Chapter 7 You Do Not Touch My Employees
The days blurred together until one afternoon Detective Harris from the Financial Crimes Unit called me.
“I’m calling with a brief update regarding your identity theft report,” he said.
“Just a second.” I stepped into an empty conference room and closed the door behind me.
“Go ahead,” I said.
“We contacted the issuing bank,” he said. “They confirmed the application originated from an IP address outside your residence and from a device not registered to you. We have issued a preservation request for their internal logs.”
“And Apple?” I asked.
“We requested Ms. Richards come in for voluntary questioning. Her attorney responded. She’s apparently very busy. The first available date is next month, so the interview is scheduled then.”
I absorbed that quietly.
“This process takes time,” he added.
“I understand.”
“We’ll update you once we receive further documentation.”
“Thank you.”
I ended the call feeling strangely calm.
Knox, however, had not been calm all day.
One contractor had just admitted they couldn’t meet structural reinforcement standards without pushing the timeline back six months. Knox hated delays. The entire floor had been walking on eggshells since morning.
He stopped by my desk late in the afternoon.
“I need the revised risk analysis tonight,” he said. “I want it clean. I want it fast.”
“You’ll have it,” I replied.
So I stayed.
By the time the sun dipped low enough to turn the windows dark, most of the office had cleared out. The floor was quiet except for the low hum of the building and the soft tap of my keyboard.
I was deep in projections, trimming assumptions, tightening margins, when the sound cut through the silence.
The elevator dinged, and I glanced up instinctively as the doors opened and a woman stepped out. Something about her looked familiar.
She wore a brown trench coat tied neatly at the waist, the hem brushing mid-thigh. A short blonde bob of loose curls bounced with each step, catching the light. Her blue eyes were bright under the overheads, and her black Louboutins clicked sharply against the polished floor.
Then it clicked.
Last week, a local gossip magazine had run a spread after Knox was photographed leaving a Michelin-star restaurant with a well-known actress.
The headline screamed New hot power couple?
The article featured several photos. One of them was taken earlier that same day, showing Knox mid-handshake as he finalized a major deal for a private members’ club tied to one of Sinclair’s casino properties.
A seven-figure expansion into a high-net-worth market.
Another captured the two of them outside the restaurant that evening. Knox stood beside a black car, one hand resting lightly at the actress’s back as photographers shouted questions. She leaned toward him, laughing, her hair swept over one shoulder and her hand curled around his arm
The woman walking into the office now was that actress.
I stood as she headed toward Knox’s office.
“May I help you?” I asked, stepping around my desk.
She gave me a slow, dismissive once-over.
“No, thank you,” she huffed, already turning away as she continued toward Knox’s office.
“All visitors are escorted on this floor,” I said, following her. “How did you get up here?”
She stopped and turned back slowly, a polite smile tightening across her face.
“I have a meeting.”
“With Mr. Sinclair?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t have any meetings scheduled.”
Her eyes flicked briefly toward the closed office door, then back to me.
“Perhaps your calendar doesn’t reflect everything,” she said coolly.
I stopped a few feet from her. “Perhaps. But I still can’t let you walk in without notifying him.”
She let out a small, irritated laugh.
“Who are you exactly?” she asked. “His assistant?”
“No,” I said simply.
“Then sit back down,” she snapped. “You’re overstepping.”
Linda had already left for the day. This wasn’t technically my responsibility. But neither was letting a stranger walk into Knox’s office unannounced.
“I’m doing my job,” I said.
She stepped closer, deliberately invading my space.
“Do you know who I am?”
“No,” I said. “But if you tell me, I’ll inform Mr. Sinclair and he can decide.”
Her mouth curved into a confident, sultry smile. “Trust me, he will want to see me.”
Ugh.
“You’re still not walking past me.”
Her eyes hardened.
“That’s a lot of attitude for someone in admin.”
“And you seem very confident for someone without an appointment,” I answered.
Her face flushed.
“I was asked to come.”
“Then you can wait while I confirm it,” I said, turning slightly toward Knox’s door.
She grabbed my wrist.
I glanced at her hand, then at her.
“Let go.”
She released me, but stepped closer instead.
“I will not let you ruin my surprise,” she said tightly.
“So you were not invited,” I said flatly.
Her jaw clenched.
“You’re enjoying this,” she snapped. “I’ll have you fired.”
I lifted a brow. “You’ll have me fired?”
“What do you think he’s going to say when I tell him you were a rude little bitch to me?”
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice.
“I think the real question is,” I said calmly, “what will you say when people ask why security dragged you out of Sinclair Enterprises.”
Color bloomed across her cheeks.
“You are one snobby little whore,” she hissed.
Her eyes flicked past me toward the door again.
Then she moved.
She shoved past me hard with her shoulder.
I stumbled sideways into Linda’s desk, my hip catching the edge. A stack of folders slid off. A pen holder tipped, scattering across the floor.
I caught myself against the desk just as Knox’s door opened.
Titan burst out first.
The dog planted himself between us, a deep warning growl vibrating through his chest.
Knox stepped out after him. His eyes took in the scene in a single second, and the temperature in the hallway seemed to drop.
“Titan. Enough.”
The growl stopped instantly, but Titan didn’t move. His eyes stayed locked on her.
“What the hell is going on here?” Knox’s voice was low. Dangerous.
“Knox,” she breathed, every ounce of her arrogance slipping as she forced a smile. “I just came by to say hi.”
“You heard what I asked.”
Her smile faltered.
“Why are you upset with me?” she asked, turning it into a performance. “I only wanted to see you. She would not let me!”
I straightened and smoothed my clothes.
“She tried to force her way into your office,” I said. “When I stopped her, she shoved me. If I… overstepped, I apologize.”
Knox’s gaze shifted back to the actress. His eyes hardened, the look sharp enough to cut.
“You do not come into my building and speak to my employees like that.”
“I did not,” she protested.
“You called her a whore,” he replied flatly. “And you touched her.”
Her eyes widened.
“I was frustrated,” she said quickly. “She was rude.”
Knox stepped closer.
“You do not touch my employees,” he said. “And why are you telling people you are my girlfriend?”
Her mouth opened. Closed.
“We have been seeing each other,” she said weakly.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. “We had dinner once. One night. No repeats. You agreed to that.”
Her gaze snapped to me.
“Is this because of her?” she snapped.
Titan shifted instantly, muscles coiling beneath his coat as he edged slightly closer.
Knox did not raise his voice.
“Stop.”
Then he leaned in just enough for her to hear him clearly.
“A few phone calls would be enough, Ava. Your drug habit. The affair with your father’s business partner. And the very specific kink you work so hard to keep private.”
Her face went pale.
“No,” she whispered. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would,” he replied. “Unless you apologize to Miss Richards and leave my building.”
Her lips trembled, but the elevator doors opened before she could speak.
Two security guards stepped out.
“Miss,” the lead guard said politely, “we are going to need you to leave the premises.”
She gave a harsh laugh. “Really? You are letting them drag me out like an animal?”
Knox did not answer.
“You do not deserve me, Knox Sinclair,” she shouted as the guards guided her into the elevator. “You will regret this.”
Silence settled over the floor once the doors closed.
Titan’s posture eased and he moved back to Knox’s side, settling beside him as if nothing had happened.
Knox turned to me.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Good. You can go home,” he said after a moment. “Finish the report tomorrow. I’ll find out how she got up here and make sure it never happens again.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
As I gathered my things, I could feel his eyes on me. I didn’t look his way.
Lately he had been watching me more. Studying me.
Like I was some kind of puzzle he intended to solve.