Rumors weren't new to Arianne.
Even when she was younger, rumors followed her. She noticed them before they announced themselves, but never acknowledged their existence.
Voices that paused, words that trailed off whenever she was near, questions wrapped in concern, casually thrown. No one repeated them outright, but they easily spread.
By the third day, the pattern was clear.
Meetings took longer to start. Approvals returned with additional comments attached. They were polite, but unnecessary.
Someone had suggested that it was understandable she would want to stay involved given her "personal circumstances."
'She lost the Summers Corporation. Now she's rebuilding herself through Alexander's empire.'
'She couldn't worm her way to the Rochefort Family when Alexander didn't marry her. Perhaps she was targeting the younger brother now.'
Another had wondered aloud whether boundaries became blurred when children were involved at all.
