Secret Admirer

31. Office punishment

Ciro's eyes fell on the empty chair in his office—a chair that had been Kayu's spot for years. 

The sight left a hollow ache in his chest, one he couldn't quite ignore no matter how busy he tried to keep himself. 

Ever since that dinner incident at the restaurant with Buri, Kayu had been absent. He had gone on leave, using up every last bit of his accumulated annual leave, a strategic move that ensured he wouldn't have to return to the office before his notice period ended. 

It was a clean, professional exit, yet it left Ciro feeling unmoored.

Kayu's absence wasn't just a physical void; it was a silence that echoed in every corner of Ciro's day. Even though Kayu had meticulously trained the new interns, ensuring they were well-prepared for the role, it wasn't the same. 

Ciro couldn't shake the growing sense of loss. He never expected Kayu to draw such firm boundaries or avoid him so completely.

Sighing, Ciro got up from his desk, the weight of his thoughts following him as he stepped out of his office. He walked aimlessly down the corridor, letting his feet carry him toward a different section of the floor. 

As he neared one of the departments, a cluster of employees caught his attention. It was break time, and the group was gathered near the corner, their voices low but animated.

Ciro wasn't particularly interested in their conversation—until he heard Kayu's name.

His steps slowed as he caught snippets of their discussion.

"Honestly, you can't judge a book by its cover," one employee said, her tone dripping with mockery. "Khun Kayu acts all professional, but I have heard he is actually a slut. He tried to seduce Khun Ciro, you know? That is why Khun Ciro and Khun Aya broke up."

Ciro froze, disbelief flashing across his face.

Another voice chimed in, laughing bitterly. "I heard he is being fired for unprofessional behavior. But Khun Ciro's just too nice to let it get out. Letting Khun Kayu 'resign' with a notice period? That is charity if you ask me."

Ciro's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. 

The sheer absurdity and malice of their words made his blood boil. Without thinking, he stormed toward the group, his voice thundering through the room.

"What the hell are you all talking about?"

The employees turned in unison, their faces blanching when they realized Ciro was standing right there. 

A stunned silence fell over the group as they scrambled to disperse, each one retreating to their desks in a desperate attempt to look busy.

Ciro wasn't going to let them off that easily. His glare swept over them, his presence crackling with barely restrained fury.

"Stop right there," he barked. "I said, what the hell were you talking about just now?"

The room was so silent, Ciro could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. None of the employees dared to meet his gaze, their heads ducked as they fidgeted nervously.

Ciro stepped forward, his voice sharp and unyielding. "Why are there so many ridiculous rumors circulating about Kayu? Does anyone here have the guts to answer me?"

No one spoke. The weight of his anger hung over them, suffocating and unrelenting.

Frustrated, Ciro pointed to one of the women in the group. "You," he said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "What were you just saying about Kayu?"

The woman fumbled with her words, her voice barely a whisper. "We were... just speculating... about why he is resigning all of a sudden..."

"Speculating?" Ciro snapped, his tone incredulous. "Is it a crime for someone to resign from their job? Is it such an earth-shattering event that you all have to make up disgusting, baseless stories about it?"

The woman shrank under his gaze, mumbling something incoherent.

Ciro's voice rose, his anger bubbling over. "Answer me! Have any of you worked with Kayu for all these years and felt—even for a moment—that he was anything less than professional? Anything less than hardworking?"

He turned to the woman who had called Kayu a slut, his tone cutting. "And you—have you forgotten all those nights Kayu stayed late to help you fix the work you messed up? The times he saved you from embarrassment when you couldn't handle your own responsibilities?"

She flushed deeply, her head lowering as shame crept across her face.

Ciro's eyes moved to another man who had called Kayu unprofessional. "And you," he said, his voice like a whip, "did you forget how Kayu saved your job? When you lost that critical file, who was it that stayed up all night to recover it for you? Have you erased all of that from your memory?"

The man looked down, his expression guilty and pale.

Ciro let his gaze sweep over the rest of the room, his voice steady but no less scathing. "Each one of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Kayu has done nothing but help every single one of you, and this is how you repay him? By spreading disgusting lies?"

The employees squirmed under his scrutiny, none of them daring to speak.

Ciro took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Let me make one thing clear," he said, his voice firm. "Kayu is leaving this company because he wants to explore other opportunities. He has been here since he graduated and hasn't had the chance to try anything else. That is all there is to it."

He paused, his tone softening slightly. "And as for my breakup with Aya—that had nothing to do with Kayu. Aya chose to marry someone her parents approved of. That was her decision, and it had nothing to do with anyone else. If I hear so much as one more word about Kayu or these baseless rumors, I will take action. And that action will not be lenient. It could mean losing your job, or worse, facing legal consequences for defamation."

The employees gulped audibly, the weight of his words sinking in.

Ciro straightened, his expression stern. "Clearly, you all have too much free time on your hands. Since you seem to need something to do, here is a task for you all. Go through every single file from the past seven years—since Kayu joined this company—and create a detailed, year-wise report. You have three days' time in your hands."

A collective groan rose from the group, but one sharp glare from Ciro silenced them.

"You should consider yourselves lucky," he added, his tone icy. "I am being generous by giving you work as punishment instead of something worse."

With that, he turned and strode out of the department without a backward glance, leaving the employees to stew in their shame and fear.