Chapter 315

Madison

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Maybe it wasn’t what it looked like. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation. But the image of his hand on her back, the intimacy of their posture, burned behind my eyelids.

I forced myself to move, walking mechanically to my desk outside Alexander’s office. The space was still empty; I’d arrived early, as usual. His door remained closed, and no light was visible underneath. He wasn’t in yet.

Setting my purse in the bottom drawer, I powered up my computer and tried to focus on the day’s tasks. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, trembling slightly before I pulled up my email.

Twenty-three new emails since last night.

I glanced at his closed door again. Where was he? Usually, he arrived before me, already deep into work by the time I settled at my desk.

Was he with her? Had he spent the night with Katherine?

The thought sent a wave of nausea through me. He was publicly associated with