142.Amber burst out laughing. "Gosh, you're so good at pranking people. You made it look so real. You can't be serious. A break up?" she laughed it off, her heart beating wildly in her chest.Axel's expression made her blink as she took a step closer to him. He moved back, not wanting to be close to her. Amber raised an eyebrow. "You're being serious? Are you being serious right now?" she asked. What the heck was going on? Why was he asking for a breakup?Axel nodded his head. "Yes, I'm serious," he began, putting up a brave front as he willed himself to look into her eyes, but seeing the tears gathering in them, he looked away. "I'm tired of this relationship. I thought I could put up with you, but I can't do this anymore. I've gotten what I wanted, so it's time I set you free.""Gotten what you wanted?" Amber asked. "What are you talking about? Why do you want to break up after everything we've been through together? This doesn't make any sense," she sighed, trying to think. "We di
143.Cole barged into the living room, a frown settled on his face. Axel, noticing his presence, stood to his feet and faced Cole. "What do you think you're doing?" Cole asked, his voice calm at first as he tried to control his anger. "What the heck do you think you're doing, Axel? Why would you break Amber's heart like that?" he yelled this time around. If Cole hadn't come out and seen Axel walking out while Amber was slumped on the floor, crying her eyes out, he wouldn't have believed this. He would have thought this was a terrible prank. At first he had wanted to wait until the next day and confront Axel, but when Amber passed out and they had to rush her to the hospital, Cole couldn't sit still. He couldn't watch his sister in pains.Axel stood with an unreadable expression on his face. "Why are you acting like this is such a big deal? I only broke up with her, I didn't kill her," he replied nonchalantly and Cole couldn't believe his ears. Cole balled his fists, trying his best
144.Next day..."I can't believe it, Melissa! I really can't!" Amber sobbed in Melissa's arms while Melissa patted her back, trying to console her."I know, I know, Amber," Melissa said, her voice empathetic. "I can't believe it either. Something is definitely wrong somewhere. Axel wouldn't just break up with you out of the blue." she said, trying to convince herself as well. It was so strange. She recalled how excited Axel had been for Amber's birthday. The whole surprise and gift stuff were his idea. Everything that happened yesterday was because of him. She wondered why he would just return from his father's place and break up with Amber. Melissa was sure that wasn't the whole story. Axel wouldn't just tell Amber he was using her and stuff. The few months they've been together hadn't really hinted at him using her. Their love was genuine."I have to call him," Amber pulled away from the hug and began searching for her phone. "I need him to give me more explanation, Mel. There is
145.Amber barged into the house, her steps heavy with dread but fast with determination. Cole and Melissa rushed after her, trying to stop her but she was bent on finding out whether what Kevin said was true or not. Back at the company, she had tried getting the old man to talk; to at least tell her where Axel had gone, but he turned her down, which made her assume he was only lying to get her off Axel's back. It wasn't easy convincing Cole to bring her back to this house, but she needed to know.Amber threw Axel's room door open, her eyes widening in both shock, disappointment and pain at the discovery that it was indeed true. She rushed into his wardrobe, throwing it open. It was empty. She looked around the room for any sign of him, or his things, but there was nothing. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she plopped to the floor, her hand clutching her chest. Her heart felt so heavy that it threatened to fall out of her chest. "He's really gone," she whispered, looking up at the c
146.A MONTH LATERLife without Axel was like a fish out of water. It's been a month and Amber was still waiting for him to come back and explain things for her. Her grades dropped drastically and Melissa was hell worried about her GPA. Amber used to be top of the class, but now even school didn't look like something she wanted to do anymore. The professors are complaining, and most of her course mates have tried to cheer her up many times, but their efforts were futile. Everyone knew the reason she had lost her spark was because Axel transfered from the school. Desperate as she was, she had tried getting the VC to tell her the name of the new school Axel transfered to, but she told Amber it was confidential information, and except the student was willing to share it, she couldn't disclose it.Amber's world seemed to have lost all colours. Every weekends, she would go to the house to see if anything has changed or if Axel had come back but she got nothing. Apart from how she had los
147.SOMEWHERE IN LAS VEGAS, 7:30PMAxel walked into the dormitory, his body drenched from the rain. Maverick, his room mate, and cousin, stood from the chair and rushed to him. "Oh my gosh, Axel," He exclaimed, his face twisted in worry as he quickly grabbed a towel and handed it to Axel. Axel removed his slippers and walked further into the room, casually drying himself while Maverick stared at him with a bemused and sympathetic expression on his face."Why didn't you use the umbrella I sent to you?" he asked, but Axel didn't respond. "How long are you going to keep punishing yourself, huh? You and I know how intolerant you are to cold. But you keep going under the rain and getting drenched to punish yourself for doing the right thing."Axel sneered, throwing the wet towel at Maverick, who caught it. "I was a coward, Maverick, and I hurt her.""No, you saved her," Maverick took a step closer to him. "She might not know it but everything you did was for her safety. I know you're h
148. ------------------------ THREE YEARS LATER.... Graduation.… "Congratulations!!!!" Everyone screamed in happiness as they all took group photos. When they were done, Amber took a seat under one of the canopies set there with Melissa and Jack. "Oh, I can't believe we graduated!" Melissa screamed, taking a selfie while Amber laughed, taking a bite out of her sandwich. "Oh my gosh! And have you seen my GPA?" "Have you seen Amber's?" Jack asked and Melissa laughed. "Oh, I knew you'd take her side. Perks of being the overall best student, duh!" Melissa winked at Amber. Melissa's giddy enthusiasm was contagious, and Amber couldn’t help but laugh along with her. “It’s been a long road, but we made it,” Amber said with a smile, reminiscing on all the ups and downs they’d been through together. Her expression turned sad for a minute as she remembered Axel. She wondered what was going on with him. Today would have been complete if he were by her side. “Speaking of lon
Chapter 001 ~ Hello, Little Kitten —————— LAS VEGAS, 8:00pm ‘Haruki Murakami once said, “Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional”, so I have decided not to let the pain make me suffer or lose sight of what I have. I might have lost love, but I have life, and I am going to rewrite my story.’ Amber smiled as she snapped her diary closed, feeling a sense of satisfaction and peace. She had written this two years ago, and whenever she felt hurt, she would go back to read it and remind herself of the promise she made to herself. Life hadn’t been as good as she had thought, at least she was living now. She had completed her internship and was now one of the renowned journalists at her workplace. She was loved by all, and she brought sunshine wherever she went. Not to mention how much Politicians feared her pen. The public believed whatever they saw in her article or reports, and celebrities knew their fates were in the power of her pen — she was a force to be reckoned with. With
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