CHAPTER FORTY ONE - THE WHISPERED RUMORS

Ava's heels clicked against the polished floor as she strode into the office, her mind still replaying scenes from last night's dinner with Max. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. As she approached her new office – conveniently located near Max's – she noticed a sudden hush fall over the nearby cubicles. Hushed whispers and furtive glances followed in her wake. "Did you see them leaving together last night?" "I heard they were at Le Bernardin..." "Do you think they're...?" Ava felt her cheeks flush as she quickened her pace, ducking into her office and shutting the door behind her. She leaned against it, taking a deep breath. "Get it together, Ava," she muttered to herself. "It was just dinner. Professional dinner." A knock on the door made her jump. She opened it to find Jenna, her closest friend at work, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "So," Jenna drawled, sauntering in and perching on th