Chapter 4

Knoxx leaned back against the sofa, not even fazed by my sudden statement. Instead, he slowly placed the book he was holding on the center table while his other hand played with the platinum card I had thrown at him.

His dark eyes flicked from the card up to my face. The sheer intensity of his eyes was enough to make my breath hitch, but I forced myself to hold it. I couldn't show any weakness now, especially with Ayc beside me, literally holding her breath.

"Break up with her?" Knoxx repeated, his deep, baritone voice sounding amused. A restrained, m0cking smirk appeared on his lips. "And why would I do that, Kathryn? Your mother loves me. And as you can see, I can provide her with the life she wants. I love your mother."

I wanted to grimace. Love? Why did I feel like he didn't? Like he was hiding something?

"Don't Kathryn-Kathryn me, Knoxx. We both know what kind of man you are," I answered boldly, even though I was extremely nervous inside. I leaned back against the sofa too and placed my feet on the table, trying to look casual and defiant in front of him. "Mommy falls in love too quickly. She's just blinded by your wealth and your looks. But me? You can't fool me."

His gaze dropped to my position, to my tight, faded denim shorts and the thin crop top I had put on earlier before Ayc and I went to the bar.

I felt my skin slowly heat under the way his eyes moved over me, as if he were reading every reaction of my body.

"Is that so?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The collar of his black polo shirt parted slightly, enough for me to see his muscular chest. "You sound so sure of my intentions, darling. Are you jealous? Or maybe... you're just afraid you'll have to call me 'Daddy' every night?"

Ayc almost choked on her own saliva when she heard that. I looked at my friend, who was now bright red. I should have sent her upstairs first.

"In your dreams, Professor Madrigal," I hissed, although the word 'Daddy' left a strange feeling deep inside me. "Do whatever you want, but I assure you, your wedding isn't going to happen."

"I'd like to see you try," he challenged, before turning to Ayc as if he had only just noticed her. "Ms. Ramirez. Good to see you. I assume you'll be staying for the night?"

"A-Ah... yes, Sir Knoxx! Hello, Sir! Hehe, Kath and I are going to bond in her room," Ayc answered almost stammering, as if she had suddenly turned back into a flustered college student.

"Make yourself comfortable. The guest rooms are always open, but since you prefer Kathryn's room, go ahead," Knoxx said formally, but his eyes returned to me. "Go upstairs first. I just have some papers to finish here in the living room."

I didn't answer him anymore. I stood up and pulled Ayc upstairs to the second floor of the house. I could feel Knoxx's gaze following my back until we entered my room and locked the door.

"Fvck, Kath! Fvcking hell!" Ayc immediately squealed once she was sure the door was closed. She threw herself to my bed and rolled around. "He's so hot! Sir Knoxx hasn't changed at all! How did you manage not to review him on the sofa earlier? If that were me, I might have already said, 'Yes, Sir' right in front of him!"

"Crazy!" I threw a pillow at her while my own heart still wouldn't calm down. "Did you hear what he said? He challenged me! He probably thinks I'm afraid of him."

"But admit it, girl, the tension between you two earlier was different. You looked like you were about to fight in bed, not in an argument," Ayc said seriously as she sat up. "And what's with the darling? My God, when you told me outside the restaurant earlier that he kissed you on the lips, I already knew there was still a spark. Are you really safe with him?"

I sat beside her and ran my fingers through my hair. "I don't know, Ayc. I'm confused. I have the guts to say I'll seduce him to destroy their relationship, but whenever he gets close to me... I feel like I'm the one who'll back down first. What if he finds out about our child?"

Ayc's expression turned serious. She held my hand. "That's what I'm worried about, Kath. If you continue this game between the two of you, the chances of him finding out the truth will only get higher. And we know Knoxx Madrigal. He's powerful, resourceful, and most of all, possessive. If he finds out you have a three-year-old child in New York, do you think he'll just let you leave again?"

I fell silent. Ayc was right. Back in college, whenever Knoxx wanted something, he got it. And the thought that I had hidden his own flesh and blood from him for three years? He might hate me. Or worse, he might take my child away from me.

"That's why he needs to stay away from Mommy now," I said determinedly. "Once they break up, I'll leave again. I'll go back to New York and never show myself to him again."

"Okay, I'll support you on that. But tomorrow, at the reunion... things will surely get even messier. He'll be with us at the resort the entire weekend," Ayc reminded me.

The next morning, Ayc and I got ready early for the assembly at the school gym. I wore a simple white backless sundress that hugged the right curves of my body. I just let my long hair down and put on a little lip tint. If I was going to play with Knoxx, I needed to be attractive in his eyes.

When we arrived at the school gym, many people had already arrived. I think this was a batch reunion. We caught up, talked about our respective jobs and lives after graduation. It was fun, but the atmosphere immediately changed when the gym doors opened and a familiar figure walked in.

Knoxx.

He was wearing a simple white linen shirt rolled up to his elbows and slim-fit khaki pants. His outfit was casual, perfect for an out-of-town resort trip, but his aura still dominated the gym. The women immediately started whispering, exactly like the scene back when we were still in college.

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted as he approached our group. Everyone fell silent, just like whenever he was in our room back then. "The coasters are ready outside. We'll head straight to the resort in Batangas. I hope everyone is ready for a long weekend."

"Wow, thank you so much, Sir Knoxx! You even paid for the resort!" one of our former classmates said.

What do you expect from a professor who is a billionaire and a CEO on top of that? Of course he had plenty of money!

"It's nothing. Consider it a celebration for your batch's success," he replied with a smile, but his eyes briefly passed over me.

His gaze stopped on my bare back, covered only by the thin straps of my dress. His expression tightened slightly before he quickly looked away.

As everyone walked outside toward the coasters, I deliberately fell behind and matched his pace.

"Do you like what you see, Daddy?" I whispered beside him and deliberately pressed my chest against his arm.

He didn't turn around. "You should have worn something less... revealing, Kathryn. We're going to a resort, not an audition for a lingerie brand."

"Why? Are you afraid someone might catch me there? I told you yesterday, I'm looking for a handsome guy," I replied playfully with a grin.

Knoxx stopped walking, causing me to stop as well. He turned to me. Now, he looked serious... and fvcking hot!

"You can look all you want, Kathryn," he whispered. I blinked when he leaned his face closer to mine. "But remember this, whatever you do this weekend, whoever you approach or try to flirt with... I'll make sure you still come home to me."

Before I could answer, he turned his back on me and walked toward the first coaster, leaving me staring at his back as my heart once again went wild inside my chest.

Damn it, Knoxx Madrigal. Let's see who'll break first.