Page 26 of The Darkest Knight

I broke up with Dina after hours of make-up sex, the evening of that last time she texted me. As we lay in bed, she announced that she was going to Miami for a New Year’s Eve party, and asked if I wanted to come. Hell no. Parties and raves are not my thing. And clearly, since she expected me to leave my daughter on New Year’s Eve, that told me we were two very different people. So I broke up with her. She barely blinked, then proceeded to tell me it would berefreshingto go into the new year alone, and not with someone saddled with emotional baggage.

I didn't even bother to question what she meant about that.

We'd both used one another for sex, and now we were done.

Next time Alicia mentions another musical, I’ll politely decline. Cari was right. She’s always right.

I let out a groan. I really should stop thinking about her. Dina pointed something out to me that I’ve had to face. I care for her more than I should, and she takes up more space in my head than is normal or natural.

She’s my goddamn assistant.

Nothing can ever happen between us. Nothing. Ever. The power dynamics and the imbalance are wrong, and she’s so much younger than me. She’s even younger than Dina and Alicia.

And my father would not approve. Not that I need his approval, but he’s kept us all in line somehow, dangling money and deals and the promise of legacy in our faces.

With this deal, I’ve done something that has riled him. Something he didn’t expect. Something that goes against his grain, and I’m learning to step out of our billion-dollar comfort zone. I want to get to the stage where if he disowns me, or disinherits me, it won’t matter. I’ll still be able to go out on my own. I’ll still have Brooke and a way to earn a living.

If the worst happens and he does disinherit me one day, it won’t be such a bad thing. I’m lucky and privileged. When I see Cari, it’s clear that her mother’s illness is weighing down on her. I was brought back to reality when I heard her worrying about rent, and when I saw the state of the place she lives in. It was nice and homey. I could see her touches, but the place needed a coat of paint and some freshening up. That will be my next thing to talk to her landlord about—behind her back. At least he’s fixed the water faucet and fitted new tiles in the bathroom.

But, I need to keep her at bay.

Alicia is good for me. It’s different and new, and that’s enough for now. I know what to expect in this relationship, and it’s nothing more than what I’m used to.

Over Christmas, I invited Eden over for a playdate, and Tobias and Savannah came too. Spending more time with the Stones shows me with sharp contrast what is clearly missing from my life. From Brooke’s life.

Seeing what Tobias has makes me reflect on my own life more than ever. Sometimes I question myself. Am I just moving from woman to woman, searching for something?

And what the hell is thatsomething?

I feel restless, incomplete—hungry for more. Not sex. The sex is always great. No complaints there. But I want somethinglasting. Something real. Something that doesn’t vanish with the sunrise.

I just don’t know what it looks like yet.

I drag myself through another grueling meeting with my father. Paul Knight sits across the boardroom table like a king at his throne, picking apart every detail of the Vanhelm deal. He keeps his tone calm and cold, using his words as weapons.

“This is agamble. A reckless one,” he says, his mouth curled into a faint sneer. “Vanhelm’s shift to renewables is untested. If you fail, you drag this entire family empire down with you. You can still pull out—it’s not too late.”

Is he fucking serious? We’re so close to signing. I grip the edge of the table, holding back my frustration. “It’s not untested, and I won’t fail.”

Dex speaks up—his tone sharp and cutting. “Relax. Vanhelm’s numbers check out, and you know it. This move is smart, whether you like it or not.”

Paul doesn’t look at him. He stares at me, as though every choice I make is another strike against his legacy.

By the end of the meeting, I’m wound so tight I could snap. Cari and I spend the next few days buried under paperwork, taking care of every last detail the Vanhelm team throws at us.

I throw a lot at her. Too much, probably. But she handles it all. Efficient. Calm. Unshakable.

It’s unnerving how much I depend on her.

When I’m satisfied that everything’s been finalized and sent over, I finally allow myself a break. The deal isalmostdone. I should get a call from the Vanhelm CEO soon.

I call Dex and Zach to grab drinks and dinner, desperate to unwind. Alicia can’t make it—she’s up to her neck in a legal case, which works fine for me. I need a night without expectations.

I meet my brothers in a restaurant in one of those discreet places tucked away in Tribeca—low lighting, dark leather booths, a scotch list longer than the menu. Old money with a modern twist. The kind of place you don’t just stumble upon.

Dex slides into the booth next to me, his huge frame taking up most of the space. He’s changed into his jeans and a black T-shirt, his signature outfit. Though army camouflage gear would suit him better. He looks like a military man, not a billionaire.

“I need a drink,” he growls, signaling the waiter. “About time you crawled out of the office. You’re starting to look like Paul,” he says to me.

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