Chapter 353
Madison
My office felt like a sanctuary. The door closed behind me with a reassuring click. I collapsed into my chair, the reality of the situation crashing down around me.
Alexander was engaged to Katherine. And I was pregnant with his child.
I pulled out my phone, checking for messages from him. Nothing. I scrolled to our last text exchange, mundane and work–related, from days ago.
My finger hovered over the call button. No. This wasn’t a phone conversation. I needed to see his face when I
told him.
I strode toward Alexander’s office, but to my dismay, he still hadn’t arrived today either.
I threw myself into work. Hours passed in a blur of spreadsheets and phone calls. By mid–afternoon, my phone buzzed with a news alert: “Knight Industries Confirms CEO Engagement p>
The official press release was brief and corporate: “Knight Industries is pleased to announce the engagement of CEO Alexander Knight to Katherine Sinclair, founder of Sinclair Luxe. The couple requests privacy during this joyous time p>
I dropped my phone like it had burned me.
So it was real. It was official. Alexander Knight, the father of my unborn child, was marrying someone else.
My hand instinctively went to my still–flat stomach. “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid,” I whispered.
By 6 PM, I’d had enough. If Alexander wouldn’t come to me, I’d go to him.
The ride to his building passed in a blur of neon lights and honking taxis. I rehearsed what I’d say, how I’d tell him. Direct. Straightforward. No accusations, no emotions.
“Mr. Knight, I’m pregnant with your child. I thought you should know p>
The doorman recognized me. “Evening, Ms. Harper. Here to see Mr. Knight p>
“Yes, please p>
He frowned slightly. “I’m afraid Mr. Knight isn’t in p>
“That’s fine. I’ll wait for him upstairs p>
“Ma’am, he’s out of town. ”
I blinked. “Out of town p>
“Left this morning. Said he’d be gone a few days p>
My heart sank. “Did he mention where he was going p>
“No, ma’am. Would you like me to let him know you stopped by p>
“No, thank you. I’ll catch him when he returns p>
I walked out, the cool evening air a slap to my heated face. Out of town. Of course. Probably celebrating his engagement with Katherine somewhere exotic.
Back in my apartment, I paced the living room, Mom watching me with concerned eyes.
“Madison, you’re making me dizzy. What’s wrong p>
“Nothing,” I lied, then immediately felt guilty. “Work stress p>
“Is it Alexander? You two have a fight p>
I laughed bitterly. “You could say that p>
My phone felt heavy in my hand. I retreated to my bedroom and stared at Alexander’s contact information.
I typed: “We need to talk. It’s urgent. Please call me when you can p>
The message showed “Delivered” almost immediately.
Five minutes passed. Ten. My screen remained stubbornly silent.
“Fine,” I muttered, typing again. “Alexander, I’m pregnant. With your child. We really need to talk p>
Delivered. Read 9:47 PM.
No response.
My blood boiled. He read it and didn’t even have the decency to reply?
I hit call. It rang once, twice, three times, then went to voicemail.
“You’ve reached Alexander Knight. Leave a message p>
I hung up without speaking. What could I possibly say to his voicemail that I hadn’t already texted?
My phone remained silent all evening. I checked it obsessively, willing it to buzz with his response.
Nothing.
“Asshole,” I whispered, tears pricking my eyes. “Absolute fucking asshole p>
I crawled into bed early, exhaustion overtaking my anger. Tomorrow, I’ll figure out my next steps. Tonight, I’d allow myself to feel the full weight of disappointment.
Morning brought no clarity, just nausea. I rushed to the bathroom, emptying my stomach while Mom knocked worriedly on the door.
“Madison? Are you sick p>
“Just a stomach bug,” I called back, rinsing my mouth. “I’m fine p>
At work, I avoided the break room and its inevitable gossip about Alexander’s engagement. Instead, I holed up in my office, buried in paperwork.
Three days passed with no word from Alexander. No calls, no texts, no appearance at the office.
I checked my phone for the hundredth time that day. Nothing from Alexander, but a text from Mom asking what
I wanted for dinner.
“Whatever’s easy,” I replied.
I set my phone down and rubbed my temples. The headache that had been lurking all day was blooming into something fierce. At least work had provided some distraction from my personal disaster.
When I finally got home, I was greeted by the delicious smell of spaghetti that Mom had made for dinner.
“You look terrible,” she said, setting a plate in front of me.
“Thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear p>
Mom’s expression softened. “I’m worried about you, sweetheart. You’ve been off all week p>
I twirled pasta around my fork. “Just tired p>
“Is it Alexander? You two haven’t seen each other in a while p>
I stabbed a meatball with unnecessary force. “He’s been busy p>
“With what p>
My fork froze halfway to my mouth. Did she know about the engagement? Had she seen the news?
“Work stuff,” I mumbled.
She patted my hand. “Well, I’m sure he’ll call soon. That man looks at you like you hung the moon p>
I nearly choked. If only she knew.
After dinner, I retreated to my room, claiming a headache. It wasn’t a lie; my head was pounding in rhythm with my heartbeat.
I flopped onto my bed and stared at my silent phone. No new messages. No missed calls.
“He saw it,” I whispered to my empty room. “He definitely saw it p>
The text had been marked “read” almost immediately. There was no way Alexander had missed my pregnancy announcement. He was deliberately ignoring me.
“Bastard,” I hissed, tears welling up. “What kind of man ignores news like that p>
The answer was obvious: a man who was celebrating his engagement to another woman.
A sob escaped before I could stop it. I buried my face in my pillow, letting the tears flow freely.
All those nights together. All those moments when he’d looked at me like I was special. All lies.
“You’re an idiot, Madison,” I told myself between sobs. “A complete and total idiot p>
I’d broken the cardinal rule: don’t fall for your boss. Especially when that boss is Alexander Knight, who was notorious for getting what he wants and discarding what he no longer needs.
And now I was pregnant with his child while he was planning a wedding with Katherine Sinclair.
“Great job, Maddie. Really stellar life choices p>
I sat up and wiped my tears, trying to think rationally. What were my options?
Keep the baby? Terminate? Tell Alexander again? Corner him at the office?
“God, what a mess. What am I going to do?” I whispered, hand resting on my still–flat stomach. “What are we going to do p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.