All Chapters of After He Took It All: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Brielle The table was set for two. Covered with a white table cloth with rose petals scattered around. Candlelight and the smell of Jason's favourite dishes filled the room. I made Creamy garlic shrimp, lemon zest rice and honey glazed chicken for tonight. Just the way he always liked it. Today was our anniversary. Eight years together. And I wanted it to be a memorable day for the both of us. I wore the red dress he gave me on our anniversary last year — a one-shoulder piece that barely grazed my knees and hugged my curves in all the right places.He said it was his favorite and I wanted today, or at least what was left of it to go perfectly. I smile at the framed wedding photo that I'd brought out tonight and whisper, “Happy anniversary, baby."I checked the time on my phone again. 7:47pm. He should have been back by now. Why wasn't he home yet?I tried his number. It just went straight to voicemail. Strange.No worries Bri, I told myself, He must be occupied with work or so

Brielle Morning came and I had a new resolution in mind. Damage control. I was going to see what I could do about my...... situation. There must be a loophole somewhere. Something I could take advantage of. The black track pants and beige top were already laid out for me, just like I’d asked Axel last night. Simple yet practical. It was nothing fancy though. My hair went up in a tight bun, my face bare except for the lip gloss on my lips.The destination in mind was my lawyer's office. I arrived at the office of Mr. Anderson before noon. The receptionist gave me a quick smile, but I didn’t return it I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. Not when I was about to stare my reality in the face.“Brielle,” Mr. Anderson greeted as he stood. His office was lined with mahogany shelves, thick with files and dust. “I’ve reviewed the documents you sent.”I sat, crossing one leg over the other to keep from shaking.“And?”He didn’t look me in the eye. He opened a file and slid it across th

Brielle “Because I should’ve been the one you married, Brielle.” Those words struck me like a slap. My heart slammed in my chest, but not in the soft, fluttery way it used to when Jason whispered sweet nothings in my ear before. No. This was a jagged, sharp sting. An unwanted truth ripping through the fragile pieces of me that were still intact. I took a step back, clutching the file tighter against my chest. “Excuse me?” My voice cracked. Axel didn’t flinch. His gaze held mine, steady, unblinking, filled with a kind of intensity that made me feel stripped bare. “You heard me.” “You’re out of your mind,” I snapped, shaking my head. “You stalk me for ten years, keep secrets about my husband, and now you want to stand there and act like some... some knight who was supposed to ride in and save me? Do you even hear yourself, Axel? That’s sick.” His jaw tightened. “I didn’t say it to make you hate me.” “Well, congratulations,” I shot back bitterly. “Mission accomplished.” The si

Brielle’s POVThe morning came fast.Sunlight spilled from all the corners of the penthouse, making the scene an atmospheric and beautiful view.But unfortunately, that wasn't enough to make last night seem like it never happened.The place still wafted with the smell of burned cigarettes and uneasy shuffling everywhere, though I wasn’t sure if that was real or just a figment of my mind, since I was still in bed and had been staring at the ceiling all night. Afraid that the intruder will be back again. And from the looks of it, it looked like Axel couldn't sleep either. I knew because the moment I opened my eyes, I heard his voice in the next room, dangerously low but lethal enough to make the shuffling persons there act on command.He was on the phone, summoning men, barking orders like he was preparing for some kind of war.“I need all the locks to this house fucking changed—but don’t touch Brielle's space unless she says so.” He demanded. My heart raced in my chest when I realize

Axel's POV The phone pressed warm and flat against my ear as I messaged a finger into my forehead to ease off the headaches. The voice on the other end was supposed to be easing the tension off of me, but his terrified scrambling only made the feeling ten times worse. “I told you already—no more slip-ups for goodness sake. Not this time of all times, dammit.” My tone was clipped, sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t afford any more slacks behind. It was almost as if someone was aware of this, and was now using it to their own advantage. The man on the line muttered an agreement, something about tightened security, but my patience was already up against the wall as I looked outside the window with gritted teeth, “Look, if someone got through once, they’ll try again. I don’t care if it means doubling shifts or getting up in the security system. I just want eyes everywhere.” Frustrated, I ended the call before he could answer, tossing the phone to my desk with a small thud