007.A.A ENTERTAINMENT Axel held Amber's ID card in his hand as he swayed in his chair, waiting for her to arrive. The Lead Editor had been sending him lots of texts, still apologizing for how Amber had behaved but Axel wasn't interested in all that. He only wanted to see her.Maverick walked into the office and bowed. "The Journalist from Glam Magazine is here."Axel adjusted in his seat. "Let her in," he said and Maverick bowed before walking out. Axel dropped the ID card on the table and adjusted his suit, fixed his hair and steepled his fingers as he waited for her to come in.The door to the office opened and he stood up with a smile only for his smile to disappear when he saw that the person who just entered wasn't Amber.Laura, on the other hand, was stunned by how good looking he was. For a moment, she forgot to think as he raised a brow at her, wondering who she was and what she was doing in his office. He tilted his head towards the door but there was no one else coming in.
008.An hour later, Amber was already standing in front of Axel's office door, her grip on her handbag tightening. After speaking with Ms. June, she had taken some time to get herself mentally and emotionally prepared. All she had to do was ask him a few questions like in the outline and then leave, never to see him again."Ms. Amber, welcome." Maverick smiled.Amber turned to face him and forced a smile as well as she bowed. "Mr. A is in a meeting right now. He will be with you shortly," he conveyed and she nodded. "Please wait inside.""Inside the office?" she asked and Maverick nodded. Amber forced a smile. "No, I'll just wait here. There's no need for that."Maverick smiled at her. "Please. I insist." Amber sighed but eventually nodded. She walked into the office, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. Now she had the time to look around and she realized the office actually looked nice; talk about an understated elegance. The walls were a soft grey, lit by recessed lighting tha
009.The air seemed to charge with electricity as Axel stared at Amber, who didn’t break eye contact with him. She hadn’t wanted to ask, but she couldn’t help it. This is a question that had been bothering her for years, and she needed to get it out of her system today.Axel broke eye contact and sighed as he leaned back in his seat. Amber fiddled with her fingers as she waited for his response, but he said nothing.Amber sneered, lowering her gaze. “Well? Aren’t you gonna say something? Or perhaps, do you need me to help you elaborate?”“Amber, I—”“Was our relationship part of the things you had to give up to climb to the top?” she asked, and Axel’s eyes widened.No, that wasn’t it. That would never!“Amber—”“Or did I mean nothing to you just like you said years ago? Did you really mean you were just using me to pass time then? Or maybe I was just some toy—”“Amber, please!” Axel snapped, his heart beating frantically in his chest as he stared at her. Amber’s eyes heated up with te
010.GLAM MAGAZINE“You’re back safe and sound, Amber,” Ms. June gave her a teasing grin. “You did well. What were you so afraid of?” she asked.Amber only forced a smile.“Well, all you have to do is prepare it, send him the draft and let him approve it before we publish it. Who knows? It might become the Cover story of the magazine.”Amber’s face lit up. “That… sounds amazing. That was what I was aiming for before sending the outline anyway.”Ms. June chuckled. “You are a hard working lady, Amber. I believe you’re going to make me proud, just like you’ve always done.”“You can count on that, Ms. June.” Amber smiled genuinely this time.She walked out of Ms. June’s office and sighed before walking to her desk. When she was seated, Gina swayed her chair to Amber’s side, and cleared her throat. “Now is time for you to give me all the tea. What is Mr. A like?” she asked.The rest of the employees perked up their ears, ready to listen to what Amber was going to say even though they prete
011.“What did I miss?” Axel turned to face Maverick the minute they walked into the house.Maverick folded his arms and paced the room, massaging his temples. “I don’t think their relationship is public. Else, we would have known about it.”Axel got rid of his shoes and plopped down on the couch in the living room. His heart was aching badly, but he still couldn’t blame her. After all, he left her with no choice but to date another man when he let her go.But… he thought their love was strong, right? It’d been five years. Had she gotten over him for real?Maverick stood beside him, watching his mood switch from sadness to hurt then regret.“Hey, don’t you dare regret it.” he spoke up and Axel looked up to meet his eyes. “It might not have totally been the best way to handle it then, but what would she have you do, huh? You were unprepared and had no choice. Plus, you were young and lacked the capacity to protect her then.”Axel lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t bear t
012.“The interview…” Amber trailed off and forced a smile. “It went well.”Jack watched her closely. He knew Amber too well. As much as she didn’t like to boast or brag about her efforts, there was a certain way her face always lit up whenever he asked about her successful interviews. This time around, she looked conflicted, and it made him wonder what must have happened.“Hey,” he called softly. “Didn’t it go well? I mean, you’ve been preparing for months and thankfully, your outline got picked. I was expecting you to at least tell me how the interview went.”Amber sighed and licked her bottom lip. “Well…” she cleared her throat and suddenly beamed. “It went well!!!” she exclaimed, causing Jack to laugh heartily.“Gosh, you almost got me there,” he took a deep breath of relief.Amber only chuckled and shook her head, but deep down, she knew it wasn’t over. She couldn’t hide the fact that Mr. A was Axel for long. Very soon, Axel might do a face reveal and Jack would find out. Why not
013.Amber rubbed her jaw, her eyes fixed on the red lettered “Rejected” on the draft she submitted. She wondered what could have made Axel reject her draft. She checked to see if he stayed any reasons, but there were none.“Gosh, what the heck!” she facepalmed.Gina moved closer and stared at Amber’s laptop screen. Her eyes widened. “What? He rejected your draft?” she whispered.Amber nodded with a sigh. “And he didn’t state any reasons or modifications to be made.”Gina raised an eyebrow. “That’s not right. He should highlight where you got it wrong. Besides, no one has ever rejected your drafts before. This is a first.”Amber frowned and took her phone. “I’m going to call his assistant,” she dialed Maverick’s number and he answered immediately. “Good day, Mr. Maverick, I got Mr. A’s response on my draft. It was rejected, and no reasons were stated. Would you mind helping me notify him?” she asked.There was silence from the other end before Maverick spoke up again. “Mr. A would lik
014.GLAM MAGAZINES “Not only did he insist on being interviewed by her, he also invited her to work over dinner. No girl has ever been opportune to have dinner with the likes of Mr. A, and she got it on a platter of gold. What trick did she play this time?” Vera, Laura’s friend spoke, watching Amber in disdain.Amber was already clocking out due to the dinner she had, and they couldn’t help showing how much they loathed her through their eyes.Laura folded her arms, her envious and jealous gaze fixed on Amber, who had no idea they were already boring holes into her back with their glares. “I’m certain she must have done something.”“Of course she has,” Vera huffed. “She is just a termite who eats into other people’s lives. This was supposed to be you, but she stole it.”Laura’s frown deepened.“See you tomorrow, Gina.” Amber picked up her handbag.“Have fun and make sure you eat a lot. Mr. A is rich and can provide whatever you need.” Gina winked.Amber rolled her eyes. “Cut it out.
117.After the dinner, Amber, Larissa and Melissa stayed back to help Loris clean. Kevin talked over wine with Mr. Smith while Axel felt like his world had been tilted. Cole walked to him and held his hand, leading him upstairs to his room.Maverick, who had also noticed the distressful look on Axel's face had to follow them as well. They got to Cole's room and he locked the door then turned to face Axel.“Spill it. What happened back at the dinner? Your phone beeped, you checked it and all of a sudden, your mood changed. You haven't been yourself since then,” he said and Axel let out a sigh. “You might not married to Amber yet, but you and I have been friends long enough to be called family, and I won't appreciate it if you decide to hide this from me.”“I don't intend to hide this from you, Cole,” Axel said, his tone low. “I'm just worried. I might not be as scared as I was years ago, but I'm worried. Don is back.”“What!” Maverick and Cole exclaimed at the same time.“How is that p
116.A week later…THE SMITHS…When Amber and Axel arrived, Amber turned to face Axel. “Do you think your father will be able to make it? He's busy and all. He might not want to bother himself with our humble dinner.”Axel raised an eyebrow at her, wondering where that idea was coming from. He took Amber's hand in his. “This isn't just any dinner, Amber. This is family, and I'm very certain my father will make it. He might like wealth and influence, but he doesn't take family for granted. You don't need to be extravagant to please him. Besides, this dinner is all about us.”Amber smiled and nodded, feeling at ease. “Welcome, my sweet couple,” Loris stepped out of the house with a smile.Amber facepalmed. “Mum, don't make this awkward.” she muttered.Loris chuckled. “Oh please! Today is a happy day,” she turned to Axel, her face beaming with smiles. “Welcome home, my son-in-law. I told you that was going to be the best proposal, and you did wonderfully well.”Axel walked forward and L
115.Next Day...GLAM MAGAZINE “Of course, mum, I'll definitely bring him and his family over,” Amber said as she stepped out of her car. “I was shocked too. Believe me, I didn't expect all of that.”“Oh my baby! I can't believe you've grown so much. You even got proposed to...on television!” Loris kept going on and on, her voice breaking.Amber sighed and shook her head. “Mum, are you crying?” she asked, but there were only sniffles from the other end. Amber facepalmed. “Mum, I thought we talked about this.”Loris sighed from the other end. “I know. I know, I'm just so happy, you know? Just yesterday, you were this tiny little baby. And now... you...” she trailed off.Amber smiled and shook her head. “It's fine, Mum.”Loris sighed. “Yeah, I know. Don't forget to bring Axel home for dinner, alright? We can all have a family dinner.”Amber smiled. “Sure, mum. I gotta go now. I have a lot of work to do today.”“Okay, baby. Enjoy your day.”Amber hung up and took a deep breath. Her moth
114.“No!” Jack yelled, throwing the glass of wine he was holding to the ground. The glass shattered to pieces, its contents spilling all over the floor. “This is outrageous! No!” he yelled.Trent, who was seated opposite him stood to his feet. “Come on, you have to give it up already. There's nothing to be done anymore.” he clapped his hands and the maids quickly rushed to come clean the mess Jack had made.Jack felt like a volcano threatening to explode. He couldn't believe Axel had the guts to propose to Amber for the whole world to see. Amber was supposed to be his. She was supposed to get married to him. Axel can't ruin her life and come back to get married to her.Jack let out a shout of pain of frustration, his hand clutching to his chest. He was so hurt that it felt like his heart was being tugged at, about to be ripped out of his chest. “No, I can't let this happen, Trent, I can't lose Amber like that!” he yelled, his eyes already glistening with tears.Trent sighed. “There'
113.“What is going on here?” Laura finally asked. Her focus was solely on Amber. “Are you related to Mr. King in any way?” she asked.Amber shrugged. “You could say that.” she faced Axel with a smile on her face.Laura blinked. She wasn't daft. Something was actually going on. It was either Amber was related to Mr. King, or she was dating… she shook her head. That was impossible. If Amber was dating Axel, everyone would know about it. Amber wouldn't have kept it hidden. If for anything, Amber would have intentionally announced it to rub it in her face.“I think they are dating, Laura.” Vera whispered.“No, I don't believe that!” Kevin smiled at Axel. “I thought you said you'd make a big announcement about your relationship after the face reveal. What changed?” Amber blinked, turning to look at Axel. Axel grinned. “Well, a certain lady said she wanted this night to be all about me. She doesn't want to take the attention away from me.” he answered with an eye roll.Kevin chuckled hea
112.Axel wore a sleek black suit fit him perfectly, with a white shirt underneath. His black bowtie was tied neatly around his neck, giving him a polished and professional look. His dark hair was styled perfectly, falling in soft waves around his face. And then there were his eyes. Amber could see the intensity of his gaze from her seat as he looked out over the audience, taking in the stunned silence that had fallen over the room.Laura couldn't help swooning while Vera felt like she was on cloud nine.“Oh my gosh! He is so good looking! Why would he hide his face when he's so hot?!” Vera asked.“Maybe he already has a girlfriend and doesn't want shameless ladies drooling all over him.” Gina replied with a smirk, causing Laura and Vera to gasp.“You-”“Shh, everyone! He's about to speak!” Amber cut their argument off, her gaze fixated on Axel. Maverick walked to him and hugged him, smiling widely. Axel returned the hug and then stepped forward, a microphone in his hand. “Good even
111.After Candice left in a fury of anger, Amber turned to face Axel, a smile playing on her lips. “You're really one in a million. I don't even think there's anyone like you in this world,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “I love you so so much.”Axel pulled her close and kissed her lips. “I love you more, Cat eyes,” he replied, his expression mirroring hers. “You are my woman, and I will never let anyone downplay that part.”Axel meant every word he said and Amber knew it. She couldn't ask for more. This was the kind of life she ordered and appreciated. Axel, on the other hand, had only let Candice go because today was a big day for him, and he didn't want any mishaps. He would have fired her if it weren't for her Father and his Father's relationship. But that didn't mean she was off the hook.Amber cupped his cheeks and chuckled. “You look s dreamy whenever you defend me like that. I want to kiss you so bad, but you're about to do a face reveal in front of the whole world
110.Amber folded her arms, her expression hardening. Just when her night was getting good, Candice had to show her annoying face here. “How may I help you, Candice?” she asked with an annoyed expression on her face.Candice's smile was all too cheery for Amber's liking. “What are you doing in here?”Amber raised an eyebrow at her. “What sort of question is that? Do I need to have a reason to come to the studio?”Candice scoffed. “Look around?” She pointed at everything. “Does any of these belong to you? Whether you work here or not is none of my business, but you can't just walk in here like you own the place.”Amber couldn't believe this lady. What the heck was wrong with her? “For your information, my boyfriend owns this company so I have the right to enter wherever I want to. But of course, you won't understand that because you're too busy being jealous and bitter towards other people's relationship,” she said and Candice gasped. “I have been silent, but I don't think I can keep i
108. FRIDAY… DAY OF THE FASHION SHOW. “Is everything ready?” Ms. June asked Amber, and her team. Amber looked at everyone; the cameramen, Laura, Vera, and Gina before nodding her head. “Yes. Everything and everyone is ready.” Ms. June smiled. “Tonight is the night everyone has been waiting for, team. You got to try your best to get it all on camera. Laura will handle the oral interviews, while Amber will handle the written ones. Gina and Vera are there to assist. In the end, we will merge everything together and make sure it makes headlines.” Everyone nodded, a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. They all knew what was at stake: a scoop that could make or break their careers. They’d spent weeks preparing, and now it was time for the main event. “Let’s go,” Ms. June declared, leading the team out of the office and into the waiting car. When they had entered, she bade them farewell and whispered in Amber's ears. “Make us proud.” Amber smiled and nodded with a