MadisonI could feel Alexander's eyes on me as I leaned against his desk for support, my legs still wobbly. "Look at you," he said, his voice low and appreciative. "Thoroughly fucked and still gorgeous." I brushed my hair out of my face, feeling the flush on my cheeks. "Is that your professional assessment, Mr. Knight?" He laughed, tucking himself back into his pants with practiced ease. "Very professional. I should add it to your performance review." "Please don't," I said, but I couldn't help smiling. Alexander moved toward me, his hand reaching out to cup my face. His thumb traced my lower lip, still swollen from his kisses. "You're something else, Madison Harper," he murmured before leaning in to kiss me. His lips were softer than they had any right to be, moving against mine with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the rough fucking we'd just engaged in. I melted into the kiss, my hands finding their way to his chest. When he pulled back, his eyes were dark with ren
Madison"You look stressed, Maddie," Mom said, reaching out to touch my hand. "Is that Alexander Knight fellow working you too hard?" I nearly choked. If only she knew how hard he'd worked me over his desk just hours ago. "It's just the usual work stuff," I said, recovering quickly. "Lots of responsibility." Mom sighed, her eyes taking on that distant look I'd come to dread. "If your father were still here, you wouldn't have to push yourself so hard. He would have made sure we were taken care of." "Mom, please—" "I know, I know," she said, squeezing my hand. "It's just... he was so good with money. We never worried when he was alive." I swallowed the lump in my throat. Dad had been gone for years now, but Mom still talked about him like he'd just stepped out for groceries. "We're doing okay now," I assured her. "You focus on getting better." "Have you heard from your brother?" she asked suddenly. I stiffened. "Mom, I don't want to talk about him." "Madison—" "No," I said fi
MadisonThe shrill ring of my phone cut through my morning routine like a chainsaw. I glanced at the screen while struggling to zip up my pencil skirt and groaned. Jackson. My thumb hovered over the decline button. I could always claim I was in the shower or cooking. But something about ignoring him felt unnecessarily mean. With a sigh that carried the weight of social obligation, I accepted the call. "Hello?" I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder while searching for my other heel. "Good morning, Maddie!" Jackson's voice was irritatingly chipper for 7:30 AM. "Hope I didn't wake you." "No, just getting ready for work," I said, triumphantly fishing out the missing shoe. "Perfect timing then. I'm heading to my office downtown and have to pass right by Knight Industries. Thought I could swing by and give you a ride." I rolled my eyes at my reflection in the mirror. Of course, he did. "Oh, that's so nice of you," I said, injecting fake disappointment into my voice, "but the
MadisonI took a deep breath and pulled up the meeting agenda, determined to be over-prepared. If they were going to judge me, I'd at least give them something substantial to judge. The distinctive ding of the elevator caught my attention, and I glanced up to see Alexander stepping out. He walked with that confident stride that seemed to part the air around him, heading toward his office. My heart did that stupid little jump it always did when I saw him unexpectedly. He slowed as he approached my desk, his eyes catching something on the floor. Before I could react, he bent down and picked up a folded piece of paper that had fallen beside my trash can. "Playing schoolyard games with notes, Ms. Harper?" he asked with an amused smile, already unfolding it. "Wait, Mr. Knight, don't—" I started, but it was too late. His expression hardened as he read the note. I couldn't see what it said, but from the way his jaw clenched, I knew it was worse than the ones I'd already seen. "Where di
MadisonAlexander took screenshots of their faces, his jaw clenched. He emailed the images, then picked up his phone again. "Laura, I need you in my office immediately. I'm sending you images of three employees who need to be identified and brought here. It's regarding a harassment issue." He listened for a moment. "Yes, now. It's urgent." He hung up and turned to me. "Laura Taylor, head of HR, will handle this." I nodded, suddenly feeling nervous. This was escalating quickly, and while I appreciated Alexander standing up for me, I wasn't sure I wanted to face my anonymous bullies. "What exactly are you planning to do?" Alexander's eyes flickered to mine, a hint of amusement cutting through his anger. "Curious to know, Ms. Harper?" "Not curious," I corrected, straightening my posture. "Just wondering what you'll do with them." I gestured toward the frozen images on his screen. "It seems like a lot of trouble for some juvenile notes." "You'll know about it soon enough." Before I
MadisonSunday evening brought the kind of rain that New Yorkers both love and hate—the dramatic downpour that transforms the city into something straight out of a noir film—beautiful from behind glass but miserable to navigate. I stood under the awning of my apartment building, watching sheets of water cascade from the sky. "Gonna be a while, miss," my doorman said, eyeing the deluge. "Weather app says it's getting worse before it gets better." I nodded, pulling my phone from my purse to check the time. I'd promised Hazel I'd be at her place by seven; it was already quarter till. After our awkward encounter with Alexander at the café, I owed her an explanation – or at least some version of the truth that wouldn't reveal the exact nature of our arrangement. I stepped to the curb and raised my hand, grateful when a yellow cab immediately splashed to a stop. I darted through the rain, my shoes already soaked by the time I slid into the backseat. "Where to?" the driver asked, wiping
MadisonLightning flashed outside, briefly illuminating the room in stark white light before plunging it back into the warm glow of Hazel's lamps."Just promise me you'll be careful," she said, her expression unusually serious. "And if he hurts you, remember that I know people who can make bodies disappear."I snorted. "Your cousin who works at the morgue isn't going to help you dispose of a billionaire's body.""You'd be surprised what Derrick would do for a case of good beer." She grinned, and then her expression turned mischievous. "So, when do I get to officially meet him? As your boyfriend, I mean. Not as your boss who's pretending not to be your boyfriend.""About that," I said, setting my mug down. "I need you to keep this between us. No social media, no telling your coworkers, no 'accidentally' running into us again."Hazel's eyebrows shot up. "Why the secrecy? Is he ashamed of you or something?""No! Of course not," I said quickly. "It's not like that.""Then what is it like?
MadisonI was deep into reconciling the budget projections for the Manhattan project when my desk phone rang. I picked it up while still typing with my free hand. "Madison Harper speaking." "Miss Harper, I have a Herbert Hayes here to see Mr. Knight." The security desk's voice crackled through the line. "One moment, please." I checked Alexander's calendar—11:30 AM meeting—which was right on schedule. "Yes, please send him up." I returned to my spreadsheets, determined to finish before my lunch break. The soft ding of the elevator barely registered until footsteps approached my desk. I looked up to find an older gentleman standing before me. He was impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit that had clearly been tailored to his frame. Silver hair swept back from a distinguished face marked with laugh lines around his eyes. I guessed him to be in his mid-fifties. "Good morning," I said, offering a professional smile. "You must be Mr. Hayes. Mr. Knight is expecting you. Please, go right
Madison"Something on your mind, Ms. Harper?" Alexander's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up to find him studying me, his expression unreadable. "No, Mr. Knight." "Liar," he said softly. "You've been fidgeting for the past ten minutes." "I wasn't aware my comfort level was of interest to you in public settings," I replied, surprising myself with my boldness. A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "Everything about you interests me, Ms. Harper. Even your discomfort." "How kind," I muttered. Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curving into that infuriating half-smile that meant he was enjoying my discomfort. "You want to know who she is." It wasn't a question. I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze directly. "No, I don't." "Really?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. "I was about to tell you, but if you're not interested..." He shrugged one shoulder, the movement elegant beneath his perfectly tailored tuxedo. "Then I don't need to explain." I bit th
MadisonAlexander removed his hands from her waist, but his eyes remained locked on her face. His smile wasn't the polite business smile he gave investors or the professional one I'd seen during meetings. This was something different, something genuine that reached his eyes and made them crinkle at the corners. Who was she? My mind raced through possibilities. Was this the mysterious Katherine he'd called me that night when he was drugged? She didn't even match the blonde woman from the photograph I'd spotted in his penthouse – the one that disappeared so quickly after I noticed it. This woman had chestnut hair that cascaded in perfect waves down her back, not blonde locks. A friend or relative, perhaps? Or, more likely, another ex-girlfriend or hookup from Alexander's extensive past. She carried herself with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what she wanted and had probably gotten Alexander at some point. I shifted my weight, trying not to feel invisible as they continu
MadisonThe car pulled away from the curb. I sat quietly, watching the city lights blur past the window. Alexander's fingers tapped rapidly against his phone screen, his brow furrowed in concentration. After several minutes of silence, he finally set his phone down. "The Harrington Foundation expects to raise over eight million tonight." "That's impressive," I replied, turning toward him. "What causes do they support?" "Medical research, primarily." His eyes finally took me in properly, lingering on the neckline of my dress. "You look acceptable." I bit back a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Knight." His hand moved to my knee, fingers tracing small circles just above the slit in my dress. "Did you follow all my instructions?" "Yes." I felt my pulse quicken as his hand slid higher. "Show me." I glanced toward the privacy partition separating us from John, confirming it was closed before reaching for the slit in my dress. I parted the fabric, revealing the black lace underneath. Alexand
MadisonI was deep into reconciling the budget projections for the Manhattan project when my desk phone rang. I picked it up while still typing with my free hand. "Madison Harper speaking." "Miss Harper, I have a Herbert Hayes here to see Mr. Knight." The security desk's voice crackled through the line. "One moment, please." I checked Alexander's calendar—11:30 AM meeting—which was right on schedule. "Yes, please send him up." I returned to my spreadsheets, determined to finish before my lunch break. The soft ding of the elevator barely registered until footsteps approached my desk. I looked up to find an older gentleman standing before me. He was impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit that had clearly been tailored to his frame. Silver hair swept back from a distinguished face marked with laugh lines around his eyes. I guessed him to be in his mid-fifties. "Good morning," I said, offering a professional smile. "You must be Mr. Hayes. Mr. Knight is expecting you. Please, go right
MadisonLightning flashed outside, briefly illuminating the room in stark white light before plunging it back into the warm glow of Hazel's lamps."Just promise me you'll be careful," she said, her expression unusually serious. "And if he hurts you, remember that I know people who can make bodies disappear."I snorted. "Your cousin who works at the morgue isn't going to help you dispose of a billionaire's body.""You'd be surprised what Derrick would do for a case of good beer." She grinned, and then her expression turned mischievous. "So, when do I get to officially meet him? As your boyfriend, I mean. Not as your boss who's pretending not to be your boyfriend.""About that," I said, setting my mug down. "I need you to keep this between us. No social media, no telling your coworkers, no 'accidentally' running into us again."Hazel's eyebrows shot up. "Why the secrecy? Is he ashamed of you or something?""No! Of course not," I said quickly. "It's not like that.""Then what is it like?
MadisonSunday evening brought the kind of rain that New Yorkers both love and hate—the dramatic downpour that transforms the city into something straight out of a noir film—beautiful from behind glass but miserable to navigate. I stood under the awning of my apartment building, watching sheets of water cascade from the sky. "Gonna be a while, miss," my doorman said, eyeing the deluge. "Weather app says it's getting worse before it gets better." I nodded, pulling my phone from my purse to check the time. I'd promised Hazel I'd be at her place by seven; it was already quarter till. After our awkward encounter with Alexander at the café, I owed her an explanation – or at least some version of the truth that wouldn't reveal the exact nature of our arrangement. I stepped to the curb and raised my hand, grateful when a yellow cab immediately splashed to a stop. I darted through the rain, my shoes already soaked by the time I slid into the backseat. "Where to?" the driver asked, wiping
MadisonAlexander took screenshots of their faces, his jaw clenched. He emailed the images, then picked up his phone again. "Laura, I need you in my office immediately. I'm sending you images of three employees who need to be identified and brought here. It's regarding a harassment issue." He listened for a moment. "Yes, now. It's urgent." He hung up and turned to me. "Laura Taylor, head of HR, will handle this." I nodded, suddenly feeling nervous. This was escalating quickly, and while I appreciated Alexander standing up for me, I wasn't sure I wanted to face my anonymous bullies. "What exactly are you planning to do?" Alexander's eyes flickered to mine, a hint of amusement cutting through his anger. "Curious to know, Ms. Harper?" "Not curious," I corrected, straightening my posture. "Just wondering what you'll do with them." I gestured toward the frozen images on his screen. "It seems like a lot of trouble for some juvenile notes." "You'll know about it soon enough." Before I
MadisonI took a deep breath and pulled up the meeting agenda, determined to be over-prepared. If they were going to judge me, I'd at least give them something substantial to judge. The distinctive ding of the elevator caught my attention, and I glanced up to see Alexander stepping out. He walked with that confident stride that seemed to part the air around him, heading toward his office. My heart did that stupid little jump it always did when I saw him unexpectedly. He slowed as he approached my desk, his eyes catching something on the floor. Before I could react, he bent down and picked up a folded piece of paper that had fallen beside my trash can. "Playing schoolyard games with notes, Ms. Harper?" he asked with an amused smile, already unfolding it. "Wait, Mr. Knight, don't—" I started, but it was too late. His expression hardened as he read the note. I couldn't see what it said, but from the way his jaw clenched, I knew it was worse than the ones I'd already seen. "Where di
MadisonThe shrill ring of my phone cut through my morning routine like a chainsaw. I glanced at the screen while struggling to zip up my pencil skirt and groaned. Jackson. My thumb hovered over the decline button. I could always claim I was in the shower or cooking. But something about ignoring him felt unnecessarily mean. With a sigh that carried the weight of social obligation, I accepted the call. "Hello?" I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder while searching for my other heel. "Good morning, Maddie!" Jackson's voice was irritatingly chipper for 7:30 AM. "Hope I didn't wake you." "No, just getting ready for work," I said, triumphantly fishing out the missing shoe. "Perfect timing then. I'm heading to my office downtown and have to pass right by Knight Industries. Thought I could swing by and give you a ride." I rolled my eyes at my reflection in the mirror. Of course, he did. "Oh, that's so nice of you," I said, injecting fake disappointment into my voice, "but the