The first time Lena Brooks saw Alexander Knight again, she was holding a rejection letter in one hand and a nearly empty bank notification in the other. It was not exactly how she had imagined their reunion. Actually, she had imagined several possibilities over the past three years. In some, she walked past him without looking back. In others, she told him exactly what she thought of him before leaving him standing speechless. But she had never imagined walking into his company to beg for a job. Life had a terrible sense of humour. "Lena, are you still there?" Her younger sister's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I'm here." "Did you get the job?" Lena stared at the glass entrance of Knight Global. "Not yet." "That's what you said yesterday." "And I'll probably say it tomorrow if these people keep rejecting me." Her sister sighed. "You promised we'd figure things out." "We will." Lena ended the call before her voice could betray how worried she was. She had promised to pay the rent by Friday. Her sister's school expenses were also waiting, and the small savings she had carefully protected were almost gone. She needed a job. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now. That was why she stood outside Knight Global, one of the biggest investment companies in the country. The position was for an executive assistant. The salary was more than enough to solve her immediate problems, and the benefits were better than anything she had seen in months. There was only one problem. The company's chairman and CEO was Alexander Knight. Three years ago, Alexander had been the person she trusted most. Then, without warning, he had walked away from her life and left her with questions she never received answers to. She had spent years convincing herself that she no longer cared. Today, she only needed him to sign a salary contract. That was all. Lena adjusted her handbag and entered the building. The reception area was enormous, with polished floors, expensive furniture, and employees who looked as though they had never worried about their next meal. She approached the reception desk. "Good morning. I'm here for the executive assistant interview." The receptionist checked her computer. "Name?" "Lena Brooks." The woman's fingers stopped moving. For a moment, she looked at Lena differently. "Please wait here." Lena frowned. "Is there a problem?" "No. Just a moment." The receptionist picked up the telephone and spoke quietly. Lena looked around. Something felt strange. A few minutes later, a woman in a fitted grey suit approached her. "Miss Brooks?" "Yes." "I'm Vanessa Cole, the head of human resources. Mr Knight would like to see you personally." Lena's stomach tightened. "Personally?" "Yes. Follow me, please." Of course. Because apparently, the universe had decided that a simple job interview was too easy. They entered the private elevator. Vanessa pressed the thirty-second floor. "Is the CEO interviewing all the candidates?" Lena asked. "Not usually." "Then I must be very special." Vanessa gave her a brief smile. "Mr Knight prefers to make certain decisions himself." The elevator doors opened. They walked through a quiet corridor before stopping in front of a large office. Vanessa knocked twice. "Come in," a deep voice answered. Lena knew that voice. She hated that she still recognised it immediately. The door opened. And there he was. Alexander Knight stood beside his desk, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his expression was as unreadable as she remembered. He looked older. More powerful. And just as impossible to approach. His eyes moved from Vanessa to Lena. For one brief second, something changed in his expression. Then it disappeared. "Leave us," he said. Vanessa nodded and closed the door behind her. Silence filled the office. Lena tightened her grip on her handbag. Alexander slowly returned to his desk. "Miss Brooks." She raised an eyebrow. "Mr Knight." He gestured towards the chair opposite him. "Sit." "I prefer standing." His eyes lifted. "Still difficult, I see." "And you're still fond of giving orders." A faint movement crossed his jaw. "Three years, Lena. And that's the first thing you say to me?" "What did you expect? A welcome-back party?" He said nothing. For a moment, she wondered whether he would ask about the past. Whether he would explain why he had disappeared from her life without a proper conversation. Instead, he opened a file. "Your application is impressive." "Thank you." "Five years of administrative experience. Excellent recommendations. Strong organisational skills." "I know what's on my résumé." His eyes returned to hers. "Then you know why you're here." "Yes. I'm here for the executive assistant position." "Do you know who you'll be working for?" Lena almost laughed. "Unfortunately, yes." Alexander leaned back. "I don't think this will work." Her heart sank, but she refused to let him see it. "Then we can save each other some time." She picked up her handbag. "Wait." She stopped. Alexander studied her for a moment. "Why did you apply here?" "Because your company is hiring, and I need a job." "You're telling me you couldn't find another company?" "I'm telling you I don't have the luxury of choosing employers based on old personal history." Something in his expression hardened. "Good. Because I don't intend to mix personal matters with business." "Neither do I." "Then we understand each other." He closed the file. "The position is yours." Lena stared at him. "What?" "Your appointment begins Monday. You'll report directly to me." She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or suspicious. "Why?" "Because you're qualified." "That's all?" "Would you prefer I rejected you?" "No. I would prefer to know what I'm agreeing to." Alexander stood. "You're agreeing to work for Knight Global. You'll manage my schedule, coordinate meetings, handle confidential correspondence, and assist with the acquisition we're currently negotiating." He paused. "The deal closes in six weeks. I need someone competent, discreet, and dependable." "And you think I'm that person?" "I wouldn't have offered you the position otherwise." Lena considered the offer. The salary could solve several problems. It could give her sister some stability and buy her enough time to rebuild her life. She couldn't afford to walk away because of a man who had already taken enough from her. "When do I sign?" "Monday morning. Vanessa will send you the contract." Lena turned towards the door. "One more thing, Miss Brooks." She looked back. "At this company, I expect professionalism. Whatever happened between us stays outside these walls." She held his gaze. "Don't worry, Mr. Knight. I'm not here to remember you." For the first time, his expression changed. Only slightly. But she noticed. "Good," he replied. Lena opened the door. She had almost reached the corridor when his voice stopped her again. "Lena." She turned. Alexander was watching her with an expression she couldn't understand. "Don't make me regret this decision." She gave him a small, humourless smile. "That's funny. I was about to tell you the same thing." Then she walked away. Inside the office, Alexander remained standing. His eyes fell on the application file. He had recognised her name the moment it appeared on his desk. He had also recognised the photograph. What he hadn't expected was for her to walk into his office looking at him as though he were a complete stranger. He picked up his telephone. "Vanessa?" "Yes, sir?" "Send me the final acquisition documents." "Immediately?" "Yes. And I want the background report on Lena Brooks updated." There was a brief silence. "Is there a problem with her appointment?" Alexander looked towards the closed office door. "I didn't say that." He ended the call. Across the city, Lena stepped into the afternoon sunlight and finally allowed herself to breathe. She had a job. She had a salary to look forward to. And she had absolutely no intention of falling for Alexander Knight again. Unfortunately, she had no idea that her new employer had already started looking into the one part of her life she had never wanted him to discover.

Monday morning arrived too quickly. Lena Brooks stood in front of her bedroom mirror, adjusting the collar of her cream blouse. She had spent twenty minutes deciding what to wear, not because she wanted to impress Alexander Knight, but because she refused to give him another reason to look down on her. Her phone vibrated on the bed. Maya: Are you awake? Lena: Unfortunately. Maya: First day at the billionaire's palace. How exciting! Lena: It's an office, Maya. Not a palace. Maya: Same thing. Does the office come with a swimming pool? Lena rolled her eyes. Lena: I haven't even entered the building. Maya: Just remember, you're there for the salary. Not the handsome boss. Lena stared at the message. Lena: He's not handsome. Maya: I didn't ask whether he was handsome. Lena dropped her phone onto the bed. Maya was going to be a problem. By 7:45 a.m., Lena arrived at Knight Global. She checked in with reception and received her identification card. A young woman from Human Resources escorted her to the executive floor. "Your desk is outside Mr. Knight's office," the woman explained. "You'll have access to his calendar, correspondence, and meeting schedules." "Understood." "There's also a confidentiality agreement in your employment package. Mr Knight takes company security very seriously." "That's reasonable." The woman handed her a folder. "Your contract, employee handbook, and access information." Lena thanked her and approached her new desk. It was spacious, modern, and equipped with two computer screens. For a moment, she felt proud. She had worked hard to build her career. She had applied to dozens of companies, attended interviews, and endured rejection after rejection. This opportunity mattered. She wasn't going to let her history with Alexander ruin it. She placed her handbag beside the desk and switched on the computer. At exactly 8:15, the office door opened. Alexander Knight stepped out. "You're early." Lena looked at the clock. "That's generally what happens when someone arrives before their boss." His eyes settled on her. "Do you always have an answer for everything?" "Only when people ask questions." He gave her a brief look before handing her a folder. "These are today's priorities." Lena opened it. There were three scheduled meetings, two conference calls, several pending approvals, and a stack of documents that needed reviewing. She looked up. "Is this everything?" "For now." "For now?" "Is there a problem?" "No. I'm just trying to determine whether you hired an assistant or an entire department." Alexander's expression remained serious. "Can you handle it?" "Yes." "Good. I have a meeting in twenty minutes. Make sure the board members have the revised presentation." Lena glanced at the folder. "The presentation attached to this email?" "Yes." She checked the document. "Mr. Knight, this is the old version." He stopped. "What?" "The financial projections are from last week. You said the revised presentation." Alexander returned to her desk. "Who sent this?" "Your office." "Then find out why the wrong document was uploaded." Lena examined the email trail. "There's another attachment here." She opened it and compared the figures. "This one has the updated projections." Alexander leaned slightly towards the screen. "Send that one to the board." "I'll do that." He returned to his office. Lena shook her head. Her first twenty minutes were already more complicated than expected. At 9:00 a.m., Alexander entered the conference room. Lena followed with the presentation documents and took a seat near the door. The meeting began with discussions about the acquisition. The company Knight Global intended to acquire was called Sterling Holdings. The deal was expected to expand Knight Global's international operations, but the negotiations had become increasingly difficult. One board member questioned the projected expenses. Another raised concerns about the acquisition's financial records. Alexander listened without interrupting. Then he turned towards Lena. "Miss Brooks, the updated report." She immediately handed him the correct document. He scanned the figures. "These numbers don't match the previous report." A man sitting opposite him frowned. "That is precisely what we've been trying to establish." Alexander looked at the financial director. "Explain." The director cleared his throat. "We're still investigating the discrepancy." "How long have you been investigating?" "Three days." Alexander closed the folder. "You have until tomorrow morning." The room became quiet. Lena watched him carefully. He was not the man she remembered in every respect. The Alexander she had known could be stubborn, but the man sitting at the head of the conference table was something else entirely. He commanded attention without raising his voice. And everyone seemed aware that disappointing him came with consequences. The meeting continued for another thirty minutes. When it ended, Alexander remained behind. "Miss Brooks." Lena turned. "Yes?" "Where did you find the updated report?" "In the email attachments." "Who sent it?" "Your financial department." "Find out who authorised the previous version." She nodded. "Anything else?" "Yes. Arrange a meeting with the legal team for tomorrow morning." "What time?" "Eight." Lena looked at him. "Eight in the morning?" "Is there a problem?" "No. I was just checking whether the building opens that early." Alexander stared at her. She offered a professional smile. "Eight o'clock. Understood." Back at her desk, Lena began making the arrangements. She contacted the legal department, updated the calendar, and sent the necessary correspondence. By lunchtime, she had completed most of her morning assignments. She was reaching for her lunch when Alexander's office door opened. "Miss Brooks." She looked up. "Yes, Mr. Knight?" "Come inside." She put her lunch aside and followed him. He stood behind his desk, holding a printed document. "Did you prepare this?" Lena examined it. "Yes. It's the revised meeting schedule." "Why did you move my appointment with the European investors?" "Because you scheduled two meetings at the same time." "I didn't ask you to move it." "You asked me to organise your schedule." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Without changing important appointments." Lena folded her arms. "Then perhaps you should avoid scheduling two important appointments at once." Silence. She immediately wondered whether she had gone too far. Alexander placed the document on his desk. "Next time, consult me before making changes." "Understood." "That will be all." Lena turned towards the door. "Miss Brooks." She stopped again. "Do you have a problem working for me?" She faced him. "No." "Then why does every conversation feel like an argument?" "Perhaps because every conversation feels like an interrogation." For a moment, neither spoke. Then Alexander looked away. "Get back to work." Lena left his office. She returned to her desk and finally opened her lunch. Her phone vibrated. Maya: How's the billionaire treating you? Lena typed quickly. Lena: Like a man who thinks the entire world is his personal assistant. Maya: So nothing has changed? Lena almost laughed. Lena: Apparently not. She put the phone away and continued eating. Inside his office, Alexander stood beside the window, looking over the city. His attention returned to the acquisition report on his desk. One particular entry had been bothering him since the meeting. A financial transfer had been authorised under a name he did not recognise. The transaction was connected to Sterling Holdings, but the supporting documents were missing. He picked up his phone. "Get me the internal audit team." After ending the call, he looked through the glass wall separating his office from Lena's desk. She was concentrating on her computer, completely unaware of the investigation beginning inside his office. He had hired her because she was qualified. At least, that was what he kept telling himself. But the appearance of Lena Brooks at Knight Global had complicated matters he had spent three years trying to keep separate. And now, with the acquisition only six weeks away, he couldn't afford distractions. Especially not her.

By Tuesday morning, Lena Brooks had discovered three things about working for Alexander Knight. First, the man barely took breaks. Second, he expected everyone around him to operate at the same speed he did. And third, he somehow managed to make a simple request sound like a warning. She stared at the list of tasks on her computer. "Does this man ever sleep?" she muttered. "Are you talking to yourself?" Lena looked up. Vanessa Cole stood beside her desk, holding a tablet. "Just thinking aloud." "About Mr Knight?" "About my workload." Vanessa smiled knowingly. "You'll get used to him." "That's what I'm afraid of." Before Vanessa could respond, Alexander's office door opened. "Miss Brooks. I need the Sterling documents." Lena immediately straightened. "They're ready." "Bring them." She gathered the files and followed him inside. Alexander was standing behind his desk, reading something on his laptop. "Close the door." She did. He pointed towards the chair. "Sit." Lena placed the documents on his desk. "Is this another meeting where I discover that something has gone wrong?" "You're unusually talkative this morning." "I'm unusually busy." He ignored the comment and opened the first folder. "I need you to review these records against yesterday's financial report." Lena frowned. "Am I supposed to check the figures?" "Yes." "All of them?" "Is there a reason you can't?" "No. I was simply hoping my new job description didn't secretly include becoming an accountant." Alexander finally looked at her. "Can you do it?" "Yes, Mr Knight." "Then start." Lena opened the folder. The first few pages contained ordinary financial information. She checked the dates, amounts, and authorisation signatures. Everything appeared normal. Until she reached the final section. She stopped. "Something's wrong." Alexander looked up. "What?" "This transfer." She turned the document towards him. "According to this report, Sterling Holdings authorised a payment to a company called Northbridge Consulting." "Yes. We saw that yesterday." "But the payment doesn't appear in the supporting transaction records." Alexander took the document. "Are you certain?" "I checked twice." He studied the figures. "Continue." Lena examined the next page. "There's something else. The authorisation number is identical to the one on another transaction." Alexander's expression changed. "Show me." She pointed to the second entry. "These payments were supposedly authorised on different dates, but they carry the same reference number." He picked up his telephone. "Get Daniel from internal audit into my office. Now." After ending the call, he returned his attention to Lena. "Did you tell anyone about this?" "No." "Good. Don't." She frowned. "Why?" "Because we don't know whether this is an administrative mistake or something more serious." Lena leaned back. "You're suggesting someone inside the company could be involved?" "I'm suggesting that we shouldn't make assumptions." Before she could respond, someone knocked. "Come in." A man in his early thirties entered carrying a laptop. "Sir, you wanted to see me?" "Daniel, meet Lena Brooks. My new executive assistant." Daniel nodded politely. "Nice to meet you." "You too." Alexander handed him the documents. "I want a complete review of these transactions. Check every authorisation connected to Northbridge Consulting." Daniel examined the first page. His expression became serious. "I'll look into it." "How long?" "Give me until tomorrow afternoon." "You have until tomorrow morning." Daniel nodded. "Understood." He left with the documents. Lena remained seated. "Anything else?" she asked. Alexander looked at her. "Not yet." She stood. "Then I'll get back to work." "Lena." Her hand paused on the door handle. It was the first time he had used her first name since she returned. She turned. "Yes?" "Good catch." The words were simple, but they surprised her. "Thank you." She left before he could say anything else. For the rest of the morning, Lena concentrated on her responsibilities. She arranged a meeting with the legal department, confirmed Alexander's afternoon appointments, and prepared the documents required for an investor call. At lunchtime, she finally escaped to the staff cafeteria. She had barely sat down when Maya called. "Tell me everything." Lena opened her food container. "There's nothing to tell." "You're working for Alexander Knight. There must be something." "He's still annoying." "That's not news." Lena laughed. "He's also investigating some suspicious financial transactions connected to an acquisition." Maya went quiet. "That sounds serious." "It is. Apparently, some records don't match." "Please tell me you're not getting involved in billionaire scandals." "I'm an assistant, Maya. Not a detective." "Good. Stay that way." Lena smiled. "I'll try." When she returned to the executive floor, a woman was waiting beside her desk. She was elegantly dressed, with long dark hair and an expensive handbag. "Can I help you?" Lena asked. The woman looked her over. "I'm looking for Alexander." "Do you have an appointment?" The woman gave a small laugh. "I don't need one." Lena maintained her professional expression. "I'm afraid he's currently in a meeting." "Tell him Victoria Hayes is here." Lena checked the schedule. There was no appointment under that name. "I'll inform him you're waiting." Victoria's eyes briefly moved to Lena's identification card. "You're the new assistant?" "Yes." "Interesting." Lena wasn't sure what to make of her tone. Before she could ask anything, Alexander's office door opened. He stepped out. "Victoria." The woman immediately smiled. "Alexander." He looked towards Lena. "Clear my next fifteen minutes." Lena nodded. Victoria walked past her and entered his office. The door closed. Lena returned to her computer. She had no reason to be interested in the visitor. None whatsoever. Still, she couldn't help noticing that Alexander hadn't looked particularly pleased to see her. A few minutes later, Vanessa approached. "That was Victoria Hayes." Lena continued typing. "Should I know her?" "She's the daughter of the chairman of Hayes Corporation. Their family has been connected to Knight Global for years." "Business partners?" "Something like that." Vanessa paused. "Just be careful around her." Lena looked up. "Why?" Vanessa gave her a small smile. "You'll understand eventually." That was becoming an irritating habit around this building. Everyone seemed to know something she didn't. At 5:40 p.m., most employees had begun leaving. Lena was finishing the final entries on Alexander's schedule when her computer received an email. The subject line caught her attention. URGENT: STERLING ACQUISITION – REVISED DOCUMENTS She opened it. There were several attachments, including a spreadsheet containing the latest transaction records. Lena checked the sender. It came from the finance department. She downloaded the document and began comparing the entries with the records she had reviewed earlier. Then she noticed something. The Northbridge Consulting payment was gone. Not corrected. Not explained. Gone. She checked the previous version. The transaction had been there. Now it had disappeared completely. Lena leaned closer to the screen. "That's strange." "What's strange?" She almost jumped. Alexander stood beside her desk. "I thought you had left," she said. "I came back for a file." She pointed at the screen. "The finance department sent a revised report." "And?" "The Northbridge transaction has disappeared." His expression became unreadable. "Show me." She opened both versions. Alexander studied them in silence. "Who sent this?" "The finance department." "Forward it to me." Lena did. He opened the email on his phone. "Don't delete either version." "I wasn't planning to." "Keep copies of the original attachments." "Already done." He looked at her. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then he said, "You did well." Lena raised an eyebrow. "Is that becoming a regular occurrence?" "What?" "You're complimenting my work." "Don't get used to it." She laughed softly. "Wouldn't dream of it." Alexander almost smiled. Almost. Then his phone rang. He checked the screen and answered. "Yes?" Lena returned to her computer, giving him privacy. She couldn't hear the entire conversation, but one sentence made her pause. "No. Nobody outside this office should know about the missing transaction." Alexander ended the call. "Lena." She turned. "Yes?" "Tomorrow, I want you in my office at seven-thirty." She stared at him. "Seven-thirty?" "We have work to do." "Of course we do." He picked up his jacket. "And Lena?" "Yes?" "Whatever you discover about the Sterling documents, bring it directly to me." Her expression became serious. "Understood." Alexander walked towards the elevator. Lena looked back at her computer. She had accepted this job because she needed money. She had expected difficult schedules, demanding meetings, and an impatient billionaire boss. She hadn't expected to find herself working in the middle of a financial investigation. And she certainly hadn't expected Alexander Knight to trust her with something he was clearly keeping from everyone else. For the first time since Monday, Lena wondered whether accepting the job had been a mistake. Then her phone vibrated. It was an email notification from an unknown sender. There was no greeting. No explanation. Just one sentence. Stay away from the Sterling acquisition if you know what's good for you. Lena stared at the screen. A second later, the email disappeared.