The attack came at 6:42 a.m.
Amelia was halfway through her coffee when her phone buzzed violently on the kitchen counter.
One notification.
Then ten.
Then fifty.
Her stomach dropped.
That's never good.
She unlocked the screen.
And the headline stared back at her.
"Mrs. Knight Linked to Financial Fraud Investigation."
Her vision blurred for a second.
What?
She clicked the article.
Anonymous sources claimed that before marrying Alexander Knight, Amelia Carter had been involved in manipulating small business accounts while working at the café.
The article implied:
She altered invoices.
She siphoned money.
She targeted wealthy clients.
Her chest tightened painfully.
This isn't real.
This can't be real.
The cup slipped from her fingers and shattered against the marble floor.
Across the kitchen, Alexander looked up sharply.
"What happened?"
She couldn't speak.
She handed him the phone.
He read it once.
Then again.
His face didn't change.
But something in the air did.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Controlled fury.
"Did you do this?" he asked evenly.
The question hit harder than the article.
Her eyes snapped to his.
"You think I did?"
"I asked a question."
Anger flared in her chest.
"No. I didn't steal. I didn't manipulate anything. I worked double shifts just to survive."
Silence.
Heavy.
Testing.
He studied her face carefully.
Looking for cracks.
For lies.
For hesitation.
She held his gaze.
Steady.
Hurt.
If you don't believe me, this ends now.
A long moment passed.
Then he handed the phone back calmly.
"I know."
Her breath faltered.
"You… know?"
"If you were capable of fraud," he said coolly, "you would have negotiated better terms in our contract."
Despite everything, a shaky laugh escaped her.
Relief flooded her chest so suddenly it almost hurt.
But the damage was done.
The article was spreading fast.
Shares climbing.
Comments exploding.
Gold digger.
Criminal bride.
Trap him and steal him.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"They're going to investigate me."
"They can try."
"That's not reassuring."
He stepped closer.
His presence felt different this morning.
Less distant.
More solid.
"This is coordinated," he said. "Timing is deliberate. After the board confrontation."
Sophia.
The name hovered unspoken between them.
"You think she did this?" Amelia asked quietly.
"Possibly."
"Possibly?" she repeated.
"I don't accuse without proof."
"But you're thinking it."
"Yes."
He pulled out his phone.
Made a call.
"Legal team. Immediate damage control. I want the source of that article identified within the hour."
His voice was lethal.
Controlled.
But lethal.
Amelia watched him.
This is the world he lives in.
War in suits.
Assassinations with headlines.
Her reputation was the weapon.
When he ended the call, she asked softly:
"What if they can't trace it?"
His eyes met hers.
"They will."
"And if they don't?"
His jaw tightened.
"Then I escalate."
Her heart skipped.
"How?"
"I don't lose battles."
That wasn't arrogance.
It was certainty.
Two Hours Later
Knight Holdings' PR team issued an official statement:
"All allegations are false and defamatory. Legal action will follow."
But the comments kept flooding in.
Speculation grew.
News outlets picked it up.
Investors began asking questions.
Her name was trending.
For all the wrong reasons.
In his office, Amelia sat quietly on the leather couch.
Staring at her hands.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Why does it feel like I'm guilty?
Alexander stood near the window.
Watching the city.
Thinking.
Calculating.
She broke the silence first.
"You can end this."
He didn't turn.
"How?"
"Announce a separation. Say you're reviewing the marriage. Distance yourself."
The suggestion hung in the air.
Heavy.
Strategic.
Logical.
If he cut her off, the company would stabilize.
The board would relax.
Sophia would win.
He finally turned.
His eyes were sharp.
Cold.
"You think I married you to abandon you at the first attack?"
"This isn't romantic," she said quietly. "It's business."
"Yes."
He stepped closer.
"And in business, you protect assets."
Her chest tightened slightly.
Asset.
Is that all I am?
But then he added—
"And I protect what's mine."
The tone changed everything.
It wasn't corporate.
It was personal.
"You're risking investor confidence," she whispered.
"I've survived worse."
"But because of me—"
"Because someone wants to weaken me."
His gaze softened just slightly.
"And you are not weakness."
The words hit deeper than she expected.
Her eyes stung unexpectedly.
"I hate this," she admitted quietly.
"I know."
"People think I'm a criminal."
"They'll think something else tomorrow."
He stepped closer again.
Too close.
"If you want to walk away," he said lowly, "I won't stop you."
Her heart jumped.
That wasn't control.
That was choice.
"Debt cleared. Compensation guaranteed. You can leave."
She searched his face.
Trying to see if he wanted her to say yes.
Trying to see if this was strategy.
Or test.
"And what would you do?" she asked softly.
His jaw flexed.
"Handle it."
Alone.
The realization hit her.
If she left, Sophia would win.
If she stayed—
The war continued.
She lifted her chin.
"I'm not running."
Something shifted in his expression.
Respect.
Pride.
Possession.
"Good," he said quietly.
Because if you had… I would have stopped you.
But he didn't say that part.
Across the City
In a sleek penthouse office, Sophia read the headlines.
She smiled slowly.
"Let's see how long he protects you," she murmured.
But she didn't know something crucial.
Alexander Knight did not fight halfway.
And now—
This wasn't just business.
This was personal.