Knight Enterprises after midnight was eerie.
The hum of printers had stopped. Phones that normally rang nonstop were silent. The only sound was the click of Lily Carter's heels echoing across the marble lobby as she trudged forward, her laptop bag digging into her shoulder.
She looked half-dead. Hair in a messy bun, blouse wrinkled, eyeliner smudged to raccoon-levels. The folders in her arms wobbled dangerously with every step.
Beside her, Alexander Knight looked… perfect. His suit was still crisp, his tie neatly knotted, his face expressionless. Not a hair out of place. It was like they weren't even the same species.
Lily huffed. "Do you ever sleep? Or are you secretly powered by solar panels and expensive scotch?"
Alex's eyes flicked toward her, briefly, before returning forward. "Sleep is inefficient."
She groaned. "You say that like it's a brag. Normal people sleep, Alex. It's called survival."
He didn't answer. Of course he didn't.
Unbeknownst to them, two employees from Finance were still upstairs, heading out just in time to catch the sight of their CEO and his assistant walking side by side. Lily's frazzled appearance, Alex's calm presence—it looked like something more than work.
"Holy hell," one whispered. "Knight never leaves with anyone. Ever."
"Midnight," the other said, smirking. "Looks personal to me."
By morning, their whispers had multiplied.
"She left with him after midnight."
"They were walking close, I swear."
"Knight doesn't waste time—if she's lasted this long, maybe that's why."
By the time Lily stepped into the office at 9 a.m., clutching her coffee like a lifeline, the stares were already waiting.
She blinked, confused. "What?"
Melissa sidled up, grinning like she had front-row seats to the best drama of the year. "Congratulations, rookie. You're officially scandalous."
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Lily froze halfway to her desk. "Scandalous? What are you even talking about?"
Melissa leaned casually against a cubicle wall, lowering her voice like she was sharing state secrets. "Careful, rookie. At this rate, you'll be Mrs. Knight Enterprises by Christmas."
Lily choked on her coffee. "EXCUSE ME?!"
Half the office turned at her outburst, which only made her panic more. She waved them off, laughing awkwardly. "Ha-ha, nothing to see here! Just choking on… oxygen! Totally normal!"
Melissa bit her lip to keep from laughing, then whispered, "Relax. I'm teasing. But, uh… you should know. People are talking."
"Talking about what?" Lily hissed, leaning in.
"About you and Knight. Last night. Midnight departure. Very suspicious."
Lily flailed so hard she nearly hit a passing intern. "We were WORKING! WORKING. Not… whatever they think!"
Melissa raised an eyebrow. "Mhm. Sure. But you know how it looked. Frazzled assistant, brooding CEO, leaving together into the night. It screams scandal."
"It screams exhaustion!" Lily squeaked. "Do people seriously think the Ice King of Wall Street even knows what a date is? He probably schedules his affection on Excel spreadsheets!"
Melissa snorted. "I mean, fair. But perception is everything, rookie. And right now, perception says you're his… exception."
Lily groaned, slamming her head onto her desk. "I can't believe this. I'm not the exception—I'm the caffeine mule!"
Still, deep down, the gossip rattled her. Because if people thought she was "special" to Alex… it forced her to confront the terrifying truth she didn't want to admit.
That maybe, just maybe… she wanted to be.
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Alexander Knight wasn't surprised by gossip.
He'd been the subject of whispers since the day he took over Knight Enterprises. People speculated about his personal life, his fortune, his reputation. He'd grown immune to it.
But this was different.
As he walked past the marketing floor that morning, he caught fragments.
"—saw them together."
"—must be why she's lasted."
"—wonder how long it's been going on."
His expression didn't flicker. His stride was steady, commanding, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
But inside, his jaw clenched.
He didn't care what they said about him. But dragging Lily into it? Reducing her late nights, her determination, her fumbling yet persistent effort to gossip fodder?
That, he hated.
She had been working harder than anyone gave her credit for. She had stood her ground against him, stumbled but always gotten back up.
And now, instead of recognition, she was being mocked.
He told himself it didn't matter. She'd survive—she always did.
But when he noticed her keeping her head down in the meeting room, avoiding his eyes, laughing too loudly when Melissa teased her—he realized it did matter.
More than it should.
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The weekly team briefing was packed.
Alex stood at the head of the table, Lily beside him with her notepad ready. Her heart pounded; she could feel the stares, the whispers barely contained.
Alex's voice was smooth, controlled. "Projected revenue for Q4. Daniels, update."
Daniels cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "Uh, yes, sir. We've, uh… adjusted based on expansion projections. Numbers should…" He hesitated, then smirked faintly. His gaze flicked toward Lily.
"Maybe Miss Carter can present. She seems to have… Mr. Knight's special attention lately."
The room froze.
Lily's pen slipped, clattering onto the table. Her face burned so hot she thought she might spontaneously combust.
Melissa's jaw dropped. Someone coughed awkwardly. The silence was suffocating.
Alex's head turned. Slowly. His gaze locked onto Daniels, sharp as a blade.
"Knight Enterprises doesn't run on gossip," Alex said softly, but his tone carried enough frost to chill the room. "If you have time for speculation, you have time for overtime. Choose wisely."
Daniels paled. "Y-yes, sir."
The meeting lurched back into motion, but the tension was unbearable. Lily kept her eyes glued to her notepad, her hands trembling, humiliation clawing up her throat.
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The second Alex dismissed the team, Lily shot up from her chair. Her pulse was still racing, her skin hot with embarrassment.
She stormed into his office, slamming the door behind her.
"Why didn't you just tell them the truth?" she demanded. "That I'm not—whatever they think I am!"
Alex didn't look up from his desk. "Defending you is enough. I don't owe them explanations."
Her voice cracked with frustration. "Well, I do! I don't want people thinking I'm… special to you. I'm not!"
Silence.
The words echoed, too sharp, too loud.
Alex's pen stilled. He lifted his gaze slowly, his expression unreadable. His eyes lingered on her, searching, measuring.
Finally, he spoke. His voice was quiet. Controlled. But there was something beneath it.
"No. You're not."
The air shifted.
The words landed heavier than she expected. She had wanted him to say it—had demanded it. But hearing it spoken aloud twisted something inside her chest.
Her throat tightened. "Good. Glad we cleared that up."
She turned sharply, storming out before he could see her eyes sting with unwanted heat.
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Melissa found her later, slumped at her desk with sticky notes scattered like confetti.
"You look like someone told you puppies aren't real," Melissa said.
Lily groaned. "Why does he have to be so—so cold? He defends me, and it almost feels like he cares, but then he just—shuts me out again. It's like trying to decode hieroglyphics written by Satan."
Melissa smirked. "Sounds like you've got it bad, rookie."
"I do NOT have it bad!" Lily shot back, face on fire. "I have it… completely under control. Manageable. In fact, it's so manageable I could write a book called How to Totally Not Have a Crush on Your Boss While Everyone Thinks You Do."
Melissa laughed until she choked on her coffee.
Meanwhile, in his office, Alex stared at the city skyline, her words replaying in his head.
"I'm not special to you."
He told himself it was better this way. Safer. Cleaner.
But the memory of her expression—the flicker of hurt she hadn't hidden fast enough—clung to him like smoke.
_________________________
For the rest of the day, they avoided each other.
Lily kept her head down, chewing her pen until it looked like a crime scene, avoiding Alex's gaze whenever he walked past.
Alex drowned himself in contracts, but his eyes kept flicking to the empty chair across from his desk, lingering longer than they should.
Two people. One misunderstanding.
Crossed wires sparking in silence.
And neither ready to admit how much it mattered.