Chapter One
1801 Words
Riding in the elevator felt like punishment.
Isabella fidgeted with her blouse, having done the same thing dozens of times before. She just couldn't get the wrinkles to close. Thrifted blouse, praying it looked 'professional enough.'
Disappointing as it was, it looked just like her reflection of the elevator doors. Eyes wider than ever, lips tighter than ever, jet black skirting the elevator doors contrasting against her pale, clammy hands. Each breath she took was in a panicked, shaken rhythm that she swore the elevator was echoing.
Right there. It felt like her heart was ready to push itself out of her chest, but she couldn't blame it. It was Knight Enterprises. She couldn't believe she made it to the largest conglomerate in the city - the place where people glowed with excitement in the papers, happily printed off with a black and white image of their added cubicle. A place in a city where she felt she didn't even belong.
Just one interview. You can't mess it up this time. She told herself.
Stepping into the five-star hotel lobby, she was dazzled by the glittering tiles—shiny and glimmering beneath the lights.
Of course, the waiting area was furnished with black couches that looked far too expensive to sit on comfortably.
Stepping forward, entering, and carrying herself like a CEO was Isabella Carter. Her heels clicked sharply against the floor, the only sound cutting through the pristine atmosphere of the hotel. Clutched tightly in her hand, her résumé bent under the pressure of her grip.
“I’m here to interview for the position of personal assistant to Mr. Knight—Alexander Knight,” she said.
Slowly, the receptionist lifted her head, a practiced smile curving her lips. She tapped her scanner against her sleek, modern badge. Isabella’s dusty shoes and worn attire were briefly examined before the woman nodded. “Top floor. Mr. Knight is waiting.”
Isabella’s stomach sank.
Mr. Knight. Alexander Knight. The Knight.
CEO. Billionaire. Investment genius. Suddenly, even the hotel lobby felt too expensive for someone like her.
The knight of personal disasters. Stress was only a hotel elevator ride away.
The most intimidating of them all.
Frosted glass doors embossed with KNIGHT ENTERPRISES stood before her, flanked by gates that resembled a fortress. She raised her hand to knock—then paused, reminding herself to wait until a firm “Come in” was heard.
“Enter.”
She pushed the door open.
Alexander Knight looked exactly like the rumors said he would.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Impeccably put together in a tailored black suit that clung to him like it had been designed with his body in mind alone. His dark hair was neatly styled, not a strand out of place, and his sharp features carried the kind of authority that didn’t need to be announced. Steel-gray eyes flicked up from the documents on his desk, cold, calculating—assessing her in a single glance.
Those eyes lingered.
Long enough to make her pulse stutter.
“I—” She fumbled for her watch. “It’s ten exactly, sir.”
He leaned back slightly, folding his arms. One brow arched, lips tugging into the faintest smirk. “Ten sharp means nine fifty-five. I don’t tolerate tardiness.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he raised a hand, silencing her.
“Sit.”
Her legs moved on their own, carrying her to the leather chair opposite his desk. She perched on the edge, clutching her folder like a lifeline.
Alexander leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over her. Assessing her perhaps. “Isabella Carter. Twenty-two. Community college graduate. No references of note. No prior experience as a personal assistant.” He flipped through her resume with deliberate slowness, every word like a knife. “Tell me, Miss Carter… why should I waste my time on you?”
The humiliation burned. Her resume did look pathetic compared to the Ivy League candidates he was probably used to interviewing. But Isabella lifted her chin anyway, forcing herself to meet his eyes.
“Because I work harder than anyone you’ll ever meet,” she said, her voice steady. Steadier than she actually felt inside. “I don’t quit. I learn fast. And—” she swallowed, fingers tightening on her lap “—I need this job more than you can imagine.”
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the room. His expression was unreadable, those gray eyes boring into her as though peeling back every layer of her soul.
Then he chuckled. Low. Cold. Dangerous.
“Bold words, Miss Carter.” He set the resume down, getting up slowly. The movement was predatory, every inch of him exuding confidence. He walked around the desk and stopped directly in front of her, his shadow swallowing her whole.
“You’re unqualified. Unpolished. You have no business sitting in my office.”
Her stomach knotted, but she didn’t flinch. “Then why did you let me in?”
His lips curved, but it wasn’t a smile. “Because I wanted to see if you’d break.”
Her pulse raced. She wanted to scream, to run, to cry—but she sat rooted in her chair, nails digging into her palms.
“Are you done testing me?” she asked, her voice trembling, but laced with fire.
For the first time, something flickered in his eyes. Interest. Curiosity.
Alexander studied her for a long moment before straightening his suit jacket. “Congratulations, Miss Carter.”
Her mouth fell open. “What?”
“You’re hired.”
Her heart leapt and crashed all at once. “I—I don’t understand. You just said—”
“I said you’re unqualified. I didn’t say you’re incapable.” He leaned down, his face inches from hers, his cologne sharp and intoxicating. “You’ll report at 7 a.m. sharp tomorrow. Don’t be late. Don’t disappoint me.”
And just like that, he turned his back, dismissing her as though the conversation had never happened.
Isabella sat frozen, her mind spinning. She should’ve felt relieved. She’d gotten the job. But all she could think about was the look in his eyes. Cold, calculating… and something else she couldn’t name.
One thing was certain—her life had just been signed over to Alexander Knight..
- Writer
