TOO RICH TO FALL

The first time Lena Brooks saw Alexander Knight again, she was holding a rejection letter in one hand and a nearly empty bank notification in the other.

It was not exactly how she had imagined their reunion.

Actually, she had imagined several possibilities over the past three years. In some, she walked past him without looking back. In others, she told him exactly what she thought of him before leaving him standing speechless.

But she had never imagined walking into his company to beg for a job.

Life had a terrible sense of humour.

"Lena, are you still there?"

Her younger sister's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I'm here."

"Did you get the job?"

Lena stared at the glass entrance of Knight Global.

"Not yet."

"That's what you said yesterday."

"And I'll probably say it tomorrow if these people keep rejecting me."

Her sister sighed. "You promised we'd figure things out."

"We will."

Lena ended the call before her voice could betray how worried she was.

She had promised to pay the rent by Friday. Her sister's school expenses were also waiting, and the small savings she had carefully protected were almost gone.

She needed a job.

Not tomorrow. Not next week.

Now.

That was why she stood outside Knight Global, one of the biggest investment companies in the country.

The position was for an executive assistant. The salary was more than enough to solve her immediate problems, and the benefits were better than anything she had seen in months.

There was only one problem.

The company's chairman and CEO was Alexander Knight.

Three years ago, Alexander had been the person she trusted most.

Then, without warning, he had walked away from her life and left her with questions she never received answers to.

She had spent years convincing herself that she no longer cared.

Today, she only needed him to sign a salary contract.

That was all.

Lena adjusted her handbag and entered the building.

The reception area was enormous, with polished floors, expensive furniture, and employees who looked as though they had never worried about their next meal.

She approached the reception desk.

"Good morning. I'm here for the executive assistant interview."

The receptionist checked her computer.

"Name?"

"Lena Brooks."

The woman's fingers stopped moving.

For a moment, she looked at Lena differently.

"Please wait here."

Lena frowned. "Is there a problem?"

"No. Just a moment."

The receptionist picked up the telephone and spoke quietly.

Lena looked around.

Something felt strange.

A few minutes later, a woman in a fitted grey suit approached her.

"Miss Brooks?"

"Yes."

"I'm Vanessa Cole, the head of human resources. Mr Knight would like to see you personally."

Lena's stomach tightened.

"Personally?"

"Yes. Follow me, please."

Of course.

Because apparently, the universe had decided that a simple job interview was too easy.

They entered the private elevator.

Vanessa pressed the thirty-second floor.

"Is the CEO interviewing all the candidates?" Lena asked.

"Not usually."

"Then I must be very special."

Vanessa gave her a brief smile.

"Mr Knight prefers to make certain decisions himself."

The elevator doors opened.

They walked through a quiet corridor before stopping in front of a large office.

Vanessa knocked twice.

"Come in," a deep voice answered.

Lena knew that voice.

She hated that she still recognised it immediately.

The door opened.

And there he was.

Alexander Knight stood beside his desk, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his expression was as unreadable as she remembered.

He looked older.

More powerful.

And just as impossible to approach.

His eyes moved from Vanessa to Lena.

For one brief second, something changed in his expression.

Then it disappeared.

"Leave us," he said.

Vanessa nodded and closed the door behind her.

Silence filled the office.

Lena tightened her grip on her handbag.

Alexander slowly returned to his desk.

"Miss Brooks."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Mr Knight."

He gestured towards the chair opposite him.

"Sit."

"I prefer standing."

His eyes lifted.

"Still difficult, I see."

"And you're still fond of giving orders."

A faint movement crossed his jaw.

"Three years, Lena. And that's the first thing you say to me?"

"What did you expect? A welcome-back party?"

He said nothing.

For a moment, she wondered whether he would ask about the past.

Whether he would explain why he had disappeared from her life without a proper conversation.

Instead, he opened a file.

"Your application is impressive."

"Thank you."

"Five years of administrative experience. Excellent recommendations. Strong organisational skills."

"I know what's on my résumé."

His eyes returned to hers.

"Then you know why you're here."

"Yes. I'm here for the executive assistant position."

"Do you know who you'll be working for?"

Lena almost laughed.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Alexander leaned back.

"I don't think this will work."

Her heart sank, but she refused to let him see it.

"Then we can save each other some time."

She picked up her handbag.

"Wait."

She stopped.

Alexander studied her for a moment.

"Why did you apply here?"

"Because your company is hiring, and I need a job."

"You're telling me you couldn't find another company?"

"I'm telling you I don't have the luxury of choosing employers based on old personal history."

Something in his expression hardened.

"Good. Because I don't intend to mix personal matters with business."

"Neither do I."

"Then we understand each other."

He closed the file.

"The position is yours."

Lena stared at him.

"What?"

"Your appointment begins Monday. You'll report directly to me."

She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or suspicious.

"Why?"

"Because you're qualified."

"That's all?"

"Would you prefer I rejected you?"

"No. I would prefer to know what I'm agreeing to."

Alexander stood.

"You're agreeing to work for Knight Global. You'll manage my schedule, coordinate meetings, handle confidential correspondence, and assist with the acquisition we're currently negotiating."

He paused.

"The deal closes in six weeks. I need someone competent, discreet, and dependable."

"And you think I'm that person?"

"I wouldn't have offered you the position otherwise."

Lena considered the offer.

The salary could solve several problems. It could give her sister some stability and buy her enough time to rebuild her life.

She couldn't afford to walk away because of a man who had already taken enough from her.

"When do I sign?"

"Monday morning. Vanessa will send you the contract."

Lena turned towards the door.

"One more thing, Miss Brooks."

She looked back.

"At this company, I expect professionalism. Whatever happened between us stays outside these walls."

She held his gaze.

"Don't worry, Mr. Knight. I'm not here to remember you."

For the first time, his expression changed.

Only slightly.

But she noticed.

"Good," he replied.

Lena opened the door.

She had almost reached the corridor when his voice stopped her again.

"Lena."

She turned.

Alexander was watching her with an expression she couldn't understand.

"Don't make me regret this decision."

She gave him a small, humourless smile.

"That's funny. I was about to tell you the same thing."

Then she walked away.

Inside the office, Alexander remained standing.

His eyes fell on the application file.

He had recognised her name the moment it appeared on his desk.

He had also recognised the photograph.

What he hadn't expected was for her to walk into his office looking at him as though he were a complete stranger.

He picked up his telephone.

"Vanessa?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Send me the final acquisition documents."

"Immediately?"

"Yes. And I want the background report on Lena Brooks updated."

There was a brief silence.

"Is there a problem with her appointment?"

Alexander looked towards the closed office door.

"I didn't say that."

He ended the call.

Across the city, Lena stepped into the afternoon sunlight and finally allowed herself to breathe.

She had a job.

She had a salary to look forward to.

And she had absolutely no intention of falling for Alexander Knight again.

Unfortunately, she had no idea that her new employer had already started looking into the one part of her life she had never wanted him to discover.