Chapter 13: Whispers in the Hallway

For the first time since she started at Knight Enterprises, Lena dreaded coming to work.

She walked through the lobby with her shoulders tense, feeling unseen eyes tracking her every step. Maybe it was paranoia… or maybe it was the anonymous note still burned into her memory.

Watch your assistant. She’s getting too close.

Every word replayed like a warning.

When she reached her desk, she noticed something unusual — the subtle shift of people whispering. Two employees from Marketing glanced at her, leaned in, whispered something behind their hands… then looked away when they saw her staring.

Her stomach dropped.

Something was happening.

She tried to focus on her emails, but the unsettling feeling only grew. Every time she heard footsteps, her body stiffened, expecting confrontation — or worse, discovery.

At 10:15, Victoria walked by. She didn’t stop. She didn’t speak.

But she smirked.

A slow, knowing smirk that confirmed everything Lena feared.

Alexander called her in just before lunch.

The moment she stepped inside, he closed the door — quietly, but with purpose.

“You’ve seen it,” he said.

Lena blinked. “Seen what?”

He sighed and ran a hand across his jaw. “People talking. Staring. Whispering.”

Her heart sank. “So it’s not just me imagining it.”

“No,” he admitted. “Something is spreading.”

“Because of us?” she whispered.

“Because someone wants it to look like something is happening,” he corrected. “Even if nothing actually did.”

But something did happen.

The kiss. The confession. The feelings they could no longer deny.

She swallowed hard. “What do we do?”

“We stay professional,” he said firmly. “No closed doors. No staying late together. No moments someone could twist.”

His words stabbed deeper than she expected.

“Is that what you want?” Lena asked quietly.

Alexander stepped closer, lowering his voice. “What I want and what I need to protect you are two different things.”

His eyes held so much tension — fear, desire, frustration all tangled together.

Before she could respond, a knock interrupted them.

“Come in,” he said, masking his voice instantly.

Jamie from HR stepped in, holding a tablet. Her expression was cheerful, but her eyes flicked between them too quickly.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “Just need your signature, Mr. Knight.”

He nodded, signing swiftly.

Jamie smiled at Lena as she turned to leave.

But it wasn’t a normal smile.

It was tight. Curious.

Suspicious.

Lena’s stomach twisted.

When Jamie left, Alexander exhaled slowly. “Exactly what I feared.”

“You think Jamie suspects something?”

“I think the whole floor does,” he said. “Someone is feeding them stories.”

Her chest felt tight. “Victoria?”

His silence was answer enough.

Alex moved closer, lowering his tone. “Lena, listen to me. We have to be smart. They want a reaction — something that confirms their gossip. We cannot give them that.”

She nodded, though fear and frustration warred inside her. “But what if this ruins my job? My career?”

“It won’t,” he said, voice firm. “I won’t let it.”

His confidence should have soothed her — but the tension outside his office door made it hard to believe.

During lunch, Lena sat alone in the cafeteria. The room buzzed with low conversations, but she could feel eyes on her, small looks, whispered comments that stopped when she glanced up.

She pushed her food around her plate, appetite gone.

Then someone sat across from her.

Victoria.

Her perfume arrived before her voice — expensive, sharp, intentionally intimidating.

“You seem tense,” Victoria said smoothly. “Long morning?”

Lena didn’t answer.

Victoria leaned in slightly. “You know, people notice things in this building. Especially when someone becomes… close… to the boss.”

Lena felt her pulse spike. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Victoria smiled. “Oh, Lena. You’re sweet. But don’t insult me.”

Her voice dropped, silk hiding steel.

“I know something is going on. And if I know… others will too.”

Lena’s breath hitched. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because,” Victoria whispered, “Alexander Knight is a powerful man. But power attracts enemies. And the moment you stand too close to him… you become a target too.”

Lena’s entire body went cold.

Victoria stood and straightened her dress. “Be careful, Lena. Secrets in this building don’t stay secrets for long.”

She walked away, leaving Lena staring at her untouched lunch, heart thundering with fear.

She didn’t know it yet, but the storm had only begun.