Anastasia’s hand paused slightly as she looked up at Sharlene. “Really? How do you know?”

The office gossip everyone had been discussing was probably about this. After all, Cassian was Manhattan’s golden boy, and Sonia was a renowned dancer. Both were major public figures.

Hearing this news, Anastasia felt an immediate pang in her chest.

Sharlene lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Someone caught photos of Mr. Rhodes going to Sonia’s place yesterday afternoon. He was in her apartment for quite a while, and the pictures are going viral! Everyone’s saying they’re definitely together—look, it’s all over social media.”

She pulled out her phone and showed Anastasia several blurry photos. In them, Cassian stood at a doorway while Sonia answered, apparently in a robe. Though their expressions weren’t clear, their body language did look intimate.

Anastasia glanced at the photos, her heart tightening, but kept her expression neutral. She handed the phone back to Sharlene with a casual shrug. “You know how gossip is—half of it’s probably made up. I wouldn’t read too much into it.”

Internally, she was trying to convince herself to trust Cassian.

Sharlene looked disappointed by her lukewarm reaction. “Ana, you’re no fun! Mr. Rhodes is our CEO—his love life is definitely big news!”

Anastasia smiled and turned back to her paperwork. “Work comes first. Gossip is just entertainment—no point taking it seriously.”

But truthfully, Anastasia felt unsettled. She suddenly remembered the unfamiliar scent on Cassian when he’d held her last night—that body wash smell that wasn’t theirs. Had he gotten it from being at Sonia’s place? From embracing her?

Seeing Anastasia wasn’t interested, Sharlene walked away dejectedly.

Anastasia watched her go and let out a quiet sigh, her emotions complicated. Hearing news like this, it was impossible not to care. After all, she and Cassian were married now. They’d become a real couple in every sense.

If Cassian truly had feelings for Sonia, Anastasia could step aside and let them be together. There was no need for sneaking around.

Anastasia shook her head, trying to push away these thoughts, and opened her computer to focus on work. Sonia’s jewelry designs were complete and needed final review before submission.

Meanwhile, at Rhodes Global, Cassian was reviewing documents when Philips rushed in looking frantic.

Cassian frowned. “What’s wrong? You look like hell.”

“Sir, yesterday when you went to see Miss Vinci, paparazzi caught photos. They’re everywhere online—trending on all the gossip sites.”

Was the news cycle really that slow that celebrity gossip was trending? It seemed suspicious, like someone was deliberately stirring up drama. Especially with all of Rhodes Global’s competitors looking for ways to damage their reputation.

Cassian’s frown deepened as he set down his pen. “Photos? What photos?”