All Chapters of ONE NIGHT WITH A STRANGER: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The days that followed their weekend getaway were a blur for Madison. The office felt different when she walked in that Monday morning, as though the walls themselves could sense the shift in her emotions. She wasn’t sure if it was the memories of their time away that weighed on her or the awareness that things had become more complicated between her and Sebastian. Whatever it was, it seemed like every interaction was charged with an energy she hadn’t anticipated.Madison tried her best to maintain her composure at work, but the looks Sebastian gave her across the conference room table, the subtle touches when their hands brushed while exchanging files—it was all becoming too much to ignore. The professional distance they had once kept was now blurred, and neither of them seemed willing to take a step back.That afternoon, as the office emptied out for the day, Madison found herself alone in the elevator with Sebastian. The tension between them was thick, suffocating even. Neither of

The days following their conversation were a blur for Madison. Every time she passed Sebastian in the office, there was a quiet, unspoken acknowledgment of the shift that had occurred between them. The atmosphere, once professional and cool, now carried an undercurrent of something more—a delicate tension that neither of them dared to speak of aloud.Madison tried to focus on her work, but it became increasingly difficult to ignore the way her thoughts kept drifting back to him. She was afraid of what it meant, afraid of the risks involved, but there was also a part of her that felt alive in a way she hadn't in a long time.Her decision to take things slowly seemed like the right choice, but every time their eyes met, it became harder to stick to that resolution. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t let this affect her career, that she wouldn’t let the growing feelings for Sebastian cloud her judgment, but the lines between personal and professional were starting to blur in a wa

Madison’s hands trembled slightly as she stepped out of the elevator on the 48th floor, where Sebastian Sanford’s executive office loomed like a thundercloud. Days had passed since their explosive confrontation—the revelation that the man she had a one-night stand with was the CEO of her company. And now… she was being transferred. Promoted, technically, as Executive Assistant to the CEO. But in reality, it felt more like a sentence.And the worst part? She hadn’t even said yes.“Madison,” drawled Clarisse, Sebastian’s current assistant, with a faint smirk. “He’s expecting you.”Madison swallowed the lump in her throat and walked through the glass doors, heels clicking against the marble. The room was immaculate, dark wood meeting steel and glass. Power and prestige in architecture. But Madison only saw him—Sebastian, behind the desk, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened. His eyes lifted slowly. Piercing. Complicated.“Sit,” he said quietly.“I didn’t agree to this,” she said, crossing her

Madison didn’t expect the boardroom to feel colder than it already was. It wasn’t the air-conditioning—it was Sebastian’s silence.He hadn’t said a word since she delivered the report. Eyes scanning the pages she gave him, jaw clenched, lips thin. The usual calm, calculating CEO was still there. But now, Madison could see the crack underneath.She shifted on her feet. “If there’s anything you need me to clarify—”“Sit,” Sebastian said, his tone sharp but tired. “Please.”She obeyed, perching on the edge of the chair across from him. “I know it’s not what you expected. The projections weren’t kind.”“It’s not the projections,” he murmured, placing the paper down. He looked at her now—not just at her, but through her. “It’s everything.”Silence stretched between them like a taut wire. Madison’s hands clenched on her lap. “Is this still about... us?”Sebastian gave a bitter chuckle. “Us. I’m still trying to define what that even means.”Madison opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She

It was the kind of night that could unravel anyone.Madison stood in front of the Sanford estate, feeling like her lungs had shrunk inside her chest. The house was grand—not in a gaudy, ostentatious way, but in the quiet, inherited kind of rich that didn’t need to announce itself. Cream-colored stone. High columns. Warm lights glowing from inside. Too many windows, too much space.She tightened her grip on her clutch and adjusted her dark green dress—simple, elegant, carefully chosen to look expensive without trying too hard. Her heels clicked against the marble steps, echoing louder than she wanted.“Madison.” Sebastian’s voice broke through her nerves as he met her halfway down the front walkway.She stopped. He looked devastatingly calm in a sharp navy suit, his hair slicked back, but his eyes softened the second they landed on her.“You clean up nicely,” she said, trying to sound breezy.“So do you,” he murmured, leaning close to kiss her cheek. “Still sure you want to do this?”S