### **Chapter 4: The Contract**
The days that followed her meeting with Alexander Knight were a blur. Mia buried herself in her work, hoping that her growing thoughts of the enigmatic billionaire would fade away. Yet, each time she closed her eyes, his cold, piercing gaze would invade her thoughts, and the memory of their charged encounter lingered like a shadow.
She couldn't afford distractions. She had her business to run, and she was not about to let some billionaire CEO derail her carefully constructed life. But as the hours passed and the nights grew longer, Mia found herself waiting, almost expecting to hear from him.
And then, it came.
The email arrived with the subject line: **"Proposal Feedback from Knight Enterprises"**.
Her heart skipped a beat as she opened it. She had assumed they'd either reject her proposal outright or drag their feet. But instead, the message read:
---
**"Ms. Adams,**
**We have reviewed your proposal, and while we find some of your ideas intriguing, we believe further revisions are needed. We would like to meet with you again to discuss these changes. Please let us know your availability."**
---
There it was. The opening she had been waiting for. Or perhaps it was a trap. She could never tell with someone like Alexander Knight. The words felt like a calculated move—a challenge, a test to see how much she was willing to bend.
Despite her better judgment, Mia typed out a response.
**"Thank you for your feedback. I will be available tomorrow afternoon to meet and discuss further. Please let me know the time and place."**
She hit send and immediately regretted it. Why was she playing this game? Why couldn't she just walk away?
The answer was simple: she couldn't afford to. The project was too important to let slip through her fingers. Knight Enterprises could catapult her career to heights she hadn't even imagined. She couldn't let anything, especially her growing unease, stop her from securing this opportunity.
---
The next afternoon, she arrived at Knight Enterprises for their scheduled meeting. The building looked even more imposing today than it had the other day, the steel and glass reflecting the cold, calculating nature of its owner.
As she stepped off the elevator and walked into the sleek, polished boardroom, she was met by none other than Alexander himself, standing at the head of the table, his eyes narrowing slightly when he saw her.
"Ms. Adams," he greeted, his voice almost too smooth, too measured. "I'm glad you could make it."
Mia nodded, walking toward the table with her head held high. "I'm here to discuss your feedback," she said simply, taking a seat across from him. There was no need for pleasantries. No need for small talk.
"Let's get down to business then," Alexander said, his voice not so much commanding as it was a statement of fact. He gestured to the screen beside him, where her proposal was projected. "I've been through your ideas. And while some are acceptable, others are—how should I put this—lacking."
Mia felt a flicker of irritation. "Lacking?" she repeated, a tightness in her chest. "I thought we agreed that I would come up with a fresh approach. Something bold."
"You did," he replied, the faintest glimmer of a smile tugging at his lips. "But boldness without substance is nothing more than empty noise."
Her eyes narrowed. "And you think your changes will bring 'substance'?"
"Precisely," Alexander replied, eyes locked on hers, unyielding.
She bristled, but she knew better than to argue. "So, what exactly do you have in mind?" she asked, her voice still cool despite the rush of heat rising within her.
Alexander leaned forward, his hands clasped together in front of him. "I want something that speaks to the core of this company—something that isn't just flashy, but something that exudes power. I need a design that commands respect."
Mia crossed her arms, studying him carefully. "I can do that," she said firmly. "But it will take time. It will take creativity, and it will take more than just me sitting in this room while you tell me how to do my job."
For the briefest moment, Alexander's lips parted, almost in surprise, before he masked it with an impassive expression. "I'm not telling you how to do your job, Ms. Adams. I'm telling you what this company needs. The final product is still up to you. But I expect results."
Mia swallowed the retort that was on the tip of her tongue. There was no point in getting into a power struggle with him. Not yet, anyway.
"Fine," she said, exhaling slowly. "I'll revise the designs and have them sent to you by the end of the week."
"You'll send them directly to me," Alexander corrected, his eyes flashing. "Not to someone else."
Mia couldn't help but wonder why it mattered. Why was he so insistent on overseeing everything personally? But she nodded. "Understood."
The tension in the room grew thicker with every passing second. It felt like a battle of wills, one she wasn't sure she was winning.
As the meeting came to a close, Alexander stood up, signaling the end of their conversation. "I'll be expecting your revisions," he said, his tone businesslike once more.
Mia stood as well, gathering her things. She was about to turn to leave when his voice stopped her.
"And Ms. Adams," he added, his gaze briefly flickering toward her, "make sure they're impressive. You wouldn't want to disappoint me."
The way he said it—the insinuation in his voice—struck a chord deep within her. She didn't want to admit how much it affected her. But there it was, a challenge she couldn't refuse.