Chapter 93
ERICA
I groaned as my first sip of coffee hit my tongue, warmth spreading through me like a lifeline.
It was the only thing keeping me from snapping at the next person who emailed me with “URGENT” in the subject line for something that absolutely wasn’t urgent.
Working as Aiden Knight’s assistant meant starting my mornings at a full sprint.
By 9:00 AM, my inbox was already overflowing, my calendar was stacked with meetings, and I had three different people asking if I could “squeeze in” a call with Aiden like his schedule was made of elastic.
The man ran Archite Associates with military precision, and I was the one holding everything together behind the scenes. If Aiden was a storm, I was the one keeping the lightning strikes organized.
It was a lot. But I liked it.
I liked the pressure. The responsibility. The fact that Aiden trusted me to handle things without hovering over my shoulder. And maybe, deep down, I liked knowing that working here–working for him–drove my father insane.
My father, who had spent my entire life trying to turn me into his perfect little heir.
He’d wanted me to be the polished face of Davis Communications. I had the degree in public relations, the last name, the connections. All I had to do was fall in line, smile for the cameras, and do whatever the hell he told me.
But I had never been that girl.
I didn’t want to be a mouthpiece for a company I didn’t care about. I didn’t want to be paraded around like a show pony for “valuable business connections.” And I sure as hell didn’t want to be married off to someone my father handpicked for strategic alliances, like I was a pawn on his chessboard.
So, instead of working for him, I had walked into Knight Enterprises and taken a job as Aiden’s assistant.
My father nearly had a stroke.
I smiled at the memory.
I glanced at my screen, my fingers flying across the keyboard as I typed out a reminder for Aiden’s afternoon meeting. He was intense, but he had never treated me like a bargaining chip. Never pressured me to be anything other than competent at my job.
Maybe that was why we got along.
He didn’t try to control me
He saved that energy for his younger brother.
Cillian Knight.
That insufferable man–child with an ego the size of Manhattan.
Cillian was chaos wrapped in a billionaire’s suit. He was cocky, reckless, and insufferably charming. Aiden could command a room with a single look, but Cillian? Cillian could set a room on fire and walk away laughing.
I scowled before I could stop myself
If Aiden was all brooding control, Cillian was the exact opposite. Easy charm, careless smirks, a man who lived by his own rules–which, apparently, included annoying the hell out of me at every given opportunity.
He was everywhere, and I hated it.
I was organized. He was reckless.
I was direct. He was a walking loophole.
I believed in hard work. He believed in pissing me off for sport.
And the worst part?
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Chapter 93
He was ridiculously good at it.
婚
The way he called me ‘Davis‘ in that infuriatingly slow, smug drawl like my name was a joke. The way he made everything a challenge, a game, a battle of wills that neither of us wanted to lose.
Before my irritation could fester further, the door to my office swung open.
I glanced up to see Mia Carter, one of the PR specialists, walking in with her usual bright grin. She worked in the department I should have been in if I’d followed my father’s carefully laid–out plans.
Instead, she was one of my closest friends.
We’d hit it off almost immediately. Maybe because Mia had a sharp tongue and a low tolerance for corporate nonsense, just like me. Or maybe because she kept sneaking into my office to avoid doing her actual job.
She dropped a massive bouquet of red roses onto my desk with a dramatic flair.
“Special delivery.” She sang.
I stared at the flowers.
Another bouquet.
I rubbed my temple. “Again?”
Mia perched on the edge of my desk, her heels clicking against the floor. “Yup. These came to the front desk, addressed to you. No name, no card.”
I glanced at the other bouquet already sitting by the window, petals starting to wilt.
“That makes three,” I muttered.
Mia tilted her head. “First, it was one rose. Then chocolates. Now this.” She squinted at the bouquet. “He’s escalating.”
I snorted. “If he escalates to jewelry, I’ll reconsider caring.”
Mia’s grin faded. “You really have no idea who’s sending these?”
“Nope.”
“And you’re not worried?”
I shrugged. “They’re just flowers.”
Mia didn’t look convinced, but she let it drop. She stayed for a few more minutes, chatting and catching me up on office gossip before slipping back to her department.
The room felt quieter without her, but not for long.
My phone buzzed,
I didn’t even need to look at the screen. I already knew who it was.
I considered letting it ring. Then, with a sigh, I picked it up. “Yes?”
“Is that how you speak to your father?” His voice was sharp, like always.
I leaned back in my chair, eyes on the ceiling. “Depends. Are you calling me as my father or as James Davis, manipulator extraordinaire?”
A long pause. Then-
“There’s a family dinner this weekend. You’re expected to attend.”
I swiveled in my chair, already exhausted. “Not interested.”
“You haven’t even heard the reason,“
“Oh let me guess. You’ve found another ‘respectable man for ine to meet?”
A pause Then, “He’s from a good family. A solid match.
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Chapter 93
“Translation: his net worth meets your standards.”
“Erica.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, because that worked so well last time?
His voice sharpened. “You were supposed to marry Aiden.”
I snorted, “News flash, Dad–Aiden was never interested. Neither was L.”
I was instantly reminded of the scene at the dinner several months back. Aiden’s father had brought up the topic of our marriage suddenly. That’s also the first time I learnt that my father had already orchestrated the alliance between us without even informing me.
“You were supposed to secure that alliance.”
“That’s what I am to you, right? A bargaining chip.” My fingers tightened around the phone. “Well, too bad. You don’t get a say in who I marry”
His tone turned cold. “You are my daughter, Erica. You don’t get to defy me forever.”
“Watch me.”
And with that, I hung up.
My heart pounded, but I refused to let his words linger. Instead, I stood, grabbed my empty coffee cup, and headed for a refill. As I passed my desk. my gaze landed on the bouquet of roses.
With a sigh, I picked them up and tossed them straight into the bin.
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