LOGINBrielle’s POVThe first thing I felt was the cold.Not the usual breeze that came through windows or the comfort from pillows.It was… different. Sharp, brutal, and far from comforting.The kind that seeped into my bones and made everything inside heavy with numbing aches.Gosh, I feel so sick!I frowned as I took a deep breath before making a move.Finally, my eyelids fluttered open to a blur of velvet curtains and small sunlight piercing past them. And for a second, I couldn’t remember where I was… or what I've been doing here.That was, until the stiffness in my back snapped my attention towards the high frame of the King-sized bed and then to the...The floor.I’d fallen asleep on the freaking floor.Great.My fingers twitched against the cold marble tiles to rub against my cheeks for warmth, but my cheeks felt raw and numb as well—almost like all the blood had been drained from them as well. I tried to swallow back my frustration but it only made my throat hurt from how dry and
Axel's POV Miscalculations.Of all words to say, it was a miscalculation.I crossed my arms, not satisfied with her choice of words. Only she was capable of tearing a man—Jason in this case— apart with a single word in this family.But she chose to stab me instead.“Mother, you can't do this to me! You, listen to me!” Jason's pleas filled the air at once, pulling me back to the reality around me. “Shayla!”Nobody listened to him as he was dragged away by security. If anything, they shook their heads with anger and disappointment.Good thing I had Shayla occupied at the bar she worked at.“You'll regret this, Axel! I'll make you pay!” He yelled out from the doorway.I flashed a cocky grin at him in response. But once the door slammed behind him, I released a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding since.“Impressive work, Axel,” The CFO said, walking up to pat me on my shoulders. “Thanks for bringing this into the light. We'll do better this time.”I flashed him a small smile and pat
Axel’s POVThe tension in the atmosphere wasn't hard to miss.Maybe it was the ACs at the corners, each hitting harder than they usually did, making the moment awfully cold.Or maybe…it was the twenty-two shareholders staring at me like I'd suddenly grown two heads—or possibly gone rogue.Probably both.As for mother, she sat at the far end of the long table, her back straightened and her legs crossed, but her face remained unreadable as she stared between me and Jason. As for Jason, he sat two seats to her left, muscles obviously tensed underneath his tailored suit; his jaw ticking under pressure and his fingers tapping against the table as if that could distract him from the reason why we were here in the first place.I scoffed internally.For a few minutes, he was acting all big and mighty—taking advantage of pinning me under mum's control, but what he didn't realize was how this was perfect for me.Because he might have her wrapped under his stupid little fingers, but in the boar
Brielle’s POVThe West Wing looked nothing like the rest of the estate. If anything, it looked—felt more like some prison, but with luxury and pretty historical arts.The irony of it. I can't even tell if they're mocking me, making me feel like I'm safe or something…Everything felt suffocating, muffled, as making sounds in here was forbidden. From the thick doors lined across each hallway, I could tell they were soundproof.And something about that… it didn't sit right with me. Not in the slightest.Swallowing, I focused on the new sight before me, inhaling the faint smell of woody perfume from the slightly ajar door.I closed my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath as I prepared myself for the ugly, eyesore of a room they'd locked me in.But nothing prepared me for the beauty that met my squinting eyes.High ceilings from the corners, a soft pearl-colored rug spreading across the floors, tall windows dressed in heavy velvet curtains that made the colours in the room brighter, and oh!
Axel’s POVShattered glass lay scattered across the polished marble floor, remnants of the vase I’d thrown across the room moments before the grand entrance.The metallic tang of my own rage lingered in the air, a physical manifestation of the storm that had erupted between Jason and me.But none of the destruction or fury could compare to the destruction my mother's arrival left behind.I stood frozen in place, my pulse hammering hard against my ribs. It was an orchestra of the dread building up inside.I wasn’t shaking because I feared her..... considering the fact that she had long ago lost the ability to inspire genuine terror in me.I was paralyzed because of what she had done.She had ripped Brielle out of my hands.My fists, which had been ready to crush Jason’s smug jaw only minutes prior, now hung uselessly at my sides.They were weapons with nothing left to defend, because the one person I had sworn to protect had been delivered straight into the hands of the dynasty’s jaile
Brielle's POV I frowned. “Home?”“We’ll talk properly there.” He whispered, briefly glancing at the persons slowly entering into the bar—reminding me that we were still in fact inside a bar.As we stepped outside, his hands still protectively wrapped around my waist, he whispered into my hearing, “I meant what I said before about protection. The contract, maybe it’s time we make things official.”“Do you mean…”He flashed me a smile but didn't give a response. Biting down on my bottom lip, I watched as he stopped in front of his car.I inhaled the morning air sharply, feeling the sunlight warm up the spots the breeze touched. And as the car opened, I slid into the front seat, taking a deep breath as Axel moved over to the driver's seat.And soon, we were on the road again.Minutes passed with me trying to hide back a smile and him trying to keep his focus on the road—despite the few times I'd caught him glancing at me from the side.I should be happy.Heck, I was excited with how thi







