Chapter 55 Unexpected Conversation
“So the figures for the second quarter need to be realigned with the projected forecast,” Deborah said, flipping a page in the thick stack of documents spread across her desk. “We cannot afford another miscalculation, not with the Devereaux event coming up.”
“Yes, Miss Valmere,” Luna replied softly, standing beside her with a tablet hugged to her chest. Luna wore a pastel blue blouse with a white ribbon at the collar, her whole presence warm and gentle like morning sunlight. “I already reorganized the financial breakdowns and highlighted the inconsistencies. I’ll compile them before the meeting.”
Deborah’s pen paused mid-tap. “You’re fast.”
Luna smiled brightly. “I really enjoy helping you, Miss Valmere. I want to be useful.”
Deborah stared at her for a moment. Luna had only been here a short time, yet she carried herself with effortless sweetness. It was almost… refreshing. Like a soft breeze inside the iron-and-glass world of the Valmere empire.
“Bring me the new marketing deck,” Deborah instructed. “I won’t tolerate another vague proposal. And check the emails from the legal team, anything that looks sloppy, delete it.”
“Yes, Miss Valmere.” Luna dipped her head politely before moving across the office, her steps light, almost floating.
Deborah took a deep breath. Her blazer was immaculate, her hair perfectly tied, her red lipstick sharp. She didn’t have time for mistakes. Not today. Not ever.
Luna returned quickly with the neatly arranged folders. “Here you go.”
Deborah scanned the files, her eyes narrowing with approval. “Good. You’re learning my system faster than expected.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Luna said with a shy smile, “but I reorganized your schedule too. You had two overlapping calls you might’ve missed.”
“You...what?” Deborah blinked.
“I fixed them,” Luna added sweetly. “I color-coded everything.”
Deborah opened her mouth, half to scold, half to praise, but before she could answer, the office door swung open sharply.
Knight Valmere stepped inside. Tall. Cold. Sharp as a blade.
Luna froze instantly, her eyes widening like a small deer spotting a wolf.
Knight’s dark gaze flicked to her for barely three seconds. That was enough.
“I—I’ll go finish the reports,” Luna stammered, clutching her tablet. “E-excuse me, Miss Valmere.”
“Luna...wait—” Deborah tried, but the girl was already out the door, practically fleeing.
Deborah turned to Knight. “You scared her.” Knight shrugged as though it were nothing. “She looked at me like I was death. That’s not my fault.”
“You barged in and stared her down.”
“That is my normal face.”
Deborah groaned. “Knight, what do you want? I’m busy.” He said nothing at first, simply watching her with that unreadable expression.
“We need to talk.”
Deborah stiffened. That tone...low, serious, and unyielding, never meant anything good.
“About what?” she asked cautiously.
“Luther.”
Her pulse stopped. Very slowly, Deborah closed the folder in her hands. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
Knight stepped closer, his voice darkening. “You know I was there on what happened in Amalfi.”
Deborah didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Didn’t breathe.
“I know that, knight,” she said eventually, “but nothing happened.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Knight’s voice wasn’t angry, just painfully honest. “You disappeared for two days. You were exhausted. He came to you out of that damn place. Deborah, everyone saw.”
She swallowed. “It was a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?” Knight raised an eyebrow. “You defending him. Him refusing to leave Italy without you. You two staring at each other like you shared a secret—”
“We didn’t,” she snapped quickly.
Knight stared at her. Hard. Searching.
“Deborah,” he said quietly, “I know you.” His tone softened. “And I know when you’re hiding something.”
“I’m not hiding anything.”
“You’re terrible at lying.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Then why is your voice shaking?”
Deborah’s jaw clenched. She turned away, gathering papers to pretend she was too busy for this conversation, but Knight was too sharp to be brushed off.
“I’m not attacking you,” he continued. “I’m trying to understand. Because if Luther becomes a problem—”
“He won’t,” she cut in sharply. “Because nothing is happening between us.”
Knight’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Your mouth says that. Your eyes don’t. I know you deborah. I warned yo—"”
She slammed her pen onto the desk. “Knight, I swear—”
“I’m only asking because I don’t want you getting hurt again.”
That made her pause. Again.
Why did he have to say it like that?
“Luther is reckless,” Knight continued. “He’s unpredictable. And he has a history of destroying anything he touches.”
Deborah’s throat tightened.
“And you,” Knight said softer, “are already carrying too much.”
Silence filled the room, thick and heavy.
Then Knight exhaled and stepped back toward the door. “Fix whatever this is with him before it becomes another Valmere disaster.”
He didn’t wait for her response. He simply left.
The room was painfully quiet now.
Deborah sank into her chair, hands shaking slightly. Knight wasn’t wrong. He never was. He saw through everyone, including her.
Everything she felt. Everything she pretended not to feel.
Her phone buzzed on the desk. Deborah hesitated before picking it up.
Luther:
I’m waiting for you in the parking.
Her breath caught. Her chest tightened.
Her pulse quickened with something dangerously close to panic, and something dangerously close to longing.
Luther was here. Again. Waiting for her like he always did. Deborah closed her eyes, exhaling shakily.
“Why I can't stay away with you…”
But they both knew the answer. Luther Cain never stayed away from her. And he wasn’t planning to.