Rejected by My Billionaire Baby Daddy, But I'm His Boss Now

"Who do you think you are, challenging me in my own boardroom?"

Maya froze, champagne flute trembling between her fingers. The gala's music faded into a distant hum as Liam Knight's glare burned into her. She forced herself to lift her chin. "Someone who actually understands the market you're about to destroy."

Around them, crystal chandeliers cast gold across marble floors. Waiters paused. Conversations dimmed. The cold billionaire CEO of Knight Enterprises stepped closer until his broad chest nearly grazed her red satin gown.

"You're an intern, Maya Williams," he growled under his breath. "Your opinion is irrelevant."

Fury and embarrassment clawed at her chest. "I'm a junior executive," she whispered back. "And your proposal is reckless. You'll bleed the company dry within a year."

His lips curled into a smirk. For a fleeting second, something shifted in his icy blue eyes; surprise? Doubt? But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced with cutting disdain.

"Then quit," he said. "Because if you ever embarrass me like this again, I'll make sure no company in New York hires you."

Her vision blurred, tears pressing hot behind her eyes. But she refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of him.

He leaned in, his voice so low only she could hear. "Careful, sweetheart. You're too pretty to have such an ugly mouth."

Her breath caught at his nearness, his clean masculine scent mixing with the faint notes of her rose perfume. For a split second, the room felt too small, too charged. She wanted to slap him, to wipe that cruel smirk off his perfect face.

"Then maybe," she whispered, her voice trembling with rage, "you should stop looking at my mouth."

He pulled back slowly, eyes locked with hers, unreadable. Then his lips curled into a cold smile. "Feisty. I almost like it."

Almost. The single word stabbed deeper than she expected.

Before she could respond, he turned away, dismissing her entirely as he strode towards a group of foreign investors across the marble floor. His presence shifted from venomous to charming in a heartbeat. They laughed at his suave greeting, hanging onto every word.

Maya's knees threatened to buckle. She swallowed the lump rising in her throat, heat flooding her cheeks as whispers filled the gala hall.

"That's Liam Knight, right? God, he's brutal."

"Who was that woman he just tore down?"

"Pretty, but stupid. You don't challenge a CEO like him."

She blinked rapidly, refusing to let tears fall. Not here. Not in this glittering hall full of sharks and sycophants. She had already given them enough spectacle for tonight.

"Don't just stand there gaping," her friend Lottie hissed, appearing by her side. "Drink your pride down and let's leave before you get yourself fired tonight."

But Maya couldn't move. Her eyes remained locked on Liam Knight's broad back, rage simmering hotter than humiliation.

One day, she vowed silently, I will make you eat those words.

"Maya," Lottie tugged harder at her wrist. "Please. Everyone's staring."

Let them stare. Let them watch her fall, because when she rose, she would rise higher than every one of them. Swallowing hard, she forced her feet to move, her heels clicking sharply against the marble as Lottie dragged her towards the exit.

"I can't believe you confronted him like that," Lottie whispered, glancing over her shoulder to ensure Liam was out of earshot. "He's the CEO. Do you have a death wish?"

"He's wrong," Maya muttered, her voice low and fierce. "Knight Enterprises is expanding too fast. His latest acquisition is a bubble waiting to burst."

"And what good does telling him that do? He'll never listen to a junior executive. Especially not one he just humiliated."

Maya clenched her fists. Her cheeks burned with shame and anger. He humiliated me because I spoke the truth. The thought only fueled her resolve.

They reached the coat check. Maya's fingers trembled as she handed over her ticket. Lottie kept glancing back at the ballroom entrance nervously.

"Just keep your head down tomorrow," Lottie advised as the attendant brought Maya's coat. "Maybe he'll forget it ever happened."

Maya didn't reply. As she shrugged into her grey winter coat, her gaze drifted back through the archway into the ballroom. Liam was laughing now, a hand casually tucked into his pocket as he charmed a group of dignitaries.

He didn't look like a man about to destroy his empire. He looked untouchable.

Maya tightened her grip on her purse. "He thinks he's invincible," she whispered.

Lottie sighed. "He is invincible. He's Liam Knight."

The name alone carried weight. Billionaire. Genius strategist. Ruthless negotiator. The man had built Knight Enterprises into an empire before he was thirty-five. And he had just crushed her in front of half the city's elite.

As they stepped out into the cold winter night, icy wind slapped her cheeks, clearing her foggy thoughts. Snowflakes drifted down, softening the harsh city lights.

Lottie wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck. "You're shaking."

"I'm fine," Maya replied. Her voice was calm now, almost eerily so.

They stood at the curb waiting for the valet to bring Lottie's car. Maya's thoughts raced. She replayed every word Liam had said, every look, every smirk. Her humiliation burned like acid in her chest.

A black Rolls Royce pulled up at the entrance. Maya turned to see Liam striding out of the hotel lobby, flanked by two suited bodyguards. His expression was unreadable as he walked past her without a glance, his long strides confident and unhurried.

But just as he reached his car, he paused.

Snow gathered lightly on his dark hair as he turned his head to look at her. For a moment, their eyes met across the sidewalk. Something flickered in his gaze; something unspoken and confusing.

Then his lips curled into a mocking half-smile before he climbed into his car, the door closing with a soft thud.

The Rolls Royce pulled away, its red taillights disappearing into the snowy night. Maya felt her chest tighten, a strange mix of fury, humiliation, and an emotion she refused to name.

Lottie's car arrived. "Come on," Lottie said softly, opening the passenger door for her. "Let's go get greasy burgers and milkshakes. You need comfort food."

Maya slid into the car silently, staring out the window as skyscrapers glided past. Her mind wasn't on food. It wasn't even on Liam's cruel words anymore.

It was on the flash of something she saw in his eyes before he left. Was it regret? Confusion? Attraction?

She shook her head. No. Men like Liam Knight didn't feel remorse. He saw her as nothing. Worse than nothing. Just another foolish junior executive with opinions he didn't ask for.

But deep in her chest, something ignited. A spark of defiance. Of unbreakable will.

"One day, Lottie," she whispered, "he will look at me and see someone he can't dismiss."

Her friend glanced at her cautiously. "Maya... what are you planning?"

But Maya didn't answer. She pressed her forehead against the cold glass, eyes narrowed as snow blurred the city lights into glittering streaks.

One day, she vowed silently, I will become someone he can never humiliate again.

Outside, the neon signs of Knight Enterprises headquarters loomed like a kingdom built on glass and steel.

Inside the car, Maya closed her eyes and breathed deeply, tasting her rage and determination like sweet poison.