LOGINLater that evening, Mia sat in her office with a smile that refused to fade.She should've been focusing on the files scattered across her desk.Instead...She found herself staring at the same paragraph for the fourth time.This was hopeless.Every time she tried to concentrate...Axel found his way back into her thoughts.He'd been unusually... attentive today.Not that she'd ever admit it out loud.Twice he'd called her into his office.Once for a file that had been sitting on his desk all along.The second time to print a single sheet of paper.A single sheet.She couldn't decide whether he genuinely hadn't noticed...Or whether he simply wanted an excuse to see her.The thought made her cheeks warm.She quickly shook her head."No.""Don't be ridiculous."She was reading far too much into it....Wasn't she?Her phone lit up again.She didn't even need to look twice.It was Axel.She answered almost instantly."H—""My office. Now."The line went dead.Mia looked at the screen for
A/N: I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I've been incredibly occupied with... well, everything. I haven't even had much time for myself. But I'm so glad to be back now! Here's the next chapter. ❤️ * * * Somewhere else in the company... Andrew sat buried behind his laptop, so focused that the rest of the office had all but disappeared. Luis. Mark. Luke. Connor. He'd gone through every report they had. Luis had relied heavily on Mark to run his operations. Mark, in turn, kept a small circle. The two men he trusted most were Luke Walker and Connor Reed. Neither had any connection to Taylor. If anything, every answer only seemed to lead to three more questions. Andrew leaned back with a tired sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. Axel hadn't left anyone standing that night. Luis's entire operation had been wiped out. Even now, remembering that night sent a chill down his spine. It had been ruthless. Cold. He'd never seen Axel like
The next morning, Mia woke before her alarm had the chance to ring. Today felt different. It was supposed to be her last day. Instead... She'd never looked forward to going to work this much. No matter what she did... The corners of her lips just wouldn't stay down. If anyone had asked why she looked so happy, she probably would've blurted it out without thinking. I'm staying! I'm really staying! A few minutes later, she stood outside the hotel, waiting for the driver Axel had promised would pick her up. Somehow... Their conversation from the previous night refused to leave her mind. Especially one particular sentence. "You're not everyone." She could still hear his voice. Her cheeks warmed all over again. The cold morning breeze swept past, making her shiver. Thankfully, her trousers and long-sleeved shirt kept most of the cold away. "Stop thinking about him." She'd repeated that sentence to herself at least five times already. It hadn't helpe
Later that night, after finally catching up on some sleep and learning a few more Russian phrases, Mia stepped out onto the balcony. She was dressed warmly in an oversized blue sweater, loose pink striped trousers, and thick socks. A mug of coffee warmed her hands while the cold wind played with her hair. Lightning flickered across the distant sky, painting the city in silver before darkness returned. For a while, she simply admired the view. Then something below caught her attention. She looked down. The smile faded from her face. Several men in dark suits stood around the hotel's swimming pool. One... Two... Three... No. There were too many to count at a glance. Mia frowned. What on earth was going on? There had to be an explanation. Maybe they were someone's bodyguards. Someone important could've checked into the hotel. Or perhaps the management had increased security around the grounds. ...Though that seemed a little excessive. Her gaze li
The next morning came much sooner than expected. Mia barely slept. Ever since Luis's name had been mentioned the previous night, her mind had refused to rest. Why now? Why was the past suddenly finding its way back into her life? Hadn't she already suffered enough? She wanted peace. Just... Peace. Yet it felt as though someone was determined to make sure she'd never have it. Sometime before dawn, exhaustion finally claimed her. The sleep lasted only a short while before morning came. Axel hadn't slept either. For him, that was hardly unusual. What was unusual... Was that, for the first time in a long while... His mind refused to focus on the problem. Instead... It kept returning to the person who had somehow quieted it. Mia. To the impossible sense of calm she'd left behind after making him fall asleep. He frowned. That shouldn't have happened. It wasn't supposed to happen. Yet... The more he thought about it, the less surprising it bec
"I thought I told you not to wander off on your own." Axel. Mia had barely begun to smile. The next instant, Axel's grip tightened. Without explanation, he dragged her behind him. She stumbled. Then- Bang! The sound of gunfire swallowed the room. Mia flinched violently, her heart slamming against her ribs. For a split second, she couldn't understand what had just happened. Then something clattered against the marble floor. Her eyes instinctively followed the sound. A man stood several metres away. His arm was still half-raised. A pistol spun across the floor, having slipped from his hand. A gun. Someone had been aiming a gun at her. Mia froze. Slowly, her gaze shifted to Axel. Smoke curled faintly from the muzzle of the pistol in his hand. He stood perfectly still. His arm remained outstretched. His expression hadn't changed. Then— Bang! The second shot thundered through the ballroom. Mia flinched again, instinctively pressing close
Luis laughed as well. "Who knows?"Rogers's expression turned serious. "Let's be honest," he said. "If you're planning anything, I'd advise you to drop it immediately.""I could expose your secret whenever I want. I still have the evidence."Luis's smile didn't falter. "Relax. I'm not that petty."
Later that night, Luis sat in the living room, calmly sipping a cup of tea while Brenda busied herself in the kitchen. Upstairs, David was lost in his games, his laughter occasionally echoing through the hallway. Meanwhile, Mia was quietly making her way toward Axel's room. She hadn't brought
Luis’s frown refused to leave his face throughout the entire drive home. He had just spent millions, every last cent in his account. And he couldn’t help thinking that Mr. Bennett had been shameless in demanding such an outrageous sum. By the time he arrived, the sky had turned a dull shade of g
*A/N: I just got my nails done, so typing is a bit difficult ಠ‿ಠ. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!(ʘᴗʘ✿)*____The moment Mia got to her room with Angela, she shut the door and bolted it. Then she turned to Angela. "Spill it," she said, folding her arms. Angela raised a brow. "Spill wh







