I arrived at work early, hoping for a quiet moment to collect my thoughts after the whirlwind that had been my life lately. The office buzzed with murmurs as I walked through. People were talking—about me, of course. I could feel the whispers trailing behind me like a shadow, the scandal about my supposed "return" to the Williams family plastered across every gossip column. I could almost hear them:
"Isn't that her? Kiara Williams?"
"She's back in the family?"
"No, no, she was disowned. But now… I don't know. You saw the news, right?"
I clenched my jaw, ignoring them. I didn't care what they thought. This was my plan, and I wasn't about to let anyone rattle me. I headed straight to my office, but as soon as I walked in, I froze.
Jo was there, packing up his things. His desk was already half-empty, files scattered in an uncharacteristic mess. He looked up when I entered, flashing me a warm smile.
