As Lily watched Axel shut the door behind him, her thoughts swirled. She was attempting to process Axel's revelation. A security company, elite protection, and delicate situations—each phrase formed images of danger, secrecy, and power.Why had Axel kept this hidden? Was he shielding her or himself?Fear and excitement wrestled within her. And she loathed that there was a ping of excitement beneath the surface. She loathed that she didn’t exactly have the outburst she wanted to after discovering that all she was was a job to him.‘But he said this is genuine,’ the voice inside her head whispered.She puffed out a breath and threw herself into the soft mattress.Axel’s vulnerable gaze lingered in her mind, his willingness to risk their relationship by sharing this secret.'Anything to protect you,' he'd said. His words resonated, echoing her own feelings.She pulled her hair, tossed and turned, and continued to sigh in frustration.She needed answers, she knew there was more. She kne
Axel stood still, his eyes locked on Lily's, the slap still resonating in the air. The sound still echoed in his mind.Everyone has their breaking point—Axel had just realized that Lily’s breaking point was her mother.She had painted a perfect picture of the woman who birthed her and it drove her insane that anyone would speak Ill of her character.Surprise clouded his face.Lily's face twisted in pain, her eyes burning with betrayal. "How dare you," she whispered.Axel didn't flinch. "I'm only telling you the truth. The truth you’ve been seeking for a while now.”“You’re a fucking liar,” she spat, her teeth grinding.Axel shook his head. “Why?” He asked, “because I’m simply providing answers to the questions you’ve been asking for weeks?”“Liar!” She yelled in his face.“No, I’m not,” he whispered.Tears filled Lily's eyes. "You're a monster."Axel's voice softened. "That, I am,” he agreed, his jaw ticking. “I’m a monster who’s loyal to the people he loves.” Lily laughed, despairin
“Don’t!”A familiar voice rang through the air, startling Lily and her father. Their heads snapped to the door, the eyes going wide in surprise as they stared at a disheveled looking Axel.His chest was heaving quick breaths, his eyes moving frantically.He shook his head at Lily’s father and mouthed, “please don’t. . .”Mr. Daniels heaved a shuddered breath, his head tipping to the side. “We shouldn’t keep these things away from her anymore, George,” he said, his tone firm.Axel nodded. “I understand. She’ll know, but not like this. . .”“You shouldn’t be here, Axel,” Lily’s harsh tone sliced through his surprisingly vulnerable heart. “You have no right to be here, and you have no right to stop my father from telling me what I should know!”The room fell silent for a fleeting moment, both couples staring into each other’s souls with pain in both their eyes.Lily felt a pang of regret in that moment. ‘Maybe I’m pushing too far,’ she thought to herself. “Axel. . .” She whispered, hopin
Lily’s father’s voice stopped Axel in his tracks. "When do you plan on telling my daughter that you have a son, George?" He asked, his voice a growl.Axel turned sharply, his eyes narrowed.Mr. Daniels’s face reddened with rage as he began striding purposefully towards Axel. Axel's eyes narrowed into tiny slits, his jaw clenched. "What?"Daniels's voice rose. "When do you plan on..."Axel's hands shot up, palms facing Daniels as though surrendering. "I heard you the first time, Daniels!"Daniels's fists trembled with an enraged twitch. "When are you going to tell her?"Axel's expression turned cold, his jaw ticking. "She'll know when she needs to know."A scoff breezed through Lily’s father’s parted lips, his face twisting in disgust. "Don't fucking tell me that!"Axel's eyes flashed, his feet moving him forward. “Tell you what, dearest friend?” He asked, "You want me to burden her with this information when she's still struggling to process the truth of who her mother was? Do you re
Axel reached a hand into his pocket and slid his phone out, immediately swiping the green icon. “Axel George,” his thick, frustrated voice echoed.He listened carefully as the person on the other side of the phone spoke. His eyes shifted to Lily for a fleeting moment before shifting towards another object. “Hm,” he hummed as though in thought. “It’s purely business, yes? And she won’t be there?” He asked the person on the phone.“Okay, I’ll be there.” He finally answered and hung up.“Who was that?” Lily asked.“Just a business partner,” Axel replied, “there’s a get together of the members of the Billionaires Club tomorrow and we’re invited. Would you like to come?”Lily smiled warmly, her head bobbing in a nod.Axel chuckled, “words, little bird.”“Yes, I'd love to come.” She answered, her tone excited. “But first, what was the thing you were about to tell me before. . .”Her curiosity was getting the best of her, but Axel cut her off by placing a palm over her thigh and squeezing ge
“Of course you are,” she scoffed. “Let’s just prepare for the party tonight, Mr. George, then we can talk about your nasty attitude.”With that, she left Axel standing in the middle of the room, his sanity hanging on its last string.Lily walked back to her own personal room, tears streaming down her face. "What in the world came over me." She muttered, running her hands through her hair, shame weighing down on her. Axel's reaction earlier shook her to the core. One minute he's nice and can't stop professing his love for her and the next moment he's hard and treating her like a fucking kid. It's hard though, knowing he's twice her age, but he was the one who wanted to marry her; she didn't choose this. So why treat her like she means nothing to him. Her thoughts wandered.Lily stared at her wardrobe, the feeling of wanting to stay back home gnawed at her. If he treated her this way in private, what would he do in public? Lilly got into her bed, making up her mind to not go. Just as
The one thing he was avoiding was currently gaining in on him. And he knew he had to tell her before it was too late. Axel sighed, pocketed his phone and walked back into the closet. Just then, Lily stepped out of the shower room all dressed up. Their eyes met and she heaved out a nervous breath, her teeth biting into her bottom lip under the intense gaze of Axel. "How do I look?" She asked, turning around in a circle. Axel remained silent, gawking at her, his jaw dropped. Gorgeous was an understatement for how his lady looked right now. The silver dress hugged her body like a second skin, and the moment she did a 360 he could swear he heard his heart rate beat faster than normal. She looked gorgeous, exquisite, and beautiful. "Uhm. . .Baby?" Lily called, snapping her finger. Axel had zoned out while ogling at her body. He blinked twice, coming back from his reverie. "You didn't say how beautiful my dress looked," Lily muttered, walking to stand in front of the mirror. Axel's
Lily walked into the party, hand in hand with Axel. They looked like a perfect couple. A match made in heaven. Just like Axel had promised, he ordered Lily an entire store of designer dresses and a delivery was made while Lily was still washing herself up in the bathroom.And when she came out, they had both collectively picked out the perfect dress for the occasion. Lily felt somewhat out of place, looking at other people and their dates. She was younger than most, almost like a sugar baby. And in that moment, she couldn’t be more grateful that Axel made their engagement public.Axel, as if noticing her discomfort, held her closer to himself. “Relax,” he saidLily smiled dryly. “I am relaxed,” she replied.Axel chuckled. “Not with that tensed shoulder of yours,” he argued.Lily breathed in and they continued moving forward. Lily held on tight to Axel’s biceps, her nerves almost overwhelming her. Of course she belonged to high society, but balls and formal parties of this kind were
“I’m ashamed.”“What?”“It’s shame,” Lily repeated, chuckling bitterly, “and it’s funny how I’m just realizing this now.”“Why are you ashamed? Can you think of any reason?” Alora asked further, her tone gentler, softer, like a mother caring for her child.She and Lily wasn’t so far apart in age, but motherhood had really made Alora into a more grounded woman, a woman who knew how to nurture those around her. And for the first time since loosing her mother, Lily felt so at peace, so comfortable.Clearing her throat, she began speaking. “I think I’m mostly ashamed of my desperation. Of how I moved from a bad breakup to becoming someone’s fiance. And then I suddenly realized that I didn’t even care to know the man I was marrying, I simply wanted to marry him because he was good to me, because he helped me forget about the pain of betrayal.”“Were you happy? While you were engaged to him, did he make you happy?” Alora quizzed.Lily nodded, a silent sob erupting in her throat, the tears a
“Miss Daniels!”Lily spun around, her curious eyes searching through the space, wondering who called out to her. And when her eyes landed on Mrs. Alora Mount, a smile coated her lips.Both women swerved through the crowd of organizers running around to put everything in order before the guests started arriving, and when they were close enough, they both kissed each other on the cheeks in greeting.“It’s so nice to see you again, Mrs. Mount, you look as radiant as ever,” Lily almost squealed excitedly.Alora chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Please, call me Alora.”Lily grinned. “Not until you start calling me Lily.”Both of them chuckled excitedly.Alora Mount was the wife of Keylor Mount, one of the biggest business men in the city of New York. And she herself as his wife had built herself a big brand in the fashion and beauty industry. One known fact: she built her brand using her husband’s influence and she was unapologetic about it. It was something Lily admired her for.Lily a
Lily slid the key into the lock with trembling fingers, her chest tight from the weight of the evening. Her heels clicked softly against the tile as she stepped inside, the faint click of the door closing behind her sounding final. She leaned back against the door, her knees buckling. Slowly, she slid down to the floor, letting her purse fall to her side. The tears at the brim of her eyes cascaded down her face. She cried silently at first, then it built into quiet sobs. Then into louder sobs. She buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking as the emotions of the evening spilled out. Everything felt overwhelming. Axel’s sudden return to her life, the unresolved tension between them, and the notification that had shattered the fragile peace of their dinner. That wife of his. . .why is she hellbent on destroying my peace and happiness? Lily wondered, a hand dragging through her hair.“Oh gosh,” she breathed, her breaths shallow, “fuck him, and her, and those fucking bloggers. .
"Have you. . .legally divorced her yet?" Lily’s voice resounded with demand, her voice shaking.Fuck—Axel screamed internally.Why was this happening? Why now?He wanted to speak to her about it, but he needed to secure the perfect time before doing so, and now. . .why, why, why?His jaw locked in an instant, the hesitation in his expression cutting Lily more than she expected. He let out a heavy breath, his hands dropping to his sides. "It's in the works," he admitted, the words measured, his tone strained. Lily’s throat tightened, a lump forming. "In the works?" she repeated, her voice rising, the pain in her chest too much to handle. "What does that mean, Axel?"“I’ve served Alice the papers,” he said, his voice strong, and yet so quiet, as if trying to calm the anger growing in her. “She won’t sign them. She’s making this hard, Lily.”Lily laughed in a bitter way, the sound empty, hollow. It sent fear down Axel’s core, because he knew what that laughter meant. It was a sound s
Lily Daniels had gone to many fancy dinners, walked on red carpets in designer clothes, and enjoyed the love of wealthy people. But when the shiny black car stopped at a simple brick building in the center of the city, she became curious."This isn't a restaurant," she said, looking at Axel, who was sitting up beside her, completely calm.A little backtracking: The driver had gone to Axel’s company to pick him up.Axel smirked, his confidence maddening. "It's better than any restaurant."The driver opened her door, and Axel got out first, reaching back his hand to her. Lily waited just a moment, contemplating before putting her hand in his. The warmth of his hand made her feel a tingle up her arm."Where are we?" she asked, stepping onto the sidewalk. The building had no sign and no clue as to what was inside."You will see," Axel said, his voice quiet and playful.He escorted her through the doors, where a well-dressed concierge nodded at them. Lily's breath caught as they stepped in
Tomorrow arrived quicker than expected and Lily couldn’t contain her nerves.She stood in front of her mirror, smoothing the soft fabric of her emerald-green dress. It fit her perfectly, the neckline modest but with a hint of allure. She reached for a gold necklace and fastened it around her neck. Her hands shook slightly, and she told herself it was just the excitement of the evening.Axel afterall promised to blow her mind away and she couldn’t wait to see what he had instored for her, considering that he was the king of surprises. From the doorway, Kate leaned casually against the frame, her arms crossed and a teasing grin on her face. “So, you’re really going through with this?” Lily turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean by ‘this’?” Kate stepped into the room, her heels clicking softly on the floor. Lily couldn’t help but notice the elegance Kate exuded especially since becoming a law student at a prestigious school.And honestly, she felt truly happy fo
One week later. . .The lights dimmed, and a soft golden glow bathed the runway as the final model made her way down the platform. Lily followed close behind, her gown flowing in perfect sync with her graceful strides. The crowd erupted into applause, the flash of cameras bright against the dusky backdrop. But Lily’s focus faltered for a heartbeat. In the front row, Axel sat among the elite, his sharp suit and relaxed posture making him stand out. His eyes weren’t on the models, the designs, or even the spectacle of the evening. They were on her. His gaze was steady, unwavering, and intense, like he could see right through the mask of confidence she wore. Like he was studying her.Lily’s breath caught, and she almost stumbled on her feet.Why did she feel so excited to be watched like a prey? She wondered, a gulp forcing down her throat. The pride in Axel’s expression was undeniable, but it was the hunger in his eyes that sent a ripple of warmth down Lily’s spine. She quickly loo
Axel woke to the dull throb of pain in his head and the uncomfortable tug of something taped to his hand. He blinked against the harsh light filtering into the room, his throat dry and scratchy. Slowly, his eyes adjusted, and he noticed the IV drip attached to his hand. The stark sterility of the room around him confirmed he wasn’t in his penthouse.Confused, he shifted and a groan escaped him. His muscles were stiff and his body sore.His head lolled to the side, and that was when he noticed her. Lily.She was sitting beside the bed, her hands clasped tightly on her lap. Her posture was tense, but her face was soft, almost hesitant. She looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes, but her presence alone brought a sliver of warmth to his chest that he hadn’t felt in months.Of course she had to come. It had been two months since they saw one another, and when she got a call that he had collapsed in his penthouse, she just couldn’t stop herself from seeing him.“Lily?” Axel’s voice
Two months post-separation from Lily had been Axel’s nightmare. He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t operate like a normal human being. He simply craved the one person who made him feel whole.His Lily. His little bird.She had been his breath of life. And then she left. And then darkness fell upon him again.A thick darkness he couldn’t find his way out of.He buried himself in work during the day and submerged himself in alcohol at night.Do you know what’s laughable? The fact that he couldn’t even manage his work anymore. He couldn’t run his empire. He was crashing from the inside out.And now, it was another night, and he had lost count of how many bottles he’d downed. His vision was already blurred, his words slurred, and the ache in his chest didn’t ease, no matter how much he drank.“Axel,” one of his closest friends grumbled, grabbing his arm, “we need to get you home, man. You’ve had enough for one night.”Axel chuckled darkly, pulling his arm free. “Enough?” he sl