A Secretive Deal with My Billionaire Boss (by Gregory Ellington) novel Chapter 373

**Wram 373**

Madison

“I’m absolutely certain.” The memory was a sharp thorn in my mind, still raw and stinging. That little ‘read’ notification popping up within moments, taunting me with its silence. Then came the nothingness—days turned into weeks, and those weeks morphed into months of desolate quietude.

Hazel paused, her brow furrowed in thought. “What if something happened to him? What if he didn’t actually see the message?”

“Stop right there.” I raised my hand, halting her gentle reasoning. “Don’t make excuses for him. He received the text. He consciously chose to ignore it.”

“Alright then.” Hazel lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around why he’d decide to show up now.”

“Because he’s Alexander.” I resumed my restless pacing, the familiar rhythm of my thoughts intertwining with my movements. “He can’t stand loose ends. I’m just a file he forgot to close.”

Hazel’s gaze was piercing as she scrutinized me. “You still love him.”

“I don’t.”

“Liar.”

“I’m protecting myself,” I insisted, my voice firm. “There’s a significant difference.”

“Is there really?”

I sank back onto the couch, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in my bones. “It doesn’t matter what I feel. He’s engaged to Katherine. He’s built a life in New York. I have my own life right here.”

“Except he’s not married,” Hazel pointed out, her tone almost incredulous. “Five years engaged and no wedding? That’s a little odd, don’t you think?”

“That’s his issue, not mine.”

“What if he came back for you?”

The question lingered heavily in the air, a palpable tension that made my heart flutter traitorously. I squashed the feeling, unwilling to entertain it.

“Then he’s five years too late,” I replied, my voice steady and resolute.

Hazel sighed, a sound filled with concern. “So what’s your plan for tomorrow when he shows up?”

“I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Liar.”

I shot her a glare, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “Fine. I’ll tell him to leave. Again. Until he finally gets the message.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“He will. Alexander Knight doesn’t waste time on people who don’t want him around.”

“Except he drove two hours to see you,” Hazel reminded me gently, her eyes softening. “That’s not nothing, you know.”

“It’s not something either,” I countered, crossing my arms defensively. “It’s curiosity. It’s ego. Whatever it is, it doesn’t change anything.”

Hazel picked up her mug, cradling it between her hands as if it were a lifeline. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Careful of what?” I asked, genuinely perplexed.

“Of falling for him again.” She met my gaze, her expression earnest. “I watched you piece yourself back together after he shattered your heart. I don’t want to see you go through that again.”

My throat tightened unexpectedly, a lump forming as her words sunk in. “I won’t.”

“Madison.”

“I won’t,” I reiterated, my tone more forceful this time. “I have Ethan to think about now. I can’t afford to make foolish decisions based on feelings that died years ago.”

“Feelings don’t just die,” Hazel said softly, her voice wrapped in understanding. “They merely go dormant. And Alexander Knight showing up at your café is like dousing those feelings with cold water.”

“Then I’ll make sure they stay buried.” I stood up, gathering our empty mugs with a sense of purpose. “More tea?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Yes, I am. Because there’s nothing more to discuss about Alexander Knight.”

Hazel raised an eyebrow but chose not to press further.

We settled into a comfortable silence as she refilled our mugs, the chamomile scent wafting through the living room and mingling with the faint lavender aroma from my mother’s diffuser. Outside, the crickets serenaded the evening, their rhythmic chirping a soothing backdrop.

“You know what the worst part is?” I finally broke the silence, cradling the warm mug between my palms, feeling its comforting heat seep into my skin.

“What’s that?”

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