Amara's POV
She didn't sleep a wink.
Every time Amara closed her eyes, she saw him-Damian Knight. The way he spoke to her last night, the way his eyes lingered like she was more than just a name on his payroll. The soft rasp in his voice when he said her name, like he wasn't just her boss anymore.
She tried to brush it off.
She was just a secretary.
He was the CEO.
Nothing could ever happen between them.
Still, her fingers shook slightly as she flipped through her notepad that morning at her desk. Her heart beat faster every time his office door creaked. She didn't even realize she'd been holding her breath until someone tapped her desk.
"Amara."
She looked up.
Tiana. Holding her phone with a strange look on her face.
"Have you seen this?"
Amara frowned. "Seen what?"
Tiana leaned in and tilted the phone discreetly toward her. The screen showed a blurry photo-taken through a window or maybe from across the street. But the image was clear enough: Damian Knight and Amara standing outside the building last night, talking... and close. Too close.
Her eyes widened.
Her mouth opened, but no words came.
"Where did you get this?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"It's been going around the office group chat since this morning," Tiana said. "Some say you two were having a moment... others say you're the reason Serena left upset."
Amara's heart thudded.
"No," she said quickly. "He only... he just walked me to the gate. That's all. I don't even have a car."
Tiana's brow raised. "Well, people are talking, Amara. And you know how this office is."
Her chest tightened.
She didn't do anything wrong. She wasn't involved with him. But that photo... it told a different story.
And now the whispers had begun.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.
"You're trending, sweetheart. Hope the CEO is worth it."
Her throat dried instantly. She stared at the message for several seconds, fingers frozen over the screen.
Someone was watching them. Someone had taken that photo. And now they wanted to stir something dangerous.
She slowly looked toward Damian's office. The door was closed, blinds drawn. But she knew it wouldn't stay quiet for long.
Whatever this was-it was no longer just between her and him.
Damian Knight's POV
I should've known.
The moment I stepped into the building that morning, I felt it.
Eyes lingering too long.
Voices dropping to a hush as I passed.
The air was different-charged with something I couldn't quite place. Until Charles slipped into my office mid-morning, holding his phone like it was a ticking bomb.
"You need to see this."
I looked up from my laptop. "What is it?"
He placed the phone on my desk.
And there it was.
A blurry photo of me... and Amara.
Standing outside the building. The glow of the streetlights casting a soft halo around her face. My body tilted slightly toward hers. Her gaze locked on mine. It looked intimate-too intimate.
I leaned back in my chair, jaw tight.
"Where did this come from?" I asked, voice low.
"It's been going around the group chat. Someone took it last night. Probably a staff member leaving late."
I didn't speak for a long second.
We hadn't done anything wrong. I'd only walked her to the gate. We talked. That was all.
But the photo didn't care about the truth. It told its own story. And worse, it painted a target on her back.
Amara.
Her name burned behind my teeth.
She didn't deserve this. She was too kind, too quiet, too focused on her job to handle the kind of storm this would bring. Gossip in this office was brutal, and if anyone even sensed a hint of favoritism...
I stood abruptly, pushing my chair back.
Charles blinked. "You okay, sir?"
"I need a moment," I said and strode toward the window, clenching my fists.
Why did I even let myself get close?
Because she's different.
Because she makes the silence feel less heavy.
Because the night felt lighter with her in it.
I should've kept my distance.
But I didn't.
And now she was paying for it.
My phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number.
"Hope you enjoyed your little date with your secretary. Some of us are watching."
I slammed the phone face-down on the desk.
Enough.
If anyone dared to hurt her because of me... they'd find out exactly what I was capable of.
But first, I needed to see her. I needed to know she was okay.
I headed for the door.
Let them talk.
Let them wonder.
The only thing that mattered now... was Amara.
Amara pov
---When Amara walked into the office that morning, she felt it-an eerie silence that spoke volumes. Heads turned. Whispers followed. And though no one said her name directly, she could feel it clinging to the air like a thick perfume.
She tried to keep her posture calm, her face unreadable, but her palms were already sweating. She didn't even know about the photo. Not yet.
Until Naomi, one of the admin girls, brushed past her desk and dropped a casual, "Cute shoes... and cute boss," with a smirk.
Amara blinked.
What?
Before she could process the comment, another voice chimed in from the hallway. "If being a secretary is all it takes to get close to the CEO, maybe I've been in the wrong department."
The sting hit hard.
Amara's chest tightened as she slowly lowered her bag. She hadn't done anything wrong. Damian had only walked her out. They talked. That was it. Right?
But her phone buzzed, and when she checked it, her breath caught.
A photo.
Of her.
And Damian.
Last night. Standing too close. Lit too perfectly.
She stared at it, frozen, her heart pounding in her ears.
Someone had taken it.
Someone had shared it.
And now... the office was buzzing with a story that wasn't even real.
Her knees weakened slightly, but she forced herself to stay upright. No tears. Not here.
The elevator dinged, and the entire floor went quiet.
Damian stepped out.
Sharp suit. Sharp eyes.
And he looked directly at her.
Amara swallowed hard, shifting her gaze away. She didn't want anyone catching that look, that connection-whatever it was between them.
But it was too late.
Tiana, standing nearby with a cup of coffee, noticed it. Her lips curled slightly.
"Must be nice," she muttered under her breath before strolling off.
Amara took a shaky breath, pretending to busy herself with the files on her desk.
A few minutes later, her phone buzzed again.
Mr. Knight: My office. Now.
Her stomach twisted.
She hesitated... then stood, fixing her blouse and walking past the murmuring crowd, into his office, closing the door behind her.
---
Damian's POV
She looked pale. Eyes wide with embarrassment.
"Sit down," I said gently.
She did, clutching the edge of her skirt.
"You've seen the photo," I said.
She nodded. "I didn't... I don't know who took it."
"I don't care who did." I leaned forward. "You've done nothing wrong."
She looked down. "They're talking. I didn't ask for this-"
"I know," I cut in, voice tight. "But let me make one thing clear, Amara. You don't owe anyone an explanation. You're here to work. You're brilliant at it. Let them talk. I'll handle the rest."
She blinked, surprised by the firm kindness in my tone.
I wanted to say more. That I hadn't stopped thinking about her. That I didn't regret last night, no matter what the picture suggested. But I couldn't. Not yet.
So I added instead, "Do you trust me?"
She looked into my eyes.
"I think I do