches. 

they say she slept with a manager to get her job back. That she’s manipulative. That she’s desperate enough to use whoever’s convenient. 

Each version is uglier than the last. 

I’ve seen Taylor work. i have seen the precision in her hands the calm in her voice when shes guiding an athlete through recovery the way she carries herself like shes holding her own storm in check. 

she is disciplined professional and the last person who would ever need to use anything but skill to earn her place here. 

Hearing people twist that into something filthy lights something in me like a quiet cold fury that burns steady behind my ribs. 

by the time the team briefing starts i already know what im going to do. 

the room buzzes with low chatter and shuffling papers.Vanessa stands near the projector smiling that polite perfect smile shes mastered her pen tapping against her notebook like a drumbeat. 

i can see it in the glint of her eyes- the satisfaction of someone who is winning a game no one else knows they are playing. 

someone near the back mutters a joke. its quiet but i catch the words “manager” and “promotion.” then a ripple of laughter follows. 

that is when i set my coffee down. Hard enough to make it slosh over the rim. 

“Enough.” 

The word slices through the room.The laughter dies instantly. Heads turn. 

i let my gaze sweep over them steady and slow until i can feel the tension crawl up their spines.Vanessa’s face flickers with surprise before she smooths it over but i see it- the small flash of guilt before the mask drops back into place. 

“Taylor,” i say my voice even but sharp enough to cut through the air “is the only therapist here qualified to handle my sessions.and that’s not up for debate.” 

No one moves. 

i take a step forward my jaw tight. “shes one of the best this damn team has ever seen.she earned her place here through hard work not whatever disgusting story you all seem so eager to pass around.” 

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Chapter 42 

+25 Bonus 

my voice drops lower quieter but it carries. “if i hear one more person whisper her name like that ill make sure you regret it.Do I make myself clear?” 

the silence that follows is heavy and electric. 

no one dares to look at me.chairs creak as people shift papers rustle someone clears their throat.its the sound of shame dressed up as discomfort. 

My eyes land on Vanessa.shes sitting perfectly straight pen still in her hand but her knuckles are white.a muscle jumps in her jaw. 

then slowly she smiles. “of course,” she says lightly her tone dripping with syrup. ” we all want whats best for the team.” 

but her eyes betray her. They’re cold, coiled with something dangerous. 

i dont respond.i just hold her gaze until she looks away. 

when the meeting ends i stay behind pretending to flip through notes.i need a minute to cool off.my pulse still beats hard at my temples.ive never been one for confrontation but this- this i couldnt ignore. 

Taylor doesnt deserve to be picked apart by people too small to see her worth. 

and yet i can already feel the ripples of what ive done.word will travel fast again- different this time but still wild still unstoppable. 

This place feeds on whispers. 

Taylor’s POV 

at first i think i imagined it. 

poeples eyes linger when i walk into the hall after the meeting but not with the same cruel curiosity as before. There’s something different now–hesitation, guilt, maybe even apology. 

Then I overhear someone say, “Did you hear what Aiden said?” 

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