#Chapter 62: Lone Wolf

Aria The next morning, as soon as I stepped into the office, the atmosphere felt… different than usual. It was sort of like it was my first day all over again; like I was the strange human outsider that didn’t belong. And my fears weren’t just in my head. When I walked through the room, I caught odd glances, overheard snippets of whispered conversations. “...No degree…” “She’s not qualified…” Hearing those words made my stomach clench. Instinctively, I glanced up at Darren’s office, but he wasn’t here today. Liam had mentioned something about a wellness check-up for Lucas today, so both Darren and Lucas were gone. But even if Darren was here, I wasn’t sure if I would bother him with something like this. And if I did, would I just be labeled as not only unqualified, but also a tattle-tale? No, I couldn’t have that—so I kept my head down instead. I made it to my desk without a word and was just starting to settle in when I heard footsteps