Page 38 of What Comes Around

“I understand,” I said.

His jaw tightened.

“Explain what happened.”

“I had lunch with him. That’s it,” I said. “I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t give him my number. I turned him down. I’m sorry. I had no idea he would do something like that.”

Knox studied my face, searching for something. A crack. A lie. An excuse.

He didn’t find one.

“I’ll contact him,” I added. “I’ll tell him to stop. I’ll make it clear this was inappropriate.”

His expression hardened.

“You will not.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You don’t need to contact him,” he said. “I will handle this.”

I hesitated. “Knox, I don’t want to cause problems for you or the company.”

“You didn’t,” he replied. “He did.”

Silence settled between us.

“I keep my personal life private,” I added more softly. “I never wanted this kind of attention.”

Something in his gaze shifted. Just a fraction.

“I know,” he said. “Which is why this ends now.”

He picked up his phone.

“I will contact him,” he repeated. “You stay out of it.”

I nodded slowly. “Alright.”

He looked at me for a moment longer, then added, quieter, “Be careful who you let sit at your table, Ashley.”

“I usually am.”

For a second, something unreadable flickered across his expression.

Then he nodded once.

“Go.”

I stood and left his office.

By the time I made it back to my desk, the news had already reached the floor. Claire didn’t even pretend to be subtle.

“So,” she said, leaning against the edge of my desk with a grin. “Do we need to start charging you for autographs?”

Nora rolled her chair closer. “I wake up, check my phone, and suddenly our analyst is the internet’s main character.”

Priya appeared at her shoulder, coffee in hand, clearly invested. “Are we allowed to say we knew you before you were famous?”