The office buzzed with tension as Malia stormed past her assistant without so much as a glance. Her heels struck the floor in staccato bursts, echoing her fury with each step. She didn't bother knocking as she shoved open the door to Nixus's office, her sharp gaze locking onto him like a hawk sighting prey.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she spat, slamming a tabloid onto his desk. The headline blared: "Malia's Love Triangle: Caught Between Business and Pleasure."
Nixus, who had been reviewing a contract, looked up sharply. "Good morning to you too," he said dryly, but his attempt at levity faltered when he saw the headline. His brow furrowed as he picked up the magazine, his expression darkening.
"You think this is funny?" Malia snapped, crossing her arms. "Your fingerprints are all over this smear campaign. You couldn't handle seeing me happy, so you stooped to dragging my name through the mud?"
