Chapter 4 Morning Rejection

"Don't.... stop," Maya gasped, her fingers clutching the crisp hotel sheets as Liam's lips traced fire down her throat.

"I don't plan to," he growled against her skin, his voice thick with desire.

Moonlight streamed through the penthouse windows, painting his sculpted shoulders in silver. His touch was commanding yet careful, every movement igniting sparks deep inside her.

For hours, there were no titles, no humiliations, no billion-dollar mergers-only whispered names, ragged breaths, and desperate pleas as he worshipped her body like a man starving for salvation.

Later, tangled in the sheets, she lay on his chest listening to his slowing heartbeat. His fingers traced idle patterns along her arm. For the first time since she met him, Liam Knight was silent, his breathing calm and even.

"Why me?" she whispered into the dark, her voice small.

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, his hand paused its movements, resting on her skin with heavy stillness. Then, so quietly she almost missed it, he said, "Because with you... I forget who I am."

Her heart twisted painfully at his words. She wanted to ask what he meant, to pry open that guarded mind and see what lay beneath. But exhaustion pulled her under, and soon her eyes drifted closed, lulled to sleep by his warmth and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Sunlight poured into the room, warm and golden against Maya's closed eyelids. She stirred, smiling sleepily as her fingers reached across the bed, expecting warmth.

Cold sheets.

Her eyes snapped open. The space beside her was empty, the sheets already tucked back into perfect hotel corners. Panic fluttered in her chest as she sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest.

"Liam?" she called out softly.

Silence answered. His cologne still lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of her lavender shampoo. She scanned the room-his suit jacket was gone, his watch no longer on the nightstand. Her heart sank.

Sliding out of bed, she wrapped herself in the hotel's plush robe and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The city bustled below, oblivious to the way her world felt like it was tilting sideways.

Movement on the glass table caught her eye. A small folded note sat neatly beside a room service receipt. Her fingers trembled as she picked it up.

"Don't be late for work. Last night was... acceptable. –L"

The words blurred as tears filled her eyes. Acceptable? Her chest tightened painfully. Just hours ago he'd held her like she was something precious. Now... now she was nothing again. Just a distraction he could discard before morning coffee.

She clenched the note in her fist, anger igniting in her veins, burning away the tears before they could fall.

I will never let you humiliate me again, Liam Knight.

Maya dressed quickly, refusing to let herself crumble. She applied her makeup with ruthless precision, each brushstroke a silent vow. Her eyes looked fierce in the mirror, lined with kohl and resolve.

By the time she stepped into the lobby, she looked every inch the composed junior executive, not the broken woman who'd been used and discarded hours earlier.

"Taxi?" the doorman asked, opening the glass door for her.

She nodded stiffly. As the cab wove through morning traffic, Maya clenched her fists in her lap. Her phone buzzed with a message from Lottie.

Lottie: "Where are you?! The team meeting started five minutes ago!"

Her chest tightened. Liam's team meeting.

When the cab pulled up in front of Knight Enterprises, she threw cash at the driver and sprinted inside, her heels echoing against the marble floor as she bypassed security with a flash of her badge. Her heart thundered in her chest as she reached the boardroom.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the doors.

Inside, Liam stood at the head of the long glass table, speaking confidently to a room filled with senior executives and directors. His gaze flicked to her briefly as she slipped into a seat at the far end. There was no warmth, no recognition, no flicker of the man who'd whispered her name against her skin hours earlier.

"Miss Williams," he drawled coolly, "try to be on time next time. We value discipline in this team."

Laughter rippled softly around the table.

Heat rushed up Maya's neck, burning her cheeks as she lowered her gaze to her notes. The humiliation stung sharper than any slap. Her fingers trembled slightly as she flipped open her notebook, determined not to let anyone see her break.

Liam continued his presentation, his voice calm and commanding as he outlined projections and upcoming campaigns. She forced herself to focus on his words, ignoring the way her chest twisted painfully with every syllable.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the meeting ended. Executives shuffled out, murmuring about strategies and lunch meetings. Maya stood, gathering her notes quickly, eager to escape.

"Miss Williams," Liam's voice snapped across the emptying boardroom.

She froze, spine stiffening before she turned to face him. His cold blue eyes pinned her in place.

"Stay back. We need to discuss your assigned deliverables for tomorrow's presentation."

The last few team members filed out, leaving them alone in the vast glass room. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs as he slowly walked towards her, his shoes silent against the polished floor.

When he stopped inches away, she could smell his cologne, could see the faint shadow of stubble on his sculpted jaw. Her body betrayed her, a shiver running down her spine despite her anger.

"Don't ever be late again," he said quietly, his voice low and sharp like a knife. "Whatever... fun we had last night ends there. Understood?"

Her chest clenched. She forced her chin up, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Crystal clear," she replied, her voice clipped and ice-cold.

Liam's eyes searched hers, as if expecting a different reaction. Something softer. Something like regret. But all he saw was fire-controlled, deadly fire.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she stepped back, breaking the charged silence between them.

"I'll send the deliverables by close of business," she said, gathering her notes with shaking hands. "And don't worry, Mr. Knight. I'll be early next time. Wouldn't want to disappoint a man so easily displeased."

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Maya turned on her heel and walked out, head high, legs steady, though her heart felt like it was breaking all over again.

She made it to the bathroom before the tears finally came. Leaning against the sink, she stared at her reflection.

"Stupid," she whispered. "You knew what this was. You knew."

But knowing didn't make it hurt any less.

She took a few steadying breaths, wiped her face, and squared her shoulders. She wasn't going to be the weak woman who fell apart over a man who couldn't even leave a decent note.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, her phone buzzed in her hand.

New Email: Transfer Confirmation Reinstated. Europe Assignment-Approved.

Her heart skipped.

She had a way out. The door she thought had slammed shut had just opened again.

But if she took it, she'd never see Liam Knight again.

Her hand hovered over the screen. She had seventy-two hours to accept.

What if this is the last time I ever have the upper hand?