017.Axel kept staring at Candice as she walked to stand in front of him. She made to hug him, but a look from Kevin made her halt.Kevin walked to stand in front of them, smiling. Axel looked at his father, his expression showing he wanted an explanation. Candice rubbed her arms, waiting for Kevin to say something.“Hey, no need for the staring contest, come sit down,” Kevin smiled at Axel.Axel sighed and sat down, crossing his legs. Candice sat down as well and Kevin followed right after. He faced Axel. “Before you ask, no, she isn’t one of the ladies I kept for you. Besides, you already made it clear that no one can replace Amber,”Axel nodded, his gaze fixed on Candice, who looked away instantly. She couldn’t believe how more good-looking he had become:“You know Candice’s father has been friends with us for years. Candice just returned from overseas where she went to study theatre and arts. He pleads that you let her work in your company. I think she wants to go into dance and a
018.Amber quickly pushed him away. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, folding her arms.Axel smiled at her. “You asked us to talk, didn’t you?” he asked, feigning an innocence that made her want to hit him on the head with a brick.“Do you act like this to every female reporter who comes to your office?” Amber asked, her voice laced with irritation. Had he become a pervert? Why would he hold her like that?Axel’s eyes darkened and closed the space between them. He leaned forward, but Amber leaned back. Axel didn’t stop and leaned in again. Amber tried to lean backwards to escape him, but he wrapped his hand around her waist and used his other hand to support her back. “I do that to only those who come to my office uninvited, while I’m addressing my employees and asking us to talk.” He paused, his eyes locked with hers. “Now, shall we continue our conversation?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows suggestively. “You look a little hot, do you know that?” Axel whispered, sendi
019.Saturday Night… Cinema… 9pm“Are you enjoying the movie?” Jack asked and Amber nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She kept checking her phone at intervals. The deadline was Monday, and she needed Axel to attend to her before then. She had already polished the first draft and sent it to him again, but he hasn’t said anything.Coupled with that was his obsession with making her heart skip beats several times. She couldn’t trust herself around him anymore, and had to stop meeting with him personally. But Axel was a determined person, and it was driving her nuts.She drew a long breath and checked her phone again. There was supposed to be text from Ms. June with feedback by now, but she still got nothing.Jack kept noticing that she was spacing out at intervals. He watched her closely and when the movie was over, Amber turned to face him with a strained smile. “Did you enjoy the movie?” she asked, rubbing her palms together.Jack smiled and nodded. “How about you? You seemed to
020.KING GLOBALAmber stared at the imposing doors of the luxurious hotel, where the event would be taken place and exhaled. When Ms. June had requested her and Gina handle this event, she knew that woman was prone to throwing her into the den of her past.There was no doubt that she was going to see Mr. King himself today. And there was no doubt, Axel was going to be here today. Jack was going to be here to be here too. She prayed they wouldn’t cross paths. She didn’t want Jack to find out Axel was Mr. A.“Are you coming or not?” Gina, who was excited and pumped up for this, asked, already walking in.Amber exhaled and walked in as well. They registered their names and were led to the front row which were the seats designated for them. Amber wondered how this was possible. This wasn’t her first time attending such event. She was dang sure that someone had pulled strings for them to have the best spots. Only reporters with lots of connections or influential backing get to sit at the
021.There was silence for a while as Amber fiddled with her fingers. This was bad…really bad. She hadn’t wanted him to find out, and he still did.Amber hesitated, biting her lip as if considering whether or not to confirm Jack's suspicion. “Yes,” she finally answered, her voice barely audible.Jack's expression hardened, his face a mixture of anger and hurt. “Why didn't you tell me? I deserve to know these things, Amber.” he paused, taking a breath to steady himself.Amber sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I know, but I didn’t feel the need to let you know about it.”“Is that why you didn't react when you saw him? Why you just stood there like a fool? Because you're still in love with him?” Jack accused, his voice shaking with anger. “Is that it? All this time, you've been playing me for a fool?”Amber’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” she asked, wondering where this conversation was headed. “A fool? Do you have any idea what you are saying? Why would you even say that to me?” s
022.“What do you think you’re doing?” Melissa snapped at Jack after he walked back into the hall. “How can you just suggest a breakup out of the blue? Do you have any idea how crucial a time like this is?”Jack ruffled his hair. “I got upset. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t think because I was so scared and hurt and… I just said whatever came to my mind.” he whispered.Trent, Jack’s friend facepalmed. “Fuck it, Jack,” she sighed. “Axel is back. This is the time you need to get close to her and show her you can do better than Axel. That you can give her more than Axel can ever give.”Melissa just sighed and sat down. All she wanted was for Amber to be happy again. She knew what the lady had been through, she was aware of Jack’s efforts as well, but things were becoming complicated now that Axel was back.Jack steepled his fingers. “What do I do? I said hurtful things to her.”Trent massaged his forehead. “You have to go back out there and apologize. Right now, you are in a compet
023.“And it’s a wrap. Thank you all for coming.” There was a round of applause and everyone began to disperse, except the reporters who flocked around Kevin and wanted to get additional information from him concerning the Charity gala. Amber stood to her feet and grabbed her bag. “You still haven’t told me what’s wrong, Amber. You just disappeared and returned like nothing happened. But I could see your hands trembling slightly. Did anything happen to you? Did that guy name Axel do anything to you? Just tell me and…and… I will beat him up. I don’t care how handsome he is.” Gina balled her fists, her expression turning protective.Amber forced a smile. “It’s nothing serious,” she looked around, her gaze landing on Maverick who was standing alone. Glad that Axel wasn’t with him, she rushed to his side, leaving Gina who raised a brow. “Good evening, Mr. Maverick.” she greeted with a smile.Maverick turned to face her, his lips curving into a smile at the sight of her. “Wonderful Even
024. The next day… GLAM MAGAZINE Amber walked into the office and was shocked to see everyone smiling and looking at her. She had no idea what the attention meant. She was usually the center of attention, but this particular one looked different — it wasn’t the usual one she got every morning. What was going on? When she got to her department, Gina rushed to embrace her with a smile on her face. “Didn’t you see my texts and calls?” Gina asked. Amber raised an eyebrow. “No, I just—” “Mr. A approved your draft early this morning!” Gina exclaimed and the employees applauded. Laura scoffed. “Sheer luck.” Amber rolled her eyes at Laura’s statement before smiling at Gina. “I’m so happy!” she hugged Gina. Gina chuckled. “Ms. June asked to meet her in the office.” Amber nodded and rushed into Ms. June’s office. “Good morning, Ms. June.” she greeted as soon as she entered. Ms. June stood to her feet with a smile. “Good morning, Amber. Have a seat,” she gestured to the ch
125 ~ Final Chapter ~ Epilogue Wedding Day… “Don’t cry, baby. You’re gonna ruin your makeup.” Loris said, her own tears falling. Amber nodded. “Mum, you asked me not to cry but you’re doing the exact same thing.” she sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. Loris wiped her face with the back of her palm. “It’s just that I can still remember forcing you to go to College that fateful day, and you didn’t want to because you didn’t want to stay with Cole. But you had no idea Axel was there. You two started young, and you’ve been through a lot together. I’m so proud of you for being so strong and resilient.” Amber smiled, squeezing her mother’s hand gently. “I wouldn’t have gotten through it all without Axel, Cole, my friends, and you, Mom. And now, here I am, about to marry the love of my life. It’s a dream come true.” “And I’m honored to be here,” Loris replied, her voice soft and loving. “Now, I don’t want to be responsible for making you late on your wedding day, so let’s g
124 ~ Penultimate ChapterA Day Later…Axel’s eyes fluttered open and the first set of eyes he met were those cat eyes he fell in love with. As he stared into those eyes, everything came rushing back to him and a small smile played on his lips.“Cat eyes,” he called weakly and she hugged him, but was careful not to hurt him.“Oh, Axel! I’m so happy you’re awake!” she burst into tears, a flood of relief washing over her. When she saw him get stabbed, it was almost like her world had come to a halt. She’d panicked and gotten angry that she had to inflict the same pain on Jack without even thinking twice.Axel winced slightly as Amber tightened her embrace, but he smiled. “I’m sorry I worried you,” he whispered. “But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”Amber pulled back, her eyes bright with tears. “How are you feeling?” she asked, smoothing his hair back with a gentle hand.“Better, now theat you’re here,” Axel replied, a weak but genuine smile on his face. “Are you okay?”Amber snif
123.A.A Entertainment…That same night, Larissa had fallen asleep in the employee’s lounge while resting. Her eyes suddenly snapped open, and she checked her wristwatch to see that it was already late into the night. She tried to call Axel, but his number was not going through. She couldn’t get Maverick either.Her eyes darted to the glass of juice she had taken. Something didn’t feel right. She wasn’t one to sleep this long and in the company for that matter. She stood up and quickly rushed to Maverick’s office, but he had just woken up too.“This can’t be a coincidence. How did we fall asleep at the same time?” Larissa asked.Maverick was about to answer when they heard a sound coming from Axel’s office. They both exchanged worried looks. “Quick, call the nearby police station. I’m sure it’s either a thief or someone I’ve been suspecting for days now.”Maverick nodded and went to make a call while Larissa snuck into the office. There she was, standing with her phone placed on her e
122.Amber stumbled backwards, feeling like a knife had been pierced through her chest. In that moment, the words of Friedrich Nietzsche which says “Betrayal hurts more when it comes from someone we trust. And the pain is reminder that our trust was misplaced and our love was blind.”She couldn’t believe the one person she had trusted with her life during her time of pain was the same person that caused her the pain to begin with?Ironically, it was like a twisted game of chess where she had been nothing more than a pawn, manipulated by a mastermind who had disguised himself as a friend and confidant. It was a cruel irony that only added to the bitter sting of betrayal.Amber swallowed hard, the ache in her heart intensifying. “How could you?” she asked, her voice shaky. “I trusted you. Melissa trusted you. Cole, my parents, we all did.”Jack didn’t have an ounce of remorse on his face. “I did what I had to do to get you, Amber,” he replied. “When I confessed my feelings in college an
121.Amber exchanged worried glances with Cole and the rest. “It can’t be, right?” she whispered, her chest tightening. “Jack can’t be Don. It’s not possible. He would never hurt anyone.”“Amber is right. Are you sure you checked the address correctly? Maybe there was a glitch or something?” Melissa asked. She might be mad at Jack for everything he had done, but she knew him too well. He would never hurt anyone. He wouldn’t stoop this low.Cole looked uncertain, but he was sure this can’t be a mix-up. He was a computer expert, and there was no effing way he would have gotten the wrong address. “As much as this might sound shocking, it might actually be true. Think about it, Jack is the only rival Axel has now. He used to date Amber before Axel returned. And according to what I’ve heard him say, he’s loved Amber since College.”Axel nodded. “Cole is right.”Amber shook her head. “No, this can’t be right,” she began pacing, her heart pounding in her chest. “I know Jack might be temperam
120.Axel felt like a thunderclap had just sounded in his head the minute he saw the message. Cole leaned close to Axel so he could take a look.“Whoa!” Cole exclaimed. “He caught the bait. But what the heck is Amber doing outside?”Axel sighed. “I can’t break up with Amber, Cole. She would be devastated,” he massaged his temple as he thought of a plan. “Devastated,” he repeated. “That’s it!” Cole arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” he gasped. “Don’t tell me you’re going to really break up with her? Axel, Amber might faint, and I will beat you up! It’s not a threat, it’s a promise.” Cole warned.“Relax and hear me out,” Axel said and Cole took a deep breath to calm himself down. “I am going to break up with her, but it’s not going to be a real breakup. We have to find a way to let in on the plan.”Cole seemed to get it and nodded. “Don’t worry. I know how to do that,” he said and Axel raised an eyebrow.“How? We can’t inform her through calls or texts. Our phones might be connecte
119.“Uh… I was…”Larissa folded her arms, her expression stern. “What are you doing in Axel’s office and why are his files scattered on the desk?” she asked, her eyes running over the mess Candice had made.Candice knew she needed to find a way out of this mess. “Uh… it’s not something serious. I just,”“You just what?” Larissa asked, her voice getting hard. Last time she checked, employees weren’t allowed in Axel’s office, especially when he wasn’t in. Coupled with that, Axel didn’t even like Candice to begin with, so there was no way he would ask her to get anything from his office for him, not when she and Maverick were around.“I was looking for the file I submitted to Mr. Axel,” she began, her heart beating frantically in her chest. “I mean, my resume and stuff. I don’t know where I kept the original anymore, and I need to check something urgently, that’s why I came here to find it.”Larissa scoffed. If Candice thought she was going to believe any of those lies, the lady was cle
118. The reporter’s voice echoed through the television in a serious, breaking news tone, “This just in: The only son of the world-renowned billionaire, Kevin King, has taken to social media to announce that his wedding to renowned journalist Amber Smith is soon, with the date being kept a secret.” The news spread like wildfire. Within minutes, the entire nation was buzzing with excitement, speculating about the date and location of the wedding. But underneath the glamour and excitement, a darker force lurked in the shadows. As the days passed, Amber and Axel played their part, lavishing each other with affection in the public eye. Every post, every picture, every tweet seemed to fuel the media frenzy and the anger of the dangerous underdog. Meanwhile, Cole and Axel worked tirelessly to track the mysterious Don. But despite their best efforts, they kept coming up short. The spyware was immune to every hack they tried, and the location remained hidden. It was as if Don were a ghost,
117.After the dinner, Amber, Larissa and Melissa stayed back to help Loris clean. Kevin talked over wine with Mr. Smith while Axel felt like his world had been tilted. Cole walked to him and held his hand, leading him upstairs to his room.Maverick, who had also noticed the distressful look on Axel's face had to follow them as well. They got to Cole's room and he locked the door then turned to face Axel.“Spill it. What happened back at the dinner? Your phone beeped, you checked it and all of a sudden, your mood changed. You haven't been yourself since then,” he said and Axel let out a sigh. “You might not married to Amber yet, but you and I have been friends long enough to be called family, and I won't appreciate it if you decide to hide this from me.”“I don't intend to hide this from you, Cole,” Axel said, his tone low. “I'm just worried. I might not be as scared as I was years ago, but I'm worried. Don is back.”“What!” Maverick and Cole exclaimed at the same time.“How is that p