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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Chapter 320
+25 BONUS
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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Chapter 320
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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.”
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