Chapter3
1031 Words
My pulse hasn’t slowed since yesterday. Grayson Knight.
Even now, his name sent an uneasy tremor through me. His presence had been like a whisper in my bones, something familiar yet just out of reach, like a word stuck on the tip of my tongue.
How had I missed it before?
“Mommy, can I have some juice?”
Eli’s small voice snapped me back to reality.
I turned to see him sitting cross-legged on the floor, crayons scattered around him. His little brows were furrowed as he focused on coloring within the lines, his whole world unbothered by the storm unraveling inside me.
“Of course, sweetheart,” I said, shaking off the unease.
I moved into the kitchen, grabbed a juice box, and handed it to him. But as I did, my mind drifted back to Grayson. His cold stare. The flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. The way he had looked at me, not just with curiosity, but with something deeper—something unsettling.
Then came the sharp chime of the doorbell.
I flinched.
Eli barely looked up. “Someone’s here, Mommy.”
“I know, baby.” My voice was steadier than I felt.
I smoothed my hands over my clothes and walked to the door, exhaling as I pulled it open.
A delivery man stood there, holding a large envelope.
“Lily Hayes?”
“That’s me.”
He handed it over with a polite nod before disappearing down the hallway. I shut the door, my fingers tightening around the envelope as I saw the sender’s name.
Grayson Knight.
The air in my lungs stilled.
I tore it open, pulling out an official letter stamped with the Sapphire Group’s emblem. My eyes darted over the words, heart hammering at the sentence:
*We are pleased to offer you the position of executive secretary to the CEO, Mr. Grayson Knight.*
The paper trembled slightly in my grip.
Why me? Why now?
“Mommy?”
I looked down to see Eli watching me with wide, curious eyes. “Is that good news?”
I swallowed hard and crouched beside him, brushing my fingers through his soft curls. I didn’t want him to see my hesitation.
“Yes, sweetheart,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s really good news.”
His face brightened. “Does that mean you get to work with the big boss man?”
The big boss man.
A chill ran down my spine.
I exhaled, ruffling his hair. “Something like that.”
---
Hours later, I stood in front of Sapphire Group headquarters, staring up at the glass and steel that reflected the late afternoon sun.
This was supposed to be a step forward. A career-defining moment. But deep down, something felt off.
I drew in a breath and walked through the towering glass doors, my heels clicking against the polished marble floor. The elevator ride was silent, but the tension in my chest grew with every passing second.
Finally, the doors slid open.
The office was sleek, modern—a reflection of the man who owned it. The walls were lined with minimalistic art, and the open spaces felt almost sterile, as though everything had been designed for perfection. And there he was.
Grayson stood behind his desk, his back to me, gazing out over the city skyline. His posture was relaxed, but something in the air felt charged, thick with unspoken words. He hadn’t heard me come in.
“Miss Hayes.”
His voice was smooth, controlled—dangerous in its calmness.
“You’re here.”
I forced my shoulders back. “Yes, Mr. Knight.”
Slowly, he turned.
His blue eyes locked onto mine.
A flicker of something flashed in them—recognition, maybe?—before it vanished behind an unreadable mask.
A slow, calculated smile curved his lips as he extended his hand. “Welcome.”
I hesitated a fraction too long before shaking it. His grip was firm, warm—but restrained.
“I’ve been looking forward to working with you.”
I swallowed. “Have you?”
His eyes darkened slightly.
Something about the way he studied me made my skin prickle.
“I don’t hire people I don’t believe in.” His voice was steady, but his gaze never wavered. “You impressed the hiring board. You were an easy choice.”
I almost laughed. An easy choice?
“Is that so?” I murmured.
His lips pressed together as if amused by my defiance. A moment of silence stretched between us, thick and almost suffocating. He had a way of filling the space with his presence, even when he wasn’t saying anything at all.
Then, softly—almost too softly—he said, “Tell me, Miss Hayes… Do you believe in fate?”
The question threw me off balance.
I blinked, gripping the folder in my hands. “Fate?”
He leaned back against his desk, folding his arms. “Some people think everything happens for a reason. That paths cross when they’re meant to.”
My stomach twisted.
Was he implying something?
“I believe people make their own choices,” I said carefully. “Not everything is written in stone.”
Grayson tilted his head slightly, considering my answer.
Then, in that maddeningly smooth voice, he said, “Maybe. Or maybe some things are inevitable.”
A shiver traced down my spine.
His gaze lingered a second too long before he gestured toward the chair across from him.
“Sit,” he said, his tone shifting into something more formal. “We have a lot to discuss.”
I hesitated before lowering myself into the chair, my pulse still uneven. The quiet tension between us felt almost unbearable, like we were standing on the edge of something we couldn’t see. Something I didn’t want to acknowledge.
I had walked away from Grayson Knight five years ago, but here I was, sitting in his office, about to dive into whatever this was—this unfinished business.
And deep down, I knew that I wasn’t walking away from him again. Not this time.
The question was, could I survive it? Could I survive *him*?
- Writer
