جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

The rumors spread through Kingston Holdings faster than Amelia could have imagined.By nine o'clock that morning, nearly everyone in the executive department had seen the photograph.Alexander Kingston.Standing beneath a black umbrella.Walking a young woman home.It wasn't the picture that shocked everyone.It was the man in it.Alexander Kingston had built a reputation for keeping everyone at a distance. He never attended company parties, rarely accepted dinner invitations, and had never been linked to anyone romantically despite years of media speculation.Yet there he was...Looking at Amelia Carter with an expression no one had ever seen before.It wasn't love.Not yet.But it certainly wasn't indifference.Amelia, completely unaware of the gossip, stepped out of the elevator carrying a folder of reports."Good morning!"Several employees awkwardly greeted her back."Morning...""Good morning, Miss Carter."She frowned.Everyone was acting strangely.As she reached her desk, Vic

Amelia couldn't stop thinking about Alexander's words."Someone is watching you."The sentence echoed in her mind throughout the ride home.She sat quietly in the back seat of the black sedan while raindrops slid down the windows. Unlike the previous evening, neither she nor Alexander spoke much.She stole a glance at him.His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, his expression calm, but she noticed the slight tension in his jaw.He was worried.Not for himself.For her.It was the first time she had seen that side of him."Alexander?"He turned slightly."Yes?""Are you sure you're not overreacting?""No."His answer came immediately."The people involved in that night don't leave loose ends."Amelia swallowed."I didn't even see their faces clearly.""It doesn't matter.""I haven't told anyone.""I know.""Then why would they come after me?"Alexander looked at her for a long moment."Because they don't know what you remember."Silence settled between them once more.For the first

The next few days passed more peacefully than Amelia expected.The anonymous flowers never came again.No suspicious messages appeared.No unfamiliar faces lingered outside her apartment.Life slowly returned to its normal rhythm.Or at least...It looked normal on the surface.Alexander, however, remained cautious.Daniel quietly assigned additional security around Kingston Holdings without making it obvious.Only a handful of trusted people knew why.Amelia wasn't one of them.Alexander wanted it that way.If she wasn't constantly looking over her shoulder...She could still smile.And he found himself wanting to protect that smile more than he cared to admit.Monday morning arrived with bright sunshine.Amelia entered the executive floor carrying two cups of coffee.One for herself.One for Alexander.Victoria noticed immediately."You've started bringing him coffee every morning."Amelia smiled."He forgets."Victoria laughed."I know.""And if he forgets breakfast too...""I make

The conference room remained silent.The old photograph lay in the center of the table like a forgotten piece of history that had suddenly returned.Amelia stared at the smiling face of her father.She had spent years believing she knew everything about Thomas Carter.A loving husband.A devoted father.A kind school teacher.Now...She wasn't sure anymore.She looked at Alexander."You said my father worked for Kingston Holdings."Alexander nodded."More than twenty-five years ago.""And Victoria's father worked with him?""Yes."Victoria quietly reached into her handbag."There may be something that can explain part of this."Both Alexander and Amelia looked at her.Victoria carefully removed a worn leather notebook.Its edges were faded, and several pages had turned yellow with age."My father kept this journal."Alexander frowned."You've never mentioned it.""I didn't think it was important."She looked down."My father died when I was nineteen. Before he passed away, he told me

Monday morning arrived far too quickly.For the first time in years, Amelia wasn't dreading going to work.She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, trying on two different blouses before finally settling on the cream-colored one Alexander had once casually said "looked nice."The memory made her smile."What am I doing?" she whispered, laughing at herself.She wasn't dressing up for him.At least...That was what she kept telling herself."You changed your shirt three times."Amelia froze.Noah leaned against the kitchen doorway, holding a mug of coffee with an amused grin."I did not.""You absolutely did.""I just couldn't decide.""Mhm."He took a sip."And does your boss happen to like cream-colored blouses?"Amelia's face immediately turned pink."Noah!""I'm just asking.""You ask too many questions."He chuckled."I've never seen you this excited to go to work."She picked up her bag before he could tease her again."I'm leaving."As she reached the door, Noah smiled warmly.