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
Lily looked at Axel with tears spewing from her eyes. She was expecting him to say something, to counter whatever his ex-wife was saying. He remained silent. Pain clawed in her heart as Axel’s shaky hand fell on hers, holding onto her. She couldn't believe he would hide something as big as this from her. Axel, seeing that pain and hurt reflection in Lily's eyes felt his chest constrict even more, to a point where he was almost gasping for breath. He was falling apart on the inside, he was at a crossroads. . .“Tell me what she's lying, Axel,” Lily’s whispered voice fell through his thoughts.Silence.“Tell me everything she said is a lie, a ploy to cause a rift between us,” She demanded, this time, her voice firmer. Still, Axel remained silent. He couldn't think of a way to defend himself in the situation. Alice’s face curled into a sinister smile, which she masked immediately. She walked up to Lily, laughing hysterically.“You didn't think he would be married to a stable, beautifu
Austin was Axel's son. She tipped her head to the side and her eyes connected Axel’s. She was silent, but her eyes asked the one question hanging heavy on her tongue. “Is Austin your son?”Axel didn’t speak, but when a shuddered breath wracked through him, that was all the answer Lily needed to hear.Hysteric laughter erupted in her throat.Lily's head exploded and she bit down on her tongue, an attempt to keep herself from falling completely apart. “You mean you’re acquainted with this girl that broke our family?” Alice’s voice echoed louder than necessary. Of course she’d raise her voice—it was obvious her aim was to embarrass Lily. “Yes. She is the lady I was telling you about,” Austin answered, the corner of his mouth curved up.Lily smiled, nodding. This was their plan after all, to come here and make a mess of her where the world could see. But her anger wasn’t directed at them. She was angry at the man who put her in this situation.Axel. . .If only he was open about everyt
The silence in the room was so loud it almost drove Lily out of her mind. A small whimper elicited in her throat, the sound so low that no one could hear it. But Axel heard it, and he knew what it meant.He sighed, tired, resolved.If unhappiness was his fate, then he was willing to accept it. But he couldn’t stand by any longer and watch his ex-wife and son ruin the life of an innocent girl whose only crime was allowing herself to be swayed by him.“I warned you not to call her a whore again,” Axel said, his eyes intent on his ex-wife. Lily was still dumbstruck, her mind running in circles, trying so hard to understand what had just happened.Axel just hit a woman—her mind kept singing. And then for Alice and Austin, it was a surprise. Especially for Alice. Axel was never a violent man. He had never put his hands on her throughout their years of marriage, he never touched her in any harmful way no matter how many times she crossed the line.And it was in that moment that she realiz
Once Lily and Axel were both out of the door, the journalists came rushing toward them.“Is it true you dated the son of your Fiance?” “How do you feel about being the center of attention in a scandal?” “Is it true you got engaged to Axel George because of his Wealth?” Lily felt the urge to scream her lungs out. What was it with people and insinuating she got together with Axel because of his wealth? She came from money and everyone knew it. But it was a normal thing in society—belittling women and making it seem as though they were nothing without the men in their lives.She wanted to stop and lash out on the journalists, but Axel held her firm, pulling her through the crowd, shielding her from the desperate, hungry journalists. He guided her till they got into their car. Once they were safely inside, Lily immediately withdrew her hand from Axel’s and moved the edge of the seat. Axel sighed, his head bobbing once in understanding.“Take us home, James,” he said to their chauffeu
Lily and Axel continued exploring the facility, moving through hallways filled with laughter and the vibrant energy of children. Axel loosely held her hand as they walked, guiding her from one room to another. Every now and then, they stopped to play with the kids, their conversations filled with giggles and wide-eyed admiration.“I think whatever you told Mia has spread like wildfire,” Lily teased, watching a group of kids blush and whisper as they passed. “They can’t stop staring at us.”Axel smirked, his eyes warm with mischief. “It’s fine if they know, but you? You’ll never find out.”Lily rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a groan. “You’re so. . .impossible.”Their tour finally led them to the children’s drawing room. They settled at one of the small tables, joining a group of kids who eagerly handed them paintbrushes.As Lily dipped her brush into the vibrant colors, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. She wasn’t thinking about the past, the pain, or even the uncer
The sun was yet to rise when Axel arrived at Lily’s home. Today, he drove himself, in a way to give him and Lily more private time to bond.He was dressed in a casual attire—grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt, then a baseball hat on his head.Without wanting to disturb Lily’s sleep, he sat in his car and waited for hours until the sun began to rise. And to his greatest surprise, he spotted Lily gently jogging back to the manor after her morning run.His mouth pulled apart, pupils dilating as he watched her move so smoothly, sweat trickling down her face, a few strands of her hair matted over her forehead.Beautiful. . .so fucking beautiful.His head voice kept whispering as he opened the car door and stepped out. Lily’s steps slowed to a stop the moment she spotted him getting out of his car and she almost stumbled. Axel was quick to reach her side before she crashed, his firm hands holding her up.“Axel?” Her voice was breathless, partly from her run and partly from the shock of se
Axel weaved the lunch bag’s handle through his fingers, the other hand formed into a fist and steepled underneath his chin, his eyes observing the city light outside the window of his office.It was dark into the night and yet, Axel’s mind was nowhere near ease. “Fuck. . .” He grumbled, fingers diving into his hair, his head dropping low, shaking.He rose to his feet and approached the window, staring at his reflection as though it were a stranger.“You had to mess it up, didn’t you?” He asked himself as he massaged his temples with his fingers.He was unnerved by the thought that he might’ve ruined his chances at repairing his relationship with Lily, that his pride and slightly loose tongue might’ve cost him his last chance at having this love he craved so much.But he shut her out for good reason.All these weeks that turned into a full month of no communication with Lily, he had taken his time to plan out the perfect apology.He wanted to be the one to beg her, he wanted to be the
The next day, Lily found herself walking through the lobby of Axel’s establishment. She had a bouquet of white roses in one hand, and in the other, she carried a small bag containing a lunch box.She was afraid of the outcome of her visit especially as her mind replayed the events of last night. The way Axel sent her out of his house, the way he looked down at her with so much anger and resentment.It terrified her to be here in his workspace, but she was a woman on a mission. She needed to repair the relationship she ruined and nothing was going to stop her.When she arrived at the private floor, she approached the receptionist with a warm smile. “Hi, I’m Lilian Daniels.” She said.And that was all that needed to be said for the receptionist's smile to widen. Everyone knew Lilian Daniels—not just as a fast growing fashion mogul, or even the only daughter of a powerful business man, but as the woman who has Axel George’s heart.“You’re here to see Mr. George?” The receptionist asked.
When Axel walked into his home in the dead of night, the aroma of something delicious—of his favorite meal wafted through his nose. He stopped dead in his tracks, his brows pulling into furrows as he remembered instructing his chef not to make dinner.He began approaching the kitchen but then he stopped at the dinning. The dining is perfectly set up. With soft candles burning, rose petals scattered across the silk cloth covering the dining table, and elegant dinnerwares sprawled out.Do I have a visitor? He wondered.But he didn’t dwell too long in his thought when Lily walked out of the kitchen with a serving spoon.She quickly noticed Axel’s presence and that made her stop in her tracks, a gasp falling free from her throat.Both their eyes locked and they stared intensely for seconds that could pass for hours.In Axel’s heart, he was confused and happy all at once, but he couldn’t bring himself to show her his excitement even if he wanted to and he didn’t know why.“Hey,” Lily final
One month later.Lily paced her room, thumb between her teeth, phone pressed to her ear as she listened to the person speaking on the other end.A business partner—no, a major business partner.“Of course, Mrs. Baldwin, I understand what you mean. You trust me to deliver a good job and be punctual about it too, don’t you?” Lily asked and quieted herself once more until she heard a response.“Good. Now rest your mind. I’ll make sure my team gets to you before the weekend,” Lily assured her, finally removing the phone from her ear and letting her body collapse onto the couch. She groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration.Kate, who was already sitting beside her the entire time with a bowl of ice cream in hand, chuckled softly. She nudged Lily with her elbow, a proud smile playing on her lips. “Look at you,” Kate said, a teasing lilt in her voice. “Who would’ve thought you could expand your brand this much in such a short amount of time, especially with everything you’ve b
By the time Lily was out in the driveway, her father’s car was already there to pick her up.A little backtracking here: while Axel and his legal team were busy negotiating terms with Alice’s team, Lily had quietly reached out to her father, asking him to come for her. Now. . .She opened the back door and slid into the backseat. The moment she closed the door behind her, Lily scooted closer to her father and leaned against him. Mr. Daniels’s face contorted with displeasure, his face lined with concern. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around her. His embrace was warm and it felt like. . . a safety net she desperately needed.“Shh, it’s okay,” he murmured, his large hand stroking her back gently. “It’s going to be okay, my princess.”Lily buried her face deeper into her father’s shoulder, her tears soaking into his shirt. “I’m fine, Dad,” she said, even when her voice betrayed her with a tremble. “I just. . .I just need a moment.”Mr. Daniels leaned back slightly, tipping her chi
“Maybe this. . .me being here is a mistake. Maybe you need time to heal from whatever Alice did to you. Maybe we need some time apart.”The moment Lily said those words, she began making her way out of the office, but Axel wasn’t going to let her play with his feelings anymore. He was tired of the push and pull, he was tired of feeling like a fool.If Lily didn’t love him enough to be straightforward with him, then she needed to say it to him instead of playing mind games on him.Before Lily could get her steps in, Axel’s fingers curled around her forearm, holding her in place. She turned back to face him and the moment their eyes locked, emotions were high.Axel’s grip on Lily’s arm tightened just enough to hold her in place, but not enough to hurt. His jaw was clenched, and the vulnerability in his eyes was quickly overtaken by frustration. “What do you mean by time apart, Lily?” he demanded, his voice hard and unyielding. It was a tone he rarely ever used with her, one that cut st
It was barely a few hours after their conversation that the estate began buzzing with visitors. Sophisticated men and elegant women dressed formally filed into the manor and were led into Axel’s office.And then soon, Austin and Alice arrived. Lily watched the visitors through her window, and she couldn’t help but notice that Alice brought her own formally dressed men and women.Lawyers.She tiptoed out of her room and made her way down the stairs, following the long hallway until she was in front of Axel’s office. She pressed her ear near the door, ready to listen in on their conversation.Inside the office, Axel sat at the head of the table, his fingers clasped tightly together, jaw locked. The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating. His lawyers sat to his left, their legal pads and laptops open, ready to defend him. And to his right, Alice, Austin and their legal team sat. Alice sat with perfect posture, her face a mask of cold detachment. Beside her, Austin leaned back