Chapter 320
+25 BONUS
Chapter 320
Madison
As I pushed through the cafeteria doors, I heard frantic whispers behind me.
“Do you think she heard us?”
“Of course she fucking heard us, you idiot!”
“Oh my god, we’re so fired.”
I didn’t look back. Let them stew in their panic.
The elevator arrived almost immediately, and I stepped inside, grateful for the momentary solitude. As soon as the doors closed, I leaned against the wall and exhaled shakily.
Their words shouldn’t matter. They were just office gossipers with nothing better to do. But each barb had found its mark with devastating accuracy.
Was I just convenient? A placeholder until Katherine returned? The thought made my stomach twist painfully.
The elevator stopped on the executive floor. I straightened my spine and schooled my features into professional neutrality before stepping out. Alexander’s office remained dark and empty.
My phone buzzed with a message from the project team. The morning meeting was starting in ten minutes. Perfect timing to escape the executive floor and its ghosts.
I grabbed my tablet and headed back to the elevator, refusing to let my mind wander to Alexander and Katherine. I had a job to do, regardless of my personal drama.
The project team was already assembled when I arrived, conversations halting as I entered the room.
“Good morning, everyone,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Let’s get started.”
For the next hour, I lost myself in work, grateful for the distraction.
The Manhattan project team had questions about permit timelines, contractor bids, and material sourcing that required my full attention. No one mentioned the gossip from the cafeteria, though I caught a few curious glances when they thought I wasn’t looking.
“So we’re agreed on the revised timeline?” I asked, wrapping up the meeting.
Nods around the table, Good. At least something was going right today.
“Great. Let’s reconvene tomorrow to discuss the contractor proposals. I want everyone’s input before we make a final decision.”
As the team filed out, I checked my phone. A message from Alexander had arrived during the meeting:
“My office when you’re done.”
Four words. No explanation, no pleasantries. Just a command.
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I took my time gathering my things, in no hurry to face him. What would I even say? “Hey, I heard you’re back with your ex, so I guess our fake relationship is over?”
The elevator ride back to the executive floor felt like ascending to my own execution. I rehearsed what I might say, how I might act. Professional. Detached. Unaffected.
Alexander’s door was open when I arrived. He sat at his desk, reviewing documents with such intense focus that he didn’t immediately notice me.
I knocked lightly on the doorframe. “You wanted to see me?”
He looked up, those piercing blue eyes finding mine. “Ms. Harper. Come in.”
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. “How was your morning?”
“Productive.” He set aside the documents. “I need you to clear my afternoon tomorrow. Georgia wants to meet about a new project.”
Georgia. His step–sister. The one who ran the fashion division of Knight Industries.
“Of course.” I made a note on my tablet. “Anything else?”
“Coffee would be nice.”
I stared at him, something snapping inside me. Was that all I was to him? Someone to fetch coffee and clear his schedule while he rekindled things with Katherine?
But I didn’t say that. Instead, I nodded. “Right away.”
I turned to leave, my shoulders stiff with suppressed anger.
“And Madison?”
I paused without turning around. “Yes?”
“Make it a double shot. It’s going to be a long day.”
“Of course, Mr. Knight.” My voice dripped with fake sweetness. “Anything else? Perhaps a sandwich? Your dry cleaning? A date with Katherine Sinclair?”
The words escaped before I could stop them. I froze, mortified.
Alexander was silent for so long that I finally turned to face him. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes had darkened.
“I’ll get your coffee,” I said quickly, turning to leave again.
“Wait.”
I stopped, my hand on the doorknob.
“Sit down, Madison.”
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It wasn’t a request. I reluctantly returned to the chair across from his desk, perched on the edge like I might need to make a quick escape.
Alexander leaned back in his chair, studying me. “Something on your mind?”
“No.” Yes. Everything. “Just busy with the Manhattan project.”
“Bullshit.”
I blinked at his bluntness.
“You’ve been avoiding me, and now you’re making passive–aggressive comments about Katherine Sinclair.” He leaned forward. “What’s going on?”
I met his gaze directly. “I saw the photos.”
“What photos?”
Was he serious? “The ones of you and Katherine. They’re all over the internet.”
Recognition dawned in his eyes. “Ah. Those photos.” 1
“Yes, those photos.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness from my voice. “The ones where you’re having dinner with her, where your hand is on her back, where you’re looking at her like she’s the only woman in the room.”
Alexander’s expression remained frustratingly neutral. “And this bothers you because…?”
“Because “I stopped, realizing I was about to admit something I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. “Because people are talking. The entire office is gossiping about you and Katherine, wondering what it means for us.”
“Us?”
“The arrangement,” I clarified, heat rising to my cheeks. “Your exclusivity clause specifically. It looks like you’re breaking your own rules.”
Alexander’s lips twitched. “You think I’m sleeping with Katherine.”
“I don’t know what you’re doing with Katherine,” I said carefully. “And frankly, it’s none of my business. But when it affects my professional reputation, it becomes my problem.”
“Your professional reputation?”
“Yes.” I swallowed hard, “I overheard some women in the cafeteria this morning. They were discussing our relationship in rather… unflattering terms. Apparently, I’m just ‘keeping the seat warm‘ until Katherine comes
back.”
Alexander’s expression darkened. “Who said that?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I waved a dismissive hand. “The point is, this arrangement is making me a target for office gossip. I don’t like it.”
“I see.” He drummed his fingers on the desk. “And what would you like me to do about it?”
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“Nothing. I think we should end the arrangement.”
Chapter 321
+25 BONUS
Chapter 321
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
