The storm outside had ended.
But the real one arrived the next morning.
Amelia stepped into Knight Holdings beside Alexander, feeling the weight of curious eyes follow her.
The employees bowed slightly.
"Good morning, Mrs. Knight."
She still wasn't used to that.
Inside the executive elevator, silence stretched between them.
Neither mentioned the almost-kiss.
Neither mentioned the way she had slept wrapped in his arms.
Professional distance had returned.
But it felt forced.
"You have a board meeting at ten," she said quietly, glancing at his schedule on her phone.
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You memorized it?"
"I'm not going to stand next to you looking useless."
A faint flicker of approval crossed his eyes.
Before he could respond—
The elevator doors opened.
And Sophia Laurent stood directly outside.
Perfectly dressed.
Perfectly poised.
Perfectly venomous.
"Well," she said smoothly, eyes scanning Amelia. "You look… rested."
Amelia caught the implication.
Her spine straightened.
"Good morning, Sophia."
Sophia's lips curved faintly.
"Alexander, darling, the board is waiting."
Darling.
Amelia's jaw tightened.
Alexander's expression turned cold.
"Do not call me that."
Sophia didn't flinch.
But her eyes sharpened.
"Oh? She doesn't like it?"
"This has nothing to do with her."
Sophia's gaze shifted back to Amelia.
"Oh, I think it does."
The Boardroom
The long glass table gleamed beneath bright lights.
Executives murmured quietly.
When Amelia entered beside Alexander, the room fell silent.
Sophia stood at the far end.
Projector ready.
Confidence radiating.
"I thought it would be… educational," Sophia began, "to introduce Mrs. Knight to the responsibilities of this empire."
Something in her tone made Amelia uneasy.
The presentation began.
Financial projections.
Global investments.
Corporate partnerships.
Then—
The slide changed.
And Amelia's breath caught.
Her old apartment building appeared on screen.
Murmurs spread around the room.
Sophia smiled calmly.
"Our dear Mrs. Knight has an… inspiring background."
Photos flashed.
Her part-time café job.
Her father's debt case records.
Even a blurred image of her arguing with Harrington outside a bank.
Heat rushed to Amelia's face.
She felt exposed.
Stripped.
Humiliated.
"You investigated me?" Amelia asked, voice steady but quiet.
Sophia shrugged elegantly.
"When someone marries into billions overnight, due diligence is necessary."
The room felt suffocating.
Some executives exchanged glances.
Whispers grew.
Gold digger.
Desperate.
Opportunist.
Alexander hadn't moved.
Hadn't spoken.
For one terrifying second—
Amelia wondered if he would stay silent.
Because this is business.
Because this is strategic.
Because this is what she signed up for.
Sophia clicked to the final slide.
A bold headline:
"Is Knight Holdings Safe Under Emotional Decisions?"
There it was.
The real attack.
She wasn't humiliating Amelia.
She was challenging Alexander's authority.
Sophia stepped closer.
"Marrying someone from this background without consultation — it raises questions."
Silence.
Thick.
Dangerous.
Then—
Alexander stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The room quieted instantly.
He walked to the front.
Didn't look at Sophia.
Didn't look at the slides.
He looked at Amelia.
And held out his hand.
For a brief second, she hesitated.
Then she placed her hand in his.
He pulled her beside him.
Close.
United.
Then he finally faced the board.
"My wife's past," he said calmly, "is not a liability."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it cut through the room like steel.
"It is proof of resilience."
Sophia's smile faltered slightly.
He continued.
"She earned every dollar she ever touched. That is more than I can say for some people in this room."
A direct hit.
The tension spiked.
He slid an arm around Amelia's waist.
Firm.
Unapologetic.
"Knight Holdings does not weaken because I marry a strong woman."
The emphasis made Amelia's heart pound.
Strong woman.
Not charity.
Not mistake.
Strong.
"If anyone questions my decisions," he added coolly, "they are free to submit their resignation."
Dead silence.
No one moved.
Sophia's composure cracked—just slightly.
But she recovered quickly.
"This was merely a precaution."
Alexander's eyes turned icy.
"It was a mistake."
Their stare-down felt like war without weapons.
Finally, Sophia stepped back.
Presentation ended.
Attack failed.
After the Meeting
The boardroom emptied.
Amelia pulled away once they were alone.
"You didn't have to defend me like that."
"Yes, I did."
"You could've distanced yourself."
His gaze sharpened.
"I don't distance myself from what is mine."
Her breath caught.
"That again."
He stepped closer.
Not aggressive.
Not gentle.
But intense.
"You think I let people humiliate you for strategy?"
"I think you're capable of anything for power."
Something flickered in his eyes.
Something wounded.
"I do not sacrifice allies."
"Allies?" she repeated softly.
"That's what we are."
Her heart twisted slightly.
Just allies?
But the way he looked at her—
It didn't feel professional.
It felt personal.
"You were jealous this morning," she said quietly.
"I was irritated."
"She called you darling."
His jaw tightened.
"She was trying to provoke you."
"And did it work?"
His silence answered enough.
She stepped closer.
Testing.
"You don't like when she challenges your control."
His gaze darkened.
"I don't like when she disrespects you."
The confession hit harder than expected.
Why does that matter so much?
Because it feels real.
And real is dangerous.
Across the Hall
Behind glass walls, Sophia watched them.
Her nails dug slightly into her palm.
He never defended me like that.
Her eyes hardened.
This isn't over.