Chapter 3

Madison

I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck - a very sexy, Alexander Knight-shaped truck. My body ached in places I'd forgotten existed, and my inner thighs bore the telltale bruises of last night's activities.

"Get it together, Madison," I muttered to my reflection as I applied concealer under my eyes. Despite my best makeup efforts, the woman staring back looked debauched.

The subway ride to work was torture. Every bump and sway reminded me of how Alexander had moved inside me. How his hands had gripped my hips. How he'd called me Katherine.

Katherine. The name bounced around my skull like an angry ping-pong ball.

I'd spent half the night googling "Katherine Alexander Knight" with zero results. Not that I was jealous or anything. I mean, why would I be jealous of someone whose name my boss moaned while high on God-knows-what?

The elevator ride up to the office felt longer than usual. I checked my phone seventeen times in thirty seconds, praying there wouldn't be a message from Alexander. Nothing. Thank God.

I peeked into Alexander's office. Empty. The relief that flooded through me was embarrassing.

Collapsing into my chair, I buried my face in my hands. "This is fine. Everything's fine. He probably doesn't even remember. And if he does, well... I'll just move to Antarctica. I hear they need secretaries there."

My phone buzzed. I jumped so hard that my knee slammed into the desk drawer.

I rubbed my throbbing knee while checking the message. Just a spam email about enlarging body parts I didn't possess.

The morning crawled by in a haze of paranoia. Every footstep in the hallway had me tensing like a guilty teenager. By ten, my neck muscles felt like steel cables from constantly whipping around to check the door.

My coffee mug sat empty, mocking me. I needed caffeine.

I grabbed my mug and power-walked to the break room. I beelined for the coffee maker, already tasting that sweet salvation.

"Madison! Just the person I wanted to see!"

I nearly dropped my mug. Stella from Accounting materialized beside me, grinning like she'd just discovered tax evasion in the company books.

"Hey, Stella." I focused on pouring coffee, willing my hands not to shake.

"So," She leaned against the counter, eyes twinkling. "Hot date last night?"

Coffee sloshed over the rim. "What? No. Why would you—"

"That's quite the love bite you're sporting." She pointed at my neck, smirking. "Unless you've taken up wrestling in your spare time?"

My free hand flew to my neck. Horror dawned as I felt the tender spot just below my ear. The spot where Alexander had marked me like some overenthusiastic vampire.

My mind raced faster than my morning subway ride. "Oh, this? My curling iron. Total klutz moment this morning." I forced a laugh that came out like a strangled cat.

"Must be some curling iron. Looks more like someone was trying to-"

"Would you look at the time!" I glanced at my naked wrist, where a watch definitely wasn't. "Those expense reports won't file themselves!"

"But you haven't finished your coffee-"

I abandoned my half-filled mug on the counter, speed-walking toward the exit with all the grace of a newborn giraffe. My heels clicked against the tile floor in what felt like morse code for "Help me!"

I collapsed into my desk chair, heart pounding like I'd just run a marathon in heels. My hands trembled as I tried to pull myself together. What was I thinking? Curling iron? Really? I might have said it was a one-night stand. That would have been slightly more believable. God, a one-night stand would be even worse.

Rumors about Alexander and me have been circulating since I became his PA. It was bad enough that I landed this position after being in the company for a short time.

Everyone thought I'd slept my way to the top, that I'd spread my legs for him to get ahead. Despite all my hard work, the whispers never stopped.

Colleagues who used to be friends now barely make eye contact with me. Their hushed conversations stop whenever I enter the room, replaced by forced smiles and awkward silence.

Although I didn't initially want this job, I took it because of the high salary necessary to cover my mom's medical expenses.

But now? The situation was an absolute mess. If anyone found out what happened last night, they'd think the rumors were true. They'd believe I used my body to climb the social ladder, something I would never do.

No one could find out that Alexander and I had slept together. The very thought twisted my stomach into knots. I prayed Alexander would forget it all, erasing the memory as if it never happened.

Of course, I knew I couldn't hide from him forever. Sooner or later, I'd have to report to him for work. But I was convinced the doctor would tell him nothing happened. And even if he remembered something, he'd go to Katherine.

Every woman Alexander slept with wanted to be his wife. So if he asked Katherine if she was with him the other night, she'd definitely say yes to get closer to him.

The conference room felt smaller than usual as I arranged the meeting materials, hyper-aware of Alexander's presence at the head of the table. My hands trembled as I distributed the financial reports, careful to keep my eyes glued to the papers.

"Everyone here?" Alexander's voice sent shivers down my spine. The same voice that had whispered things in my ear two days ago.

I risked a glance up. Fatal mistake.

His eyes caught mine, and suddenly, I was back in his penthouse, feeling his hands on my skin and his breath hot against my neck. My face burned hotter than fresh coffee.

"Miss Harper?"

I jumped, nearly dropping the remaining reports. "Yes, Mr. Knight?"

"The quarterly projections?"

Right. Work. Professional. I could do this. I shuffled through my papers, willing my racing heart to calm down.

"Here they are." My voice came out squeakier than a mouse in a cheese factory.

Alexander's brow furrowed. "Are you feeling alright? You look flushed."

Of course, I looked flushed.

"Just warm in here." I tugged at my collar, accidentally exposing the fading mark on my neck.

His eyes flickered to the spot, then back to the reports without recognition. Nothing. Not even a flicker of remembrance about our passionate night together.

The meeting droned on. I took notes mechanically, sneaking glances at Alexander between bullet points. He was completely at ease, discussing profit margins like he hadn't rocked my world two days ago.

The meeting finally ended, but my relief was short-lived. Alexander beckoned me into his office with a crook of his finger. My legs turned to jelly as I followed him inside.

He settled into his leather chair like a king on his throne while I hovered near the door like a guilty teenager. The morning sun through the tall windows bathed him in an angelic glow. Unfair. The man looked like he'd just stepped out of a magazine photoshoot while I fought the urge to bolt.

"Close the door, Miss Harper."

I did, my hand trembling slightly on the handle. This was it. He remembered everything and was about to fire me. Or worse, proposition me. I wasn't sure which scenario terrified me more.

"Take a seat." He gestured to the chair across from his desk.

I perched on the edge, ready to sprint at a moment's notice. The leather squeaked beneath me, betraying my nervousness.

Alexander shuffled some papers on his desk, his expression unreadable. My heart performed an Olympic-worthy gymnastics routine in my chest.

"I noticed something concerning." He looked up, those blue eyes piercing right through me.

He remembered everything. I'd be fired, humiliated, and probably end up on some reality TV show called 'I Slept With My Boss.'

"You didn't check in yesterday when I was absent."

Wait, what? Of all the things he could've brought up, he chose this?

"As my PA, I expect you to maintain contact, especially during unexpected absences." His tone carried that signature Alexander Knight authority, making board members squirm and competitors sweat.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. How exactly was I supposed to respond? 'Sorry I didn't check in; I was too busy having an existential crisis after our drug-induced encounter where you called me another woman's name'?

"I apologize, Mr. Knight. I thought..." I thought you were sleeping off whatever happened between us. I thought you needed space. I thought a lot of things, none of which I could say out loud.

"You thought?" Alexander's piercing gaze made my brain cells commit mass suicide.

"I thought... well..." My mouth went drier than the Sahara. What could I say?

A phone's shrill ring cut through the tension. The ringtone echoed through his office like a chorus of angels. Thank you, merciful universe!