Elena’s POV

The moment I stepped into the office, I sensed something was off.

Stella’s seat was empty.

Normally, she arrived earlier than everyone else, impeccably dressed, coffee in hand, greeting people with that gentle, practiced smile.

Today, her desk was spotless, untouched, as if she had never been there at all.

Clusters of colleagues stood nearby, heads bent together, voices buzzing with excitement that barely concealed their schadenfreude. The moment they noticed me, their ...