When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 71: Gossip

Chapter 71: Gossip

The meeting room felt heavy with tension. Zinnia, Ricardo, and Marcos sat across from a group of new recruits. The silence was thick, and the unease hung in the air. Marcos, noticing the nervousness, decided to break the ice.

"Alright," he began, his eyes scanning the group. "Let’s hear your concerns."

A young woman, clearly anxious, glanced around before speaking. "We heard there’s a new project—a movie," she said, hesitating. "And... there will be auditions for some roles." She paused, her gaze darting toward Zinnia. "But we were told that she already has a key role, even though she just joined."

Some of the recruits nodded, murmuring in agreement. The room stirred with whispers. Zinnia stayed silent, her expression calm but watchful. Beside her, Ricardo raised an eyebrow, looking more intrigued than concerned.

Marcos leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. "Who told you that?" His tone was steady, but there was a sharp edge to it.

The recruits exchanged uneasy glances. "We... just heard it," one of them admitted. "People were talking. We don’t know who started it."

Zinnia’s eyes narrowed slightly, catching every word. Ricardo’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he kept quiet. Marcos, however, stayed composed. "So, no real source? Just rumors?" he repeated, glancing between them.

The room fell silent again. Marcos let the pause linger before speaking. This time, he looked directly at the group. "Do you even know who she is?" he asked, nodding toward Zinnia. "Why jump to conclusions without knowing the facts?"

The recruits appeared startled, their eyes widening. One of them shifted nervously, barely meeting his gaze. "Can... can we know who she is?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Ricardo sighed, leaning back in his chair. "She’s our new Deputy CEO," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Next time, get your facts straight before making assumptions. And keep this information to yourselves. It’s still confidential."

Shock spread across their faces, quickly replaced by embarrassment. "We’re sorry, Chairman," one of the recruits said, looking genuinely regretful. "We didn’t mean any harm. We were just... confused."

Another recruit nodded, directing her apology toward Zinnia. "We apologize, ma’am. It was wrong of us to assume."

Zinnia listened, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she spoke. "I appreciate your apologies. But let’s be clear—this is a business, not a place for gossip. Focus on your work, and don’t spread rumors that could harm the company."

Marcos stepped in, his voice firm. "We value transparency and fairness here. Unlike some other companies, we don’t tolerate rumors, slander, or anything that might damage our reputation. Everything is based on merit and integrity."

The recruits’ heads lowered further. "We understand, sir," one of them said quietly. "We’re really sorry."

Zinnia’s gaze softened slightly, though her tone remained steady. "I’m willing to give you a chance. Maybe I should have been clearer about my role. But don’t make this mistake again. Focus on your tasks, not on gossip."

She paused, letting her words sink in. "As for the new movie project, yes, there will be auditions. Everyone has a fair shot. But I expect you to prove yourselves through hard work, not through rumors."

A murmur of relief swept through the group. They had feared worse consequences. Zinnia’s words had been stern, but fair.

"One more thing," Zinnia added. "Keep my position as Deputy CEO confidential for now. I don’t want this to affect your performance or cause distractions."

The recruits nodded, looking grateful and slightly more relaxed. With that, the meeting ended. They filed out of the room, the earlier tension easing. But the message was clear.

As the room cleared, Ricardo turned to Zinnia, his gaze curious. "Are you sure you don’t want your position made official to everyone?" he asked.

Zinnia took a moment before answering. "Yes, I’m sure," she said. "For now, I want to keep things low-key. I don’t want people treating me differently or making assumptions. Let them see what I can do without the title overshadowing it."

Ricardo nodded thoughtfully. "Fair enough. But this secrecy won’t last forever."

"I know," Zinnia replied. "But for now, it’s better this way."

She glanced at Marcos, who had been listening silently. "I need you to look into this," she said. "Find out who started these rumors. We need to know who’s behind this."

Marcos gave a slight nod. "I’ll handle it," he said, already planning his next steps.

They each returned to their work, but the incident lingered in the back of their minds.

A few hours later, Marcos knocked on Zinnia’s office door. He stepped in, his face serious, and Zinnia knew he had found something. "I looked into it," he said, closing the door behind him. "The rumors started from some comments overheard in the break room. Someone misunderstood a conversation about the project and twisted it."

Zinnia listened closely. "Do you know who started it?"

Marcos nodded. "A junior staff member from marketing. He wasn’t trying to cause trouble, but it spread fast."

Zinnia’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Talk to him. Make sure he understands the consequences of spreading unverified information. We can’t afford this happening again."

"Understood," Marcos said, already making a note. He turned to leave.

Zinnia was deep in her work when Marcos returned later that day. She looked up, noticing the tension in his expression. "What did you find?" she asked.

Marcos sat down across from her, his tone more serious. "I spoke to the staff member who started the rumor. He wasn’t trying to stir up trouble; he just repeated what he thought he heard. I made it clear that spreading unverified information isn’t acceptable."

Zinnia leaned back, processing his words. "Did he understand?"

"Yes," Marcos said. "I don’t think it’ll be an issue again. But we should still keep an eye out."

"Good," she replied. "Thank you for handling it." She hesitated, then added, "This project is important. I want the focus to be on the work, not on me or any drama."

Unknown to them, while Marcos was speaking to the staff member, someone else had been listening nearby. A figure stood out of sight, hidden by the open door, close enough to hear every word. As the staff member was given a stern warning, the eavesdropper felt a wave of relief wash over them.

They had feared being discovered, but it seemed luck was on their side. For now, they could stay in the shadows, unseen and safe, knowing the blame hadn’t found its way to them.