Page 99 of What Comes Around

The moment the door closed behind them, Nora leaned toward me.

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

Claire nudged her sharply.

“What,” Nora said. “We are all thinking it.”

Priya gave me a careful look. “Are you two…” she hesitated. “…together?”

I smiled faintly. “It is complicated.”

Julian looked like he wanted to ask something but valued his life too much.

Ethan kept glancing between me and Knox’s closed office door like he was watching a live‑action soap opera.

I turned back to my screen, cheeks warm. The morning passed in a blur of emails and catching up.

At noon my desk phone rang.

Knox.

“Come to my office,” he said.

As I stood, I felt half the floor watching me. Claire mouthed tell me later and wiggled her brows. Eyes followed me until I stepped out of sight.

Knox was at his desk when I entered, phone already in hand. He gestured for me to sit, then pressed a button. Titan's eyes lifted when I walked in and his tail thumped against the floor.

“You can come up now,” Knox said into the receiver. “Linda will send you in right away.”

He ended the call and leaned back in his chair, studying me with that unreadable expression he wore when he was thinking ten steps ahead.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“Your security,” he said.

I blinked. “Already?”

“I spent the morning interviewing candidates,” he said. “I wanted someone who could handle every scenario.”

He said it so casually, like he hadn’t rearranged his entire morning to vet bodyguards for me.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Titan stood slowly, ears pricking forward, his body shifting into alert mode.

“Come in,” Knox said.

The door opened, and a woman stepped inside.

Late thirties, athletic build, dark hair pulled into a tight bun. Calm eyes. Controlled posture. She moved like someone who had been trained to assess a room in a single glance.

Titan watched her closely, muscles tight, waiting for a cue.

Knox gave him a small nod.

Titan exhaled, relaxing just enough to sit back down on his bed, though his eyes stayed on her, tracking every movement.

“Ashley,” Knox said, standing. “This is Lena.”

Lena gave me a small, professional nod. “It’s nice to meet you.”