Late nights
1248 Words
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*CHAPTER EIGHT: LATE NIGHTS*
The rain had stopped by morning, leaving the Knight estate gardens glistening beneath the weak sunlight that filtered through heavy, gray clouds. Water droplets clung to the rose petals and slid down the marble balcony railing in slow, deliberate trails.
Amelia stood barefoot on the cold stone, arms wrapped around herself, replaying the previous night in her mind on a loop.
_You don't have to carry everything alone._
She had meant every word. The words had slipped out before she could think, in the quiet of Ethan's study at 2:17am. He had been hunched over financial reports, a cold cup of coffee forgotten beside him.
Ethan Knight was the most feared man in the city. Cold. Calculating. The CEO who could end careers with a single email.
But last night, he hadn't looked like that man.
For the first time since their arranged marriage three months ago, she saw the cracks in his armor. The way his shoulders slumped when he thought no one was watching. The way his voice softened, rough with exhaustion, when he said "Thank you" for the tea she brought.
He had looked... human.
A soft knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts.
"Good morning, Mrs. Knight," Mrs. Brooks said, pushing the door open with a warm smile and a silver breakfast tray. The smell of coffee and pastries drifted in. "Mr. Knight asked if you'd join him for breakfast before heading to the office."
Amelia blinked, surprised. Breakfast. Together. That was new. In three months, they had never once eaten together before 9am.
"I'll be right down," she said, smoothing down the pale blue dress she had chosen without thinking. "Thank you, Mrs. Brooks."
---
The Knight Holdings lobby was chaos by 8:30am.
Employees rushed past carrying binders and laptops and steaming coffee, heels clicking against the black marble. The quarterly board meeting was today and you could feel the stress vibrating in the air.
As the elevator doors slid open on the 40th floor, every conversation died instantly.
"Good morning, Mr. Knight."
"Good morning, Mrs. Knight."
Ethan nodded once. Sharp. Professional. His face was the same mask he wore to intimidate competitors. But his hand brushed against Amelia's lower back as they walked into the corridor. Just for a second. Just long enough for her to feel it.
In his office, he was already on the phone, tie perfect, suit jacket on. But there were shadows under his eyes that no amount of money could hide.
"I may be tied up in meetings most of the day," he said after hanging up. He still wouldn't look at her. "The board will need me."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Amelia asked, trying to keep her voice light. "Sit here and stare at the walls?"
He paused. His jaw ticked. Then he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a visitor's pass. Gold. With her name embossed on it: _Amelia Knight_.
"Explore," he said simply, pressing it into her palm. His fingers were cool against hers. "The building is yours too. Go to legal. Go to R&D. Talk to people."
She laughed, genuinely surprised. "You trust me with your company?"
His eyes finally met hers. Dark. Serious. Unreadable.
"I trust you."
Those three words lingered in her mind long after he walked away, leaving behind the faint scent of his cologne and coffee.
---
By 6pm, most employees had gone home.
The executive floor was almost silent. Only the hum of the AC and the distant traffic 40 stories below.
Amelia wandered into Ethan's office carrying two cups of coffee. Black for him. One sugar for her. She had learned that in week one.
She found him surrounded by paperwork, his tie loosened and the top button of his shirt undone. His glasses were on. He only wore those when he was too tired to care who saw.
He looked exhausted.
"You've been working all day," she said softly.
"And most of the night, if I'm honest," he replied without looking up. "Board meeting is tomorrow."
She placed a mug beside him, careful not to touch the contracts. "You need a break."
"I need another five hours."
She crossed her arms. "That's not happening."
He looked up then, with amused surprise. Like she had surprised him.
"Is that an order, Mrs. Knight?"
"Absolutely."
For a moment, they simply looked at each other. The city lights behind him made a halo around his head.
Then Ethan sighed and closed the laptop. "You win."
---
They walked onto the rooftop terrace overlooking the city.
The skyline glittered beneath the stars, and a cool breeze carried the sounds of distant traffic and sirens. It was beautiful and lonely all at once.
"It's beautiful up here," Amelia whispered.
"I come here when I need to think," Ethan said. He leaned against the railing, hands in his pockets.
"Or when you're avoiding sleep?"
He smiled. It was small, but it was real. "A little of both."
She leaned against the railing beside him. "When you were a child, what did you want to be?"
He looked genuinely surprised. "No one has ever asked me that."
"So?"
"A pilot," he said quietly. "I wanted to fly airplanes."
She laughed softly. "The ruthless CEO wanted to fly airplanes?"
"My grandfather said I spent more time looking at the sky than at my homework." He glanced at her. "What about you?"
"I wanted to open a children's library," she said. "I loved books. They made me believe every ending could be happy."
Ethan watched her for a long moment. "I hope yours is."
Their eyes met. The silence between them felt warm instead of awkward. For the first time, it didn't feel like an arrangement.
---
As they returned to the office, the lights suddenly went out.
Everything went dark.
Amelia gasped. "The power?"
"It happens sometimes during storms," Ethan said, his voice steady. "Backup generator takes 30 seconds."
Before she could take another step, she stumbled over the edge of a rug.
Ethan caught her before she fell. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her against him.
Her hands rested against his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart. It was fast.
Neither of them moved.
Emergency lights flickered on, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.
Amelia slowly looked up.
Ethan was already looking at her.
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes. For one suspended moment, the air between them crackled.
It seemed like he might kiss her.
Instead, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face with his thumb. His touch was feather light.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded, her voice barely audible. "Yes."
Reluctantly, he let her go. The space between them suddenly felt cold.
---
Neither of them noticed the tiny camera hidden in the corner of Ethan's office.
Its red light blinked once.
Then turned off.
Miles away, inside a dark apartment, a man replayed the footage on a computer screen. He zoomed in on Ethan's hand on Amelia's waist.
He smiled as he watched Ethan catch her in his arms.
"So the great Ethan Knight has finally found someone he cares about."
He reached for his phone.
"It's time to make our next move."
Outside the apartment, thunder rumbled across the city.
And for Ethan and Amelia, the storm was only beginning.
---
- Writer
