Chapter 183
Chapter 188
Madison
I blinked, reading the message again. What?
Hazel: Your boyfriend/boss is cheating on you.
He’s not my boyfriend, I thought reflexively. Well, technically, he was on paper, but not in the way Hazel meant. Our arrangement was strictly contractual, a business deal with benefits.
I typed back quickly.
Me: What are you talking about?
Three dots appeared immediately. Hazel must have been waiting for my response.
“See for yourself,” she replied, followed by a link to what appeared to be another gossip article.
My stomach tightened. This was becoming a pattern. Hazel sending me tabloid garbage about CEOS and their assistants. Last time, it had been that ridiculous story about Alexander and Penelope from Accounting. What nonsense had she dug up now?
I clicked the link, half-expecting another poorly photoshopped image of Alexander with some random Knight Industries employee. Instead, the headline screamed: “KNIGHT IN SHINING
ARMOR? BILLIONAIRE CEO ALEXANDER KNIGHT SPOTTED WITH BEAUTY MOGUL SCARLETT
REYNOLDS p>
My eyes widened as I scrolled down to see a photo of Alexander and Scarlett leaving what appeared to be an upscale restaurant. His hand rested on the small of her back as they stepped onto the sidewalk, both dressed impeccably.
I scrolled through the article, which was filled with the usual speculation and innuendo. “Sources close to the pair suggest this isn’t their first private dinner,” one line read. Another claimed they had
‘a long history” and were “rekindling an old flame p>
Was this recent? Or just some old photo being recycled for clicks?
Me: This is just another bullshit article. How do you even find these things?
Hazel: Girl, I have connections! There are like five different gossip groups I’m in. Remember those Discord servers I kept inviting you to join? The ones you said were ‘a waste of time’? That’s where all the good tea gets spilled first!
Me: You spend way too much time on celebrity gossip.
Hazel: And you spend too much time on your knees under Alexander Knight’s desk, so we all have
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our hobbies! Some of us read gossip, others suck billionaire cock. Different strokes!
I nearly choked on air, quickly checking to make sure no one around me could see my phone screen.
Me: HAZEL! I’m at WORK! And that is NOT what’s happening!
Hazel: Sure, Madison. Just like he’s not cheating on you with Miss Beauty Queen. Open your eyes, girl! You deserve better than some rich playboy who can’t keep it in his pants for five minutes.
Me: It’s probably an old photo. They could just be friends or business partners.
Hazel: Friends? With his hand practically glued to her ass? Zoom in on the third pic. That’s not a business meeting” hand placement.
I reluctantly scrolled to the third image and zoomed in. Alexander’s hand was indeed placed low on Scarlett’s back, though not quite on her ass. Still, it was intimate enough to make my stomach clench uncomfortably.
Me: It’s on her lower back, not her ass. And these gossip sites exaggerate everything for clicks.
Hazel: OMG, you’re so naive! Just ZOOM IN! Are you telling me you believe this is just a “business meeting”? Do you really think your boyfriend is meeting the hottest beauty mogul for BUSINESS? Girl, wake up!
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. Hazel could be exhausting sometimes.
Me: I’ll just ask him about it, okay? It’s probably nothing.
Hazel: I need every detail afterward. Word for word!
Me: I’m sure there’s an explanation. The article will probably be taken down soon anyway.
Hazel: Girl, no! Don’t tell him you saw it! Catch him in the lie first. Men always lie when confronted directly.
Me: That’s not how healthy relationships work.
Hazel: This is ALEXANDER KNIGHT we’re talking about. The man changes women faster than I change my profile pic!
My stomach twisted uncomfortably. She wasn’t entirely wrong.
Hazel: Listen to me. If that billionaire playboy is cheating on my best friend, he’s DEAD. I will literally murder him today. I know people.
Me: You don’t “know people,” Hazel. The closest you’ve come to organized crime is binge-watching The Sopranos.
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Hazel: Don’t underestimate me! I dated that bouncer from Velvet for about two weeks. He has
connections.
Me: Please don’t murder my boss. I’ll ask him about it and let you know what he says.
Hazel: Fine, but I want DETAILS. And if he’s lying, I’m bringing my baseball bat to his office.
Me: You don’t own a baseball bat.
Hazel: I’ll buy one! Special delivery for Mr. Cheating CEO!
I put my phone down, exhaling slowly. The article was probably nothing. Just another gossip piece designed to get clicks.
But that hand placement…
I glanced toward Alexander’s office, where he was still on a call. Could I really just walk in and ask him if he was seeing Scarlett Reynolds on the side? What would I even say? “Hey, by the way, are you sleeping with Scarlett while also contractually sleeping with me p>
My phone buzzed again.
Hazel: STILL WAITING. Did you ask him yet p>
Me: He’s on a call. I’ll talk to him when he’s free.
Hazel: That’s fine, but don’t chicken out! Remember: you deserve better than being someone’s
sidekick!
I set my phone face down on my desk. This was ridiculous. I wasn’t jealous. I couldn’t be jealous. Our relationship wasn’t real. It was a business arrangement with very specific terms.
Terms that included exclusivity.
If Alexander was seeing Scarlett, he was in breach of contract. Which meant…
I’d get the money for breach of contract, a hefty sum that would more than cover my expenses for the next few years.
The thought should have filled me with relief. Instead, my stomach twisted uncomfortably. I didn’t
want our arrangement to end. Not because of the sex but because p>
I shut down that train of thought immediately. This wasn’t about feelings. This was about a contract. Alexander and I had a business arrangement, nothing more. If he was seeing Scarlett on the side, that was a breach of contract, plain and simple.
“Are you chatting instead of focusing on your work during office hours p>
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Alexander’s voice startled me so badly that I nearly dropped my phone. He stood beside my desk, one eyebrow raised as he glanced at my screen.
“I’m not chatting,” I replied quickly, locking my phone screen. “It’s actually related to you p>
His eyebrow arched higher. “Oh? Do tell p>
Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.