Chapter 4. The Boardroom Trap.

“Mommy, do superheroes get scared?”

Noah’s drowsy voice pierced through the early calm as I helped him lace his sneakers.

I paused, my chest constricting. “Yeah, baby. Even superheroes get terrified sometimes.”

He frowned. “But they still fight the bad guys, right?”

I mustered a grin, stroking his black hair back from his forehead. “Right. They fight anyway.”

His innocent grin was the only thing stopping my knees from crumbling that morning.

The train trembled beneath me as I held my leather folder to my chest, my reflection quivering in the dirty glass. My heart thumped so loud I could scarcely hear the announcements.

Calm down, Anna. It’s simply a consultancy meeting. He won’t even be there. He doesn’t handle HR projects personally.

But my stomach wrenched cruelly at the prospect of walking back into his world. The world I’d escaped from five years ago with nothing but a duffel bag and a secret developing inside me.

I stepped out of the rotating doors, the pristine marble flooring sparkling under my faded flats. The lobby smelled like expensive perfume, new coffee, and power.

Everywhere I looked were men and women in crisp suits, moving with eager purpose. The receptionist smiled cheerfully.

“Welcome to Knight Enterprises. How may I assist you?”

I cleared my throat. “Anna Carter. I’m here for the childcare consultancy presentation.”

“Ah, yes.” She tapped her iPad briskly. “Twenty-third floor. Boardroom B.”

“Thank you,” I said, hugging my folder harder as I proceeded to the elevators. My knees felt like water.

I saw the numbers climb: 10…12…18…21…

My pulse thudded against my neck.

He won’t be here. He won’t even remember you.

But I could still feel his hands on my flesh, his voice snarling my name in the dark.

“Don’t move.”

I took in a deep breath, shook my head angrily as the elevator sounded.

Focus, Anna. For Noah.

The room was sleek and simple, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city. The light streamed gold across the huge table where three HR executives sat, drinking their espressos.

“Miss Carter, welcome,” a lady with sharp cheekbones and a tight bun remarked, nodding to the presentation screen. “Please begin.”

My hands shook slightly when I plugged my laptop. “Thank you for having me.”

I cleared my throat, shifting into my professional voice as slides flickered over the screen behind me.

“Our daycare proposal focuses on emotional safety, sensory integration, and structured exploratory play. The key is promoting cognitive, social, and emotional growth while providing working parents with peace of mind.”

They nodded respectfully, writing notes. My fears lessened slightly as I spoke about newborn sleep patterns, toddler reading, and interactive play therapy corners.

Twenty Minutes later I clicked to the final slide and turned to face them. “Thank you for your time today. I’m delighted to accept any questions.”

There was a moment of stillness. Then the woman smiled slightly.

“That was excellent, Miss Carter. Truly. However, final permission must come from our CEO before onboarding can proceed.”

My stomach flipped violently. “CEO?”

She nodded crisply. “Mr Knight is personally overseeing all expansions this quarter. He’ll join shortly for final evaluation.”

My blood ran cold. All the air appeared to evaporate from the room.

No, no, no…

I mustered a stiff grin. “Of course.”

The HR staff stood, grabbing their papers. “We’ll give you a few minutes to prepare,” she added, nodding to the aide beside the door.

“Thank you,” I croaked, my throat tightening up.

Alone in the Boardroom I raised my shivering palms to my face, drawing in rapid gasps.

What should I do? What if he recognises me?

What if he doesn’t?

My eyes burned with tears. I pulled out my phone, staring at Noah’s portrait as a fresh feeling of resolution flowed through me.

For him. You can’t break now.

I arose, smoothing my blue skirt with shaky fingers just as the door handle clicked.

The door swung open.

I turned, heart beating so hard it ached.

And there he was.

Alexander Knight.

His steel-grey gaze focused upon me, black brows tightening slightly. Time halted.

The air crackled with something electric, frightening, and heartbreakingly familiar.

“Miss Carter,” he drawled, his voice low and chilly as ever. “We meet again.”

My knees threatened to give way as my eyesight faded around the edges.

He remembers me.

“Miss Carter.”

His voice drifted through the room like black velvet, sending thrills down my spine despite every part of me screaming to leave.

I swallowed hard, pushing myself to stand straighter. “Mr Knight,” I managed, praying my voice didn’t shake.

His steel-grey eyes narrowed as he walked forward, his fitted charcoal suit conforming to every inch of his tall, strong physique. He glided like a panther; quiet, dangerous, captivating.

“I see you’ve built quite the résumé in childcare psychology,” he drawled, turning open the proposal I’d printed for the board.

I squeezed my hands behind my back to stop them from shaking. “Thank you, sir.”

His eyes flashed up to me, icy and inscrutable. “Don’t call me ‘sir.’ We’re not strangers.”

My breath caught in my throat. Heat surged up my neck despite the cold flooding my veins.

“I…I’m here for professional reasons only,” I muttered.

“Professional reasons,” he said gently, almost mockingly. He drew closer, his fragrance sweeping around me; cedarwood, mint, expensive cologne. Memories of his lips, his hands, his rough whisper on my skin crashed into me like a freight train.

“Tell me something,” he muttered, leaning in till I could see the specks of silver in his stormy gaze. “Why did you disappear after that night, Anna?”

My heart thudded so loud I was sure he could hear it. I forced myself to keep my chin high.

“That night was a mistake,” I said, my voice quivering.

His jaw clinched. For a minute, something flared in his gaze - grief, betrayal, rage but it went as swiftly as it came, replaced by cold indifference.

“A mistake,” he repeated coldly, stepping back. The unexpected distance made my knees wobbly.

“Very well. Your suggestion is… amazing. The Board will evaluate it. I’ll have my assistant contact you for the next stage.”

Relief surged through me so powerfully I almost wept. “Thank you.”

But as I moved to retrieve my laptop, his voice halted me.

“Anna.”

I froze.

When I turned, his eyes were riveted on mine with silent, fatal intensity.

“You think you can waltz back into my world without consequences?” he questioned quietly, his voice dangerously calm. “You think you can hide from me again?”

My blood turned to ice.

“I’m not hiding”

“Yes, you are,” he interjected, advancing closer, his presence overpowering. “And I will find out why.”

His gaze lowered momentarily to my shaking palms before lifting to meet my eyes again, steel-hard.

“This isn’t over, Anna. Not by a long shot.”

My chest squeezed cruelly as he turned and went out, leaving me alone with my pounding heart and the dreadful truth: He was going to find out everything.