LORI

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. Lori's POV.

.It had been days since I last saw Mr. Knight, and though I tried to ignore it, a part of me couldn’t stop thinking about our last conversation. The jealousy I had felt for the women that night still lingered, and while I tried to push those feelings aside, they always came creeping back at the most inconvenient times. Like now, as I stood in the middle of a meeting, zoning out while my assistant rattled off reports.

Knight had a way of doing that—invading my thoughts when I least expected it, even when I didn’t want him to. And what bothered me most was that I wasn’t sure why. Yes, he had saved me from Connor’s twisted schemes, and yes, he had a certain power that drew people to him. But there was something more, something unspoken, that had stayed with me long after our last encounter.

I tried to ignore it. I had work to do, and Knight wasn’t a part of my life in that way. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

But all of that changed when I received a call from him out of the blue, late in the evening after the mall had closed.

I was just locking up my office when my phone buzzed. The name on the screen made my heart skip a beat—Mr. Knight Colby.

I hesitated for a second before answering. “Hello?”

“Lori,” his voice was smooth, and deep, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine. “I need to see you.”

It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a request. It was a statement, and for some reason, I found myself agreeing without thinking. “Where?”

“My place. Tonight.”

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An hour later, I was standing outside Knight’s sprawling estate, my heart reeling in my chest. I didn’t know why I was nervous. It wasn’t like this was the first time I had been here. But something felt different tonight. The air was thick with an energy I couldn’t quite place, and as I walked up to the front door, I couldn’t help but wonder what Knight wanted with me tonight.

The door swung open before I even had a chance to knock. One of Knight’s bodyguards stepped aside, allowing me to enter. The interior of the house was as grand as I remembered.

Knight was waiting for me in the living room, leaning casually against the back of one of the leather sofas. His expression was unreadable, as always, but there was something in his eyes, something that sent a spark through me the moment they met mine.

"You came,” he said, his voice low, almost as if he hadn’t expected me to.

"You asked,” I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral, though I could feel my pulse quickening. There was something about being in the same room as Knight that made me hyper-aware of everything—the way the air felt thicker, the way his presence seemed to take up the entire space, the way my skin tingled whenever he so much as glanced my way.

He gestured for me to sit, and I did, sinking into one of the leather armchairs. Knight didn’t sit. Instead, he stood across from me, watching me with an intensity that made me feel both exposed and intrigued at the same time.

"You’ve been busy," he finally said, breaking the silence.

“I’ve had a lot to manage,” I replied, trying to sound casual. But the way he was looking at me made it hard to focus.

"Cynthia gone?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded. "Gone. For good. She’s Connor’s problem now.”

Knight’s lips curled into what could only be described as a smirk. "Good. She was never on your level, Lori. I told you before, you’re meant for more."

The way he said my name sent a thrill through me. I wasn’t sure if it was the way his voice dropped when he said it, or the fact that hearing my name from his lips felt strangely intimate, but either way, it was enough to make my pulse race.

I cleared my throat, trying to push those thoughts away. " Is that why you called me here? To talk about Cynthia?"

Knight’s smirk faded, and his eyes darkened, that familiar, unreadable expression taking over. "No. I called you here because I needed to see you."

My heart skipped a beat. There was something in his tone, something different from the way he usually spoke to me. It wasn’t quite affection, but it wasn’t indifference either. It was…something else.

I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. "Why?” I finally asked, my voice quieter than I intended.

Knight didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. The tension in the room was palpable now, thick enough to cut with a knife. I could feel the air shift between us, like something unspoken was passing from him to me, something that made my skin prickle with anticipation.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost a whisper. "You’re different, Lori. You’ve always been different."

The words hit me like a freight train. I wasn’t sure what to make of them, but the way he said them—the way he was looking at me—made it impossible to brush off.

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I was too caught off guard, too overwhelmed by the sudden change in the energy between us.

Knight took another step closer, and suddenly, the space between us felt too small, too intimate. I could feel the heat radiating off of him and could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing. My own breath hitched in my throat as I looked up at him, caught in the intensity of his gaze.

For a moment, neither of us moved. The world seemed to shrink down to just the two of us, the air thick with tension and something else—something I didn’t dare name.

Then, just as quickly as the moment had arrived, Knight stepped back, breaking the spell.

"That’s all I wanted to say,” he said, his tone casual again, as if nothing had happened.

I blinked, trying to steady my breathing. "That’s it?" I asked, my voice a little shakier than I would have liked.

Knight gave me a small, almost imperceptible smile. "For now.”

I didn’t know what to make of that. Part of me wanted to push, to ask him what the hell he meant by all of this, but another part of me—the part that had grown accustomed to Knight’s cryptic ways—knew better than to ask.

I stood up, brushing off my pants and grabbing my bag. "Well, thanks for…whatever this was.”

Knight didn’t respond. He just watched me, his expression unreadable as always. But as I turned to leave, I could feel his eyes on me, could feel the weight of his gaze like a physical presence.

As I reached the door, I glanced back at him one last time.

"Goodnight, Knight,” I said softly.

For a second, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes—something almost like longing—but it was gone before I could be sure.

"Goodnight, Lori,” he replied, his voice low and steady.

I left, my mind racing with a thousand questions, none of which had answers. Something had changed between us tonight. I didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t sure if Knight would ever admit it, but I felt it. Something had sparked.