The morning sun filtered through Zenith Global’s glass façade, but inside, the atmosphere was anything but clear. Whispers had grown louder, no longer confined to corners and coffee machines. Thripthi felt them in every corridor, every glance that lingered too long.

She walked into Dev’s office, her files neatly stacked, her expression calm. But today, calm was a mask.

Thripthi (closing the door, voice steady): “They’re talking again.”

Dev (without looking up): “They always talk.”

Thripthi (firmly): “Not like this. It’s not just whispers anymore. It’s speculation.”

Dev (finally meeting her gaze): “Speculation dies when results speak louder.”

Thripthi (leaning forward): “And what if the results aren’t enough? What if they want stories instead of numbers?”

Dev’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t used to being questioned twice in one breath.

Dev: “Stories don’t build empires.”

Thripthi (softly, but sharp): “No. But they destroy them.”

Scene 1: The Confrontation

Later that day, a senior executive intercepted Thripthi in the hallway.

Executive (smirking): “You’ve become quite the presence, Thripthi. Some say you’re more than just an assistant.”

Thripthi (calm, but cutting): “Some say a lot of things. Doesn’t make them true.”

Executive (leaning closer): “Careful. The board doesn’t like… distractions.”

Thripthi (smiling faintly): “Then maybe they should focus on the work instead of the whispers.”

She walked away, her heels clicking like punctuation marks. But the words followed her into Dev’s office.

Scene 2: Dev and Thripthi

Thripthi (dropping the file on his desk): “They’re questioning me. Us. You.”

Dev (calm, but cold): “Let them.”

Thripthi (frustrated): “You can’t ignore this forever.”

Dev (leaning back, voice low): “I don’t ignore. I outlast.”

Thripthi (challenging): “And what if I don’t want to just outlast? What if I want to fight?”

Dev studied her, his eyes narrowing, but there was a flicker of admiration.

Dev: “You’re bold.”

Thripthi (smiling faintly): “Boldness is survival. You taught me that.”

Dev (after a pause): “I didn’t teach you to challenge me.”

Thripthi (softly, but firm): “Then stop hiring people who can.”

The silence stretched, heavier than the mahogany desk between them.

The Drive

That evening, Dev appeared at her desk again.

Dev: “I’ll drop you home.”

Thripthi (raising a brow): “Three days in a row? People will talk even more.”

Dev (quietly): “Let them. Talking is easier than doing.”

Thripthi (smiling faintly): “And what are we doing, Dev?”

Dev (after a pause, voice low): “Something they can’t define.”

The car ride was longer this time, the silence broken by fragments of conversation.

Thripthi: “Do you regret defending me in the boardroom?”

Dev (without hesitation): “No.”

Thripthi (softly): “Even if it costs you?”

Dev (glancing at her): “Some costs are worth paying.”

Her breath caught, but she turned toward the window, hiding the flicker of emotion in her eyes.

Closing Scene

When they reached her apartment, Thripthi hesitated before stepping out.

Thripthi (quietly): “You know they’ll keep talking.”

Dev (steady): “Then let them. I don’t hire shadows. I hire strength. And you’re stronger than they’ll ever admit.”

She smiled faintly, stepping out into the night. For the first time, the whispers didn’t feel like chains. They felt like proof — proof that something real was happening, something worth talking about.

Chapter Fifteen wasn’t about rumors. It was about defiance — the kind that could turn whispers into thunder.