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Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: Cracks in the Armor

The morning after the presentation, the air in Knight Enterprises felt different.

Lily Carter noticed it the second she walked through the glass doors, clutching her travel mug like a holy relic. Usually, she was greeted with indulgent smirks, whispers about her clumsiness, or the occasional not-so-subtle bets on "how long she'll last."

But today… people actually looked at her. Not with mockery, but with something almost resembling respect.

Almost.

She passed a group of analysts who stopped mid-conversation.

"That was her, right?" one whispered.

"Yeah. The sunflower speech."

"Chen actually smiled."

"No one makes Chen smile."

Lily flushed, tripping slightly over her own heels. Oh my God. They're talking about me. Is this what competence feels like?

Melissa intercepted her at her desk, grinning like the cat who'd found the cream. "Well, well, look who's the office celebrity. Miss Photosynthesis herself."

Lily groaned. "Don't call me that. I'm still trying to forget I compared Knight Enterprises to a sunflower."

"Forget it? Rookie, that was brilliant. You cracked the Chen Code. I've worked here for years and never seen him soften like that. You're officially the company's secret weapon."

Lily blinked. "Secret weapon? More like secret liability waiting to explode."

But even as she said it, she couldn't help the small swell of pride in her chest. For once, she wasn't just the clumsy assistant who spilled coffee on Alex. She had stood in front of a powerhouse investor and survived.

Across the office, Alex emerged from his glass-walled office, files in hand. As always, his presence shifted the atmosphere. Conversations quieted, posture straightened.

But this time, Lily caught something odd. People's eyes darted between him and her. Like they were connecting dots she hadn't even drawn yet.

She sank lower into her chair. "Great. Now they think I'm his weapon of mass business destruction. Or worse."

Melissa smirked. "Oh, rookie. You're definitely a weapon. The question is: whose heart are you aiming at?"

Lily threw a stapler at her.

_______________

By lunchtime, the rumor mill was in overdrive.

"She's not just his assistant anymore. Did you see her with Chen?"

"Knight let her present. He doesn't let anyone present."

"She must have some hold on him."

"Or maybe she's just lucky."

"Lucky? Please. Knight doesn't gamble on luck. He's using her."

Lily carried her sandwich back from the cafeteria, pretending not to hear. But the whispers weren't whispers anymore—they were currents swirling around her every step.

At first, she tried to brush it off. It doesn't matter. People talk. Just focus on not tripping over your own feet for once.

But as the day wore on, the comments sharpened.

"Bet she just memorized Knight's notes."

"She's nothing without him pulling the strings."

"Fluke performance. Won't last."

Each word chipped at her hard-earned pride.

By the time she reached the copier room and overheard two employees from Finance laughing—"Sunflowers? Please. Dumb luck. Knight probably scripted it for her."—she snapped.

_______________

Lily marched into the room, dropping her sandwich on the counter with a thud.

"Excuse me?" she said, voice sharp enough to slice paper.

The two employees froze, caught mid-laugh. One of them, a tall man with slicked-back hair, tried to recover with a smirk. "Oh. Miss Carter. Didn't see you there."

"Yeah, well, you'll see me now." Lily crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "What exactly did you mean by 'dumb luck'?"

The man shrugged. "Nothing personal. Just… you got lucky with Chen. Happens."

"Happens?" Lily's voice rose. "You think I survived that meeting on luck? You think Chen smiled because of luck? No. He smiled because I worked. Because I prepared. Because I found a way to explain things that made sense."

The second employee, a woman clutching her coffee, shifted nervously. "We didn't mean—"

"Oh, you meant it," Lily shot back. "And you know what? Fine. Underestimate me. Dismiss me. But at least I'm trying. At least I'm not hiding behind whispers in the copier room."

Her cheeks burned, but her fire burned hotter. "Next time you want to call me a fluke, do it to my face. Not behind my back."

Silence. The man's smirk faltered. The woman coughed awkwardly.

Lily grabbed her sandwich, chin high, and stormed out.

Half the office had heard.

_______________

By the time Lily returned to her desk, the whispers had changed.

"She actually confronted them."

"Did you hear her? She went off."

"Knight's assistant has claws."

"Maybe she's not just an airhead after all."

Melissa leaned over the cubicle wall, wide-eyed. "Rookie. You just publicly roasted Finance Guy. I've been dreaming of that for years."

Lily buried her face in her sandwich. "I don't want to roast anyone. I just… I couldn't let them say it. Not after everything."

Melissa patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Half the office is cheering for you. The other half is terrified. Which, honestly, is the perfect ratio."

But Lily couldn't shake the heat in her chest. Pride mixed with dread. What if Alex heard? What if he thinks I embarrassed the company?

Her dread was confirmed an hour later when his voice cut across the floor.

"Miss Carter. My office. Now."

_______________

His office door clicked shut behind her, the glass walls sealing them off from the gawking eyes outside.

Alex stood by his desk, arms folded, expression carved from ice. "What was that?"

Lily crossed her arms to mirror him, even though her knees wobbled. "What was what?"

"You confronting employees in the copier room." His voice was low, controlled. "Do you think this is a high school hallway? That outbursts solve problems?"

Her cheeks burned. "I was defending myself."

"You don't need to."

"Yes, I do!" She stepped forward, fire sparking again. "You don't hear what they say. You don't hear how they dismiss me—how they make me feel like I'm just some… joke. If I don't stand up for myself, who will?"

For a moment, silence stretched. His jaw tightened.

"You've been reckless," he said finally. "And unprofessional."

Her heart stung. "So I'm supposed to just take it? Let them walk all over me?"

His eyes locked on hers, colder than ever. "Yes. Because you're stronger when you ignore them. You don't stoop to their level."

She bit her lip, the sting of humiliation burning behind her eyes. "You wouldn't last a day being whispered about like this."

Something flickered in his gaze—something sharp, almost pained—but it vanished in a blink. "Dismissed."

_______________

Lily stormed out, furious and embarrassed, her thoughts a hurricane. Reckless? Unprofessional? I was defending myself! He doesn't understand. He never will.

But Alex didn't move from his desk for a long time.

He replayed her words. The fire in her voice. The way she stood her ground, trembling but unyielding.

It was reckless, yes. But it was also… admirable.

Most people cowered in front of him. Lily never did. Even when she was wrong, she burned with conviction.

For the first time in years, Alexander Knight felt something he thought he'd buried with his past: the faintest crack in his armor.

__________________

That evening, Lily trudged home, frustration heavy in her chest. She replayed the scolding over and over, wishing she'd said something sharper, wishing she could make him understand.

But beneath the anger, a tiny spark of pride glowed. She hadn't let them dismiss her. She had defended herself.

Across the city, Alex sat in his penthouse, untouched scotch in hand, staring at the skyline.

Her voice echoed in his mind. If I don't stand up for myself, who will?

He told himself she'd been reckless. That she needed discipline.

But the truth was, he admired her fire more than he wanted to admit.

And that was more dangerous than any investor, any rival, any ghost from his past.

 

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