CHAPTER 4: The Devil In A Suit
1504 Words
ALEXANDER'S POV
The morning sun spilled through the towering glass windows of Knight Enterprises, setting the marble floors aglow. The scent of strong espresso drifted through the air as the quiet hum of power echoed across the top floor.
I sat behind my mahogany desk, flipping through a stack of files while the city skyline stretched endlessly behind me, my empire, my dominion. The phone on my desk buzzed once.
“Sir,” came the familiar voice of Mr. Harlow, my senior manager. “We’ve shortlisted candidates for the Executive Assistant position. The interviews are scheduled for noon.”
I didn’t look up. “Leave the document on my desk,” I said flatly, tapping my pen against the glass. “You can handle it.”
“Yes, Mr. Knight.”
Moments later, I heard his polished shoes retreat. The door clicked shut, leaving me with silence and the faint ticking of my wristwatch.
I turned back to my laptop, half-focused on a contract proposal, when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. The manila folder lay open, one glossy photo visible.
A face.
A face I’d know anywhere.
The soft brown eyes, the perfect bone structure, the lips that had called me mannerless before she slapped me in front of half of New York’s elite.
A slow grin tugged at my mouth.
“Well,” I murmured, leaning back in my chair, “if it isn’t the little angel of chaos.”
Arabella Valentina Deluca.
No background information. No work history. No trace on the internet. Just a name, a photo, and the faint scent of trouble.
I picked up the telecom and pressed a button.
“Mr. Harlow,” I said smoothly.
“Yes, sir?”
“Make sure Arabella Deluca gets the job. Immediately.”
There was a pause. “You want me to skip the—”
“Did I stutter?”
The line went dead before he could respond.
A knock followed almost instantly.
“Come in,” I said lazily.
The door opened, and Nicole walked in all legs and perfume, wrapped in a tight red dress that left little to the imagination.
“Alex,” she purred, sauntering toward my desk. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
I didn’t look up. “I’ve been working.”
She leaned against the desk, tracing her manicured nail along the edge of my papers. “You could take a break, you know. I missed you last night.”
I closed the file, meeting her gaze with calculated disinterest. “You always miss me, Nicole.”
Her lips curved into a pout. “That’s because you make me.”
“Flattering,” I said, standing and walking past her to pour myself a drink. “But unnecessary.”
Her eyes narrowed, jealousy flashing behind her lashes. “You’re always so cold. One day, someone’s going to melt you, Alexander Knight.”
I smiled faintly, swirling the amber liquid in my glass. “I doubt that.”
She huffed, grabbed her purse, and stormed out heels clicking like gunfire.
As soon as the door closed, I set my glass down and turned toward the city once more.
My reflection smirked back at me.
“Oh, Arabella,” I whispered. “Welcome to my world.”
---
ARABELLA'S POV
The elevator ride to the top floor of Knight Enterprises was nerve-wracking.
My palms were clammy against my handbag as I smoothed down the front of my cream blouse. I’d tied my hair up in a sleek bun, Sophie’s idea and paired it with a pencil skirt and nude heels. I looked… professional. At least on the outside.
Inside, I was a storm.
The moment I’d seen the company’s name in my inbox the night before, I knew it was trouble. Sophie had warned me. “Alexander Knight is ruthless, Ella. Stay far away.”
But I needed the job. I needed to prove I could survive without a crown or a title.
When the elevator doors opened, I stepped into a world of glass and steel cool, pristine, intimidating. The air smelled like money and dominance.
A middle-aged man with silver hair and kind eyes greeted me with a professional smile.
“Miss Deluca, welcome. I’m Mr. Harlow, the hiring manager.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, returning the smile.
He led me into his office for a brief interview, mostly asking about my general skills and background. He didn’t press much, and that alone made me uneasy.
“Congratulations,” he said finally, signing a paper. “You’ve got the job.”
I blinked. “Just like that?”
He chuckled nervously. “Mr. Knight makes quick decisions.”
I didn’t know whether to be happy or suspicious.
“Come along,” he said, standing. “Let’s introduce you to your new boss.”
My heartbeat quickened. Boss.
We stopped before massive double doors. Mr. Harlow knocked once.
“Enter,” came a deep voice from inside smooth, commanding, and devastatingly familiar.
My stomach dropped.
When the door opened, my world tilted.
He was there.
Alexander Knight.
Sitting behind his desk, black suit tailored to perfection, wristwatch glinting under the light. Every line of his face screamed control sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes, lips curved into that maddening smirk.
Next to him stood a woman the one from the restaurant. Nicole. Her glare was sharp enough to cut glass.
My throat tightened.
“Mr. Knight,” Mr. Harlow began, “this is your new executive assistant, Miss Arabella Deluca.”
Alexander leaned back in his chair, eyes raking over me slowly, deliberately like a hunter sizing up prey.
“Well,” he said finally, his voice deep and velvet-smooth, “isn’t this… poetic.”
Nicole frowned. “You know her?”
Alexander smiled thinly. “We’ve met.”
The air crackled with tension.
“Mr. Harlow, that’ll be all,” he said without breaking eye contact with me. “And Nicole—” his tone turned icy, “give us a minute.”
Nicole’s lips pressed into a thin line. She gave me one last daggered look before strutting out, slamming the door behind her.
Silence.
Alexander rose from his seat, the movement fluid and dangerous. He walked around his desk, each step measured, slow, deliberate.
I straightened my back, forcing calm.
“Miss Deluca,” he said, his voice low and teasing, “I must say, you have impeccable timing. First, you spill coffee on me and slap me in front of a crowd. Now, you walk right into my office… asking for a job.”
I swallowed hard. “I didn’t know this was your company.”
He smiled faintly, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. “Lucky me, then.”
I forced a breath. “If you’re here to fire me, at least let me work one day. I need this job.”
“Fire you?” He took another step closer, his cologne enveloping me clean, masculine, dizzying. “No, Miss Deluca. I’d rather keep you exactly where I can see you.”
My pulse jumped.
He leaned in, his lips dangerously close to my ear. “Consider this my version of… payback.”
A shiver ran down my spine before I could stop it.
He pulled back slightly, smirk still playing on his lips. “Welcome to Knight Enterprises, Miss Deluca. I hope you survive.”
He turned, walked back to his desk, and sat — casual, collected, like our entire exchange hadn’t just burned through the room.
I blinked, frozen in place.
“Are you planning to stand there all day?” he said dryly. “Or are you going to get out of my office and start working?”
I exhaled, muttering, “Yes, sir.”
As I turned to leave, his voice followed me, rich and taunting.
“Oh, and Arabella?”
I hesitated. “Yes?”
“Next time you decide to slap a man, make sure he’s not your boss.”
---
Later That Evening
Back at Sophie’s apartment, I dropped face-first onto the couch.
Daniel and Sophie sat across from me, both wide-eyed as I recounted the day.
“You mean Alexander Knight that Knight?” Daniel asked, rubbing his temple.
“The one and only,” I sighed. “And apparently, he’s my boss now.”
Sophie groaned. “Ella, I told you he’s dangerous! Why didn’t you just come work for Daniel instead?”
I smirked. “Because that would be too easy. And boring.”
Daniel chuckled. “You’ve got guts, Princess.”
“I’ve got bills,” I said dryly.
Sophie leaned forward. “Please, just be careful. Men like him… they don’t forgive easily.”
I met her gaze, determination hardening inside me. “Then I’ll just have to make him regret underestimating me.”
Outside, the city glimmered and somewhere across town, Alexander Knight was likely plotting the same thing.
Two worlds. Two egos. One collision course.
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