Chapter 1257: A gossip he would surely enjoy.

The next day...

[Pierson Corporation]

"But is it true?" one employee asked her colleague as they walked across the lobby.

"Well, who knows?" the other employee shrugged. "It’s not like we can really tell what’s going on up there. As long as we have a job that pays us like this company, who cares if the CEO is getting replaced?"

The other nodded in agreement. "You’re right," she said, pursing her lips as she trod carefully. "But I think... the new COO is a little hot, don’t you think?"

"Shh!"

"What?"

"Didn’t you know?"

"Know what?" the other asked in confusion, furrowing her brows. She leaned in and gasped as her colleague whispered the latest gossip in the office. "Really? He and his secretary...?"

The colleague nodded and put her finger in front of her lips. "People have been noticing and hearing them talk to each other. But don’t tell anyone you heard it from me."

"Are you sure?"

"Shhh!" the colleague panicked, looking around cautiously. She slapped her office mate mildly once she was sure no one had heard them. "I told you to be quiet, but yes. That’s what the witnesses say after hearing them talk about their feelings for each other."

"Oh, my god..." The other employee covered her mouth, only to notice that her colleague had suddenly stopped walking. "Hey, what’s wrong? Why did you suddenly stop?"

She trailed off, following where her colleague was looking. When she did, her eyes fell on the entrance, where a sophisticated woman was walking in, surrounded by a few bodyguards.

Penny’s wavy hair bounced with every step; her attire was simple but smart casual, with a blazer draped over her shoulder. Yet the air around her was simply divine. With her glasses and signature bright red lips, the two employees who were on their way out for lunch instinctively stopped to watch her make her way into the building.

"Wow..." The other colleague was in awe, her eyes almost glued to Penny’s figure. "So, that’s CEO Penelope Bennet, huh?"

"This is the second time we’ve seen her here, but... how come none of the Piersons have proposed to her yet?" the other one mumbled, her eyes also glued to Penny. "We’ve seen a lot of elites come in here — even celebrities. But... how come she’s so pretty?"

Her colleague nodded. "Say... why do you think she’s here again? Is the CEO in trouble?"

"Probably just visiting her brother. The new COO is her brother, right?"

Silence fell between the two employees before one spoke under her breath. "Do you think she’s here to investigate the rumor?"

"The rumor?" The other looked at her colleague with surprise. "You mean... that the COO and his assistant are in a relationship?"

As soon as that was mentioned, the two of them instinctively zipped their mouths. The rumor hadn’t come from them; they were just absorbing it. Thinking they were safe, they set their eyes back on Penny’s intimidating figure. When they did, all they saw was some of the executives rushing to meet her halfway.

"Wow, Sir Benjamin is here to welcome her," one of the employees nearby couldn’t help but marvel. "It’s been a while since I saw him around."

"He’s been busy in the upper levels," said the person next to him. He stopped when his eyes veered to the people behind Benjamin. "The COO — holy... that’s — that’s the CEO, isn’t it?"

"Where? Where — oh, it’s him."

The employees in the lobby froze, while some of those already watching Penny took a step back. Even though many of them had been working at the company for a while, they’d rarely seen Zoren. Some had managed a glimpse of him when Atlas came into the building, but then they never saw those two again.

They would frequently see Benjamin and Allen, though — especially Allen, who seemed to like using the main entrance and having chats with the security guards. After all, Allen had once been stopped at the entrance, and some employees were aware it had been his way of licking his wounds. Thankfully, only one security guard had been punished and fired after Dean Pierson intervened.

"They came all the way down here to welcome her," the earlier female employees whispered, their eyes back on Penny as they watched Zoren and Atlas exchange words with her. "She’s like a queen. To be fair, I wouldn’t be surprised if, next thing we knew, she was marrying into the Pierson Family."

"She can’t," the person beside her shook her head and sighed. "She’s married."

"She is?"

"Mhm. Rumor has it her husband is actually a househusband — or someone who didn’t even go to college?"

"Are you serious? Do you think her family would allow that?"

"I’m not too sure, but from what I’ve heard, she’s set to marry another influential family. However, she’s already married without her family’s knowledge. So, they had to cancel the engagement, which started a whole new drama."

The other person looked at her colleague in surprise. "Really?"

"Really." The other nodded. "Besides, if you’re thinking the CEO of Pierson Corporation and the CEO of Prime Group would get together, that’s also impossible. Even if she’s single, the big boss is already married. Have you forgotten about that?"

"Oh..." The female colleague rocked back slightly, her mouth parted. "Now that you mention it, he is married."

"Whether it’s true or not, the Pierson Family has been quiet about the CEO’s marriage life," continued the other colleague. "Their silence is proof that it might be true."

"I wonder what kind of woman the CEO married," they wondered together, their eyes darting between Penny and Zoren, ignoring Atlas, who was standing beside Zoren and in front of Penny. "Their chemistry is good... but well, I guess they were meant to meet in this lifetime, but not meant to be together."

The two female employees weren’t the only ones thinking this. Watching Zoren and Penny interact made everyone think they didn’t look bad together at all. Even though Penny and Zoren seemed to be engaging in small talk with Atlas, their chemistry was undeniable.

Still, they were aware of Zoren’s existing marriage and his mysterious wife.

Now, people couldn’t help but wonder. It had been a while since news of Zoren’s marriage had been the hottest topic in each department. But until now, no one had seen a glimpse of his wife.

Was it true?

Or...

Was it just another scheme?

Even so, if it was the former, many wondered just how beautiful or smart, or what kind of person, could capture a man’s heart like Zoren Pierson. Another thought crossed their minds: What kind of husband did Penny have that she didn’t seem to flinch even in front of countless successful and good-looking men in the world of elites?

Questions are always good, but sometimes, without clear answers, these questions tend to shape themselves into gossip. The only question left was: What kind of gossip would it be? It was only a matter of time before it reached Zoren’s ears.

A gossip he would surely enjoy.