All Chapters of After He Took It All: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

Axel’s POVI usually hate malls. Like, really, truly hate them.They’re loud, they smell like a weird mix of cinnamon rolls and expensive perfume, and there are way too many people walking way too slowly.But honestly, my head was feeling like a cluttered hard drive that was about to crash.Two years of being the guy everyone is afraid of takes a toll.I needed to not be "Axel Ferdinez, the Ghost Hunter" for like, thirty minutes.I just needed some air that didn't come through a high-end filtration system and a view that wasn't a bunch of stock tickers.So, I found myself walking through this massive shopping center downtown.I was wearing a hoodie and a baseball cap pulled low, trying my best to look like just another guy who’s probably late for a movie.It was weirdly relaxing, just being a face in the crowd.No one was looking at me for a paycheck or a signature.I was passing by this big toy store—the kind with the bright lights and the loud music—when I felt this sudden, solid th

Axel’s POVThe gala was exactly what you’d expect when the entry requirement is a Black Card and a net worth that has more commas than a long sentence.We were on the top floor of the Aurora Spire, a building I basically own, looking out over a city that felt like it was at my feet.The lighting was dimmed to that perfect "rich person glow," the champagne was flowing like water, and the air was thick with the smell of expensive perfume and corporate secrets.As the Top 1 elite CEO of the year, I was the host.It’s a "privilege" the board gives you when you’ve successfully rebuilt a dying empire into a global superpower.Honestly, it just felt like a giant target on my back.I spent the first hour doing the rounds, shaking hands with allies who wanted my money and rivals who wanted my blood.Alexei was hovering right beside me, looking like a high-strung peacock in a white silk tuxedo.He’d handled the catering, obviously, and he was currently vibrating with a mix of pride and sheer pa

Axel’s POVWhat...what just happened?A sharp inhale of air escaped through my lips as I struggled to stand my ground—to not disappear in the middle of all the chaos unfolding around me.Brielle...I stood frozen behind the podium, heart beating faster and lips turning dry as my hands gripped on the edges tighter, forcing myself anchored to the floor—forcing myself to not run after her all over, all while staring at the space where she'd just been minutes ago.The spot she'd claimed during her dreadful speech.I should be scared.Heck, I should even be panicking about the war she just declared! She just declared her move on the entire Ferdinez in front of thousands like it was nothing!But...she's fucking alive! I knew it! I knew she couldn't be gone, gosh, she's fucking alive! Alive!She...she's been alive all these while!And Brielle came to me—looked at me, damnit. And she didn't just walk up to me like the version I knew all those years back.She fucking swayed her hips knowing fu

Brielle's POVAll this space, and he still hasn’t changed anything about his company.I scoffed. What was I expecting? The Ferdinez have always been proud and known to intimidate others.Just this cold tower of glass stretching towards the sky, marking its territories with as much arrogance just like its owners.The headquarters still looked exactly the way it did two years ago.Clean, pristine and seemingly…. Untouchable.Funny.So did I.I stepped out of the car at exactly 8:55 a.m, heels clicking against the polished stoned floor as my driver opened the door with his head lowered in respect.I took a deep inhale of the shift in the air.It smelt like luxury and a rush of adrenaline for the one ambition in mind.Unlike the past, I wasn't scared. Wasn't nervous, or hesitant to take this one step forward. If anything, I was very much looking forward to this.Looking forward to savouring the look on Axel's face as I take everything away from him.Dusting the imaginary dust on my shou

Alexei’s POVThere were moments in life where you realized you were the only sane person in a room full of powerful lunatics.Now, this was one of those moments.I stared at my phone for a solid thirty seconds, rereading the same message Axel had sent me at 2:47 a.m.Do not interfere, Alexei.I’ll handle it.I always do.Right.Because that had gone so well the last time.I tossed the phone on the kitchen counter and leaned back against it, arms crossed, staring at the ceiling of my penthouse like solutions were going to spawn anytime soon.It didn’t. As a matter of fact, it never did.Axel and Brielle were officially at war. They both weren't holding back anymore.Which meant—by default—someone had to make sure the collateral damage didn’t include two toddlers who had no idea their parents were terrifying apex predators fighting over some boardroom privileges.And apparently, that someone was me.“Congratulations, Alexei,” I muttered to myself. “You’ve officially become a responsibl