All Chapters of Velvet Dominion: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The next day, voices carried from the floor below—heated, tense. I approached the door and immediately recognized Axel and Alyssa. The tension between them was obvious even without seeing them directly. I couldn't intervene, so I dragged the suitcases out of the room, taking a deep breath to steady myself."And what is she doing here?" Alyssa shot daggers with her eyes, stepping toward me with a finger pointed. "Axel will never be yours, get that through your head!""I don't want him," I said firmly, keeping my composure. "I'm here to work. Trust me.”"Good for you. Darling, let's go—I've arranged the private jet."Alyssa grabbed Axel's arm, trying to pull him out of the suite. But he stopped in front of me."Crystal, you'll return with some of the security team. I'm going with Alyssa. See you at the office tomorrow."Alyssa disappeared with him, her glare full of resentment, and I was left alone with my suitcases, feeling as if I'd just witnessed a betrayal that wasn't mine. Desire,

I walked into the building, my heart still racing from the evening. I hadn't even had time to settle when I saw him—Axel, at the top of the stairs, walking down toward me with that purposeful stride."Where have you been?" His voice was low, rough, commanding."None of your business. We're not at work." I tried to keep my composure, but my pulse was racing.He came closer, cupping my chin in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. The familiar scent of mint and tobacco hit me, sending a shiver down my spine."What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to step back, but his hand on my back nudged me slightly closer.He ignored my question. "Where have you been?""With a guy. Happy? Now tell me what you're doing here." My voice betrayed a hint of nervousness."And do you like this guy?" His words were whispered near my mouth, but the tone was sharp, intense."None of your business, Axel.""Do you want him as much as you want me?" His stare was piercing, and being so close made it hard to

After Axel's punishment, I spent the following days in that room organizing the files. By now, two days had passed. It felt like no progress was being made. The room hadn't been touched in years, and now all the work had fallen onto me—alone. Every corner was full of dusty papers, piles of folders stacked haphazardly, faded labels, and some files looked like they belonged to another era entirely.I muttered an insult at Axel under my breath as I tried to organize the space mentally. I decided to divide the work: one section today, another tomorrow, the last one the day after. I could handle it. It wasn't a punishment, just a challenge I had to face.As I was tackling a particularly thick folder, my phone buzzed. A message from Claudio. A strange shiver ran down my spine: every time I thought of him, my mind inevitably drifted back to Axel, and a chill traveled down my back."Lunch together?"I had almost forgotten the promise I had made him—and the fact that I'd postponed it several t

I came home with a lump in my throat and a weight of guilt pressing on my shoulders. I didn't want to step into Axel's life, didn't want to become his mistress, and yet part of me craved that thrill—the one only he could give me. I longed for a normal life, a real marriage, love, passion… and at the same time, I knew I could never have both. Every time I thought about it, a voice inside me screamed: Liar!Because I had to admit it, I liked the kind of sexual tension we shared. That electric charge that made me tremble even when he was just near me. I told myself it was impossible to reconcile the desire I felt for Axel with a normal life, that only the lucky few could have both.I opened the door to my apartment, and my phone immediately buzzed: it was Greta."Hey, my friend! How's it going?""I really don't know," I replied, trying to mask the confusion in my voice."Listen, I have to tell you something… I overheard it by accident.""Don't keep me in suspense, tell me. Should I be wo

I cleared my desk and left. Axel had already gone—two major meetings with Japanese investors were waiting for him. He didn't ask me to join him, and that irritated me more than it should have. Still, the upside was that I had the entire afternoon to myself.I decided to focus on me for once. I made myself a herbal tea and picked up a novel I'd bought months earlier. I got so absorbed in the story that I didn't notice it had grown dark outside—or that my phone was lighting up with messages from Claudio.His persistence annoyed me. We weren't together, yet he was acting like my boyfriend. That night, I intended to be clearer.We met at a bar near my place so it would be easier for me to head home afterward. Even though I had a car, I preferred not to use it unless necessary. I arrived before him, took a seat outside, and ordered a Diet Coke."Sorry to keep you waiting." Claudio showed up slightly out of breath, as if he'd hurried."Hey, don't worry."He sat down and smiled at me. His ey