He winced at the pain, tugging at his wounded lip as he called out, “Effie."


    He was showing weakness now-he only ever called her so gently when he was at his most vulnerable.


    Back when they were together, every time he let his guard down and called for her like this, Effie''s heart would inevitably soften.


    He thought this time would be no different.


    But this time, Effie didn''t even nce at him. She walked right past, her expression unreadable, and kept going.


    Mitchell reached out, grasping at empty air. His hand closed on nothing.


    He watched her leave, her cold, unyielding back disappearing down the hallway.


    Was this really it for them? Was there truly no future left?


    He couldn''t ept it. He simply couldn''t.


    After all these years together, could they really say goodbye so easily?


    "Mitchell!"


    Suzan hurried over, her eyes widening as she took in the cut on his face. With a worried frown, she reached out, her voice gentle. "What happened? How did you get hurt?"


    Before her fingers could touch him, Mitchell pped her hand away.


    "Don''t touch me," he snapped, his voice icy. "Just leave me alone."


    Suzan''s lips trembled and her eyes stung, but she forced herself to stay calm. Taking a shaky breath, she said quietly, "Alright, I won''t. Let''s just go to the hospital, okay?"


    Mitchell walked to the curb and hailed a cab, sliding inside without looking back.


    Suzan hurried to follow, but as she reached for the door, Mitchell mmed it shut and told the driver, "Go."


    She banged on the window, voice raised in protest. "Mitchell, wait-I''m not in yet!" But Mitchell didn''t care. The mere sight of her made his head throb. "Just drive."


    "But..." The driver hesitated, ncing at Suzan.


    "Drive! If you don''t, I''m not paying."


    The driver had no choice but to pull away, but Suzan lost her bnce and stumbled, falling to the pavement.


    The driver, shaken, said nervously, "She fell. I think she''s hurt."


    Mitchell''s heart clenched. Against his will, worry flickered across his face. “Stop the car!"


    When Mitchell jumped out, the driver finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Effie and Lyman arrived near thepany. Effie asked the driver to stop and got out.


    Vinson Elliott turned to Lyman, raising an eyebrow. "Lyman, did you do something to Effie? Is that why she doesn''t want people to know about you two?"


    His words cut deep, aimed straight for Lyman''s sore spot. Lyman''s voice was cold as steel. "Mind your own business."


    Effie took the elevator up to the design department.


    As soon as she stepped off, she noticed everyone''s eyes on her, their gazes oddlyplicated. For a moment, she couldn''t figure out what they were thinking.


    Shirley spotted her and rushed over, looping her arm through Effie''s. In a hushed voice, she whispered, "Effie, something''s happened. It''s bad."


    Something happened? What was going on?


    Seeing Effie''s confusion, Shirley realized Effie waspletely out of the loop. She quickly pulled out her phone and nudged Effie to check thepany''s private group chat-the one without any managers.


    The chat was blowing up, everyone gossiping about one thing: Nelly''s embarrassing incident at lunch the other day.


    Only the Pattersons, Nelly, and Irving Butler had been there at the time.


    The Pattersons weren''t the type to spread petty rumors, and Effie certainly wasn''t either. Despite her dislike for Nelly, Effie had felt Nelly''s humiliation was punishment enough. She''d never want to make it worse.


    Which meant...


    "Effie! You conniving backstabber!" Nelly stormed across the room, eyes zing with fury.