Hi, lovely readers 🦋 If you’re reading this, know that you’re amazing and awesome. You’ve gotten to the end of Book One, isn’t that lovely? Thank you for sticking with me and for coming this far with me. Uhhh… I know y’all have lots of questions, and I believe you’re very curious to know where this story’s headed and if Amber and Axel will have their happy ending. Why not join me as we begin Book Two All your questions will be answered and your curiosity will be fed. Book Two will start immediately. This is a two in one series so everything will be together. And please do leave a review and comment, telling me how you feel about Book One. I’d really appreciate it. Much Love 💜🦋 ©️Purple Ink 2025
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
002. Amber’s heartbeat accelerated. Little Kitten… she hadn’t heard that name for years and hearing it brought a lot of memories. Could it be that Axel had finally come back? She slowly turned back, bracing herself for what was to come but her face fell when she realized that it wasn’t really anything — just a girl, letting her brother pat her kitten. Amber shut her eyes tight as she felt a wave of embarrassment. She couldn’t believe that she had mistaken the man for Axel. With a shake of her head, she quickly walked away. She couldn’t believe it. All these years, she has made herself believe that she didn’t want to see Axel ever again. But tonight, she had no idea why she had anticipated seeing him after hearing those words. It made her feel ashamed of herself. “Amber!” She looked up and sighted Melissa waving at her. With an eye roll, she approached Melissa, who gave her an apologetic expression. “I’m so sorry, girlie,” Melissa linked their arms, trying to act cute
003.GLAM MAGAZINEAmber walked into her department, her presence alone drawing everybody’s attention as they all left whatever they were doing to stare at her. A smile tugged at the side of her lips as her heels clicked the floor, the rhythm sweet to the ears of her admirers. If someone told her years ago that she would get used to being the center of attention, she wouldn’t have believed it, but now she relished the feeling—it was the most beautiful thing in the world, but it came with a price.Not everyone staring really loved her. Some stared at her with envy, others with jealousy, and some didn’t even want to see her face. But did she care? Nah. She didn’t give a damn. This was her job, and she worked hard to get here. She deserved this.When she got to her desk, she dropped her bag and took a seat, turning her computer on immediately.“Amber! Amber! Amber!”Amber’s eyes widened as she swayed to the direction of the person calling her. It was Gina, her colleague and friend.Amber
004. Amber couldn’t believe what she was seeing right now. She blinked to be certain it wasn’t a hallucination, but it was real. She pinched herself to be sure she wasn’t dreaming, but the pain was as real as the man standing in front of her. Axel stared at her, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms. This was the first time he was seeing her up close after more than five years. It felt so surreal. She had grown so much. His little Kitten was a woman now. Amber’s eyes turned teary as she looked at the man in front of her. “Axel.” she whispered. “Cat eyes,” he called back, causing her heart to skip a beat as tears rolled down her cheeks. She hadn’t heard that name in years and it hurt that it still had that effect on her; that effect she hadn’t felt for a long time. Axel made to take a step forward, but she moved back, her face filled with a mixture of shock and horror. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined meeting him in such a way. Her head reeled with m
005.“What do you mean someone else have to do it?” Ms. June asked Amber who has returned to her office as soon as she left Axel’s company. She knew Amber to be very diligent in her work, and Amber hadn’t turned down any interview before. “What is the problem?” she asked another question, her gaze fixed on Amber who looked sad and downtrodden.Amber exhaled. “Please, Ms. June, I know I didn’t do the right thing by leaving and coming here, but I can’t do this interview. I just can’t. Let someone else do it. Laura, for example.”Ms. June shook her head as she massaged her forehead. “Mr. A rejected Laura’s outline. He personally chose you. Why would you leave? If he gets angry and decide to do something to this company, what are you going to say about that?” Ms. June had always loved Amber and always supported everything she did, but this time around, she had no idea what was going on, and she felt it would be better if Amber told her what was wrong, but Amber had withheld that informati
006.AMBER’S APARTMENT ————“Oh, Melissa, I still can’t believe it!” Amber threw her hands in the air, looking so down and frustrated while Melissa tried her best to pat her back and assure her that it was fine.“If you think about it, this is quite strange,” Melissa said and Amber looked up at her, her face filled with curiosity. “Axel left without giving you a valid reason—”“Don’t forget that he hurt me before leaving.” Amber placed her hand on her forehead.Melissa rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that too. All these years, he’s been in Las Vegas, blocked all access that you could get to him and went fully anonymous. He built his company from the ground up, and it became successful immediately. For years, he rejected the proposals sent by Glam Magazine for interviews and didn’t even bother showing his face to the public. Now all of a sudden, he accepted, and it turned out to be your outline.”Amber scratched her head. She wasn’t getting what Melissa was saying. “Your point?”Melissa poked
007.A.A ENTERTAINMENT Axel held Amber's ID card in his hand as he swayed in his chair, waiting for her to arrive. The Lead Editor had been sending him lots of texts, still apologizing for how Amber had behaved but Axel wasn't interested in all that. He only wanted to see her.Maverick walked into the office and bowed. "The Journalist from Glam Magazine is here."Axel adjusted in his seat. "Let her in," he said and Maverick bowed before walking out. Axel dropped the ID card on the table and adjusted his suit, fixed his hair and steepled his fingers as he waited for her to come in.The door to the office opened and he stood up with a smile only for his smile to disappear when he saw that the person who just entered wasn't Amber.Laura, on the other hand, was stunned by how good looking he was. For a moment, she forgot to think as he raised a brow at her, wondering who she was and what she was doing in his office. He tilted his head towards the door but there was no one else coming in.
008.An hour later, Amber was already standing in front of Axel's office door, her grip on her handbag tightening. After speaking with Ms. June, she had taken some time to get herself mentally and emotionally prepared. All she had to do was ask him a few questions like in the outline and then leave, never to see him again."Ms. Amber, welcome." Maverick smiled.Amber turned to face him and forced a smile as well as she bowed. "Mr. A is in a meeting right now. He will be with you shortly," he conveyed and she nodded. "Please wait inside.""Inside the office?" she asked and Maverick nodded. Amber forced a smile. "No, I'll just wait here. There's no need for that."Maverick smiled at her. "Please. I insist." Amber sighed but eventually nodded. She walked into the office, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. Now she had the time to look around and she realized the office actually looked nice; talk about an understated elegance. The walls were a soft grey, lit by recessed lighting tha
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