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.
015.“All I care about is how much I want you.” Alan whispered and Amber’s eyes widened.The rest of the world seemed to fade into the background as both locked gazes. Amber was dumbstruck as she stared at Axel. Did she hear what he said or was she hallucinating? What did she miss? Why would he want her when he was the one who ruthlessly left her?That seemed to bring her back to her senses. She broke eye contact and scoffed, looking out the window. “For someone as heartless as you are, you sure have some guts,” she spat, her face scrunched up in disgust. “Keep your want to yourself. I love my boyfriend. I want nothing to do with you anymore, Axel.”Axel smiled. “At least you still know my name,” he said and Amber adjusted in her seat. “I stand on my word, Cat eyes,” he whispered, and she swiftly turned to look at him. “I only lent you to that boyfriend of yours, and I’m going to take you back.”Amber folded her arms and glared at her. “Don’t make me repeat myself. I already said I do
016.The next day, Amber couldn’t concentrate on work as she kept zoning out, her thoughts drifting to what Axel said the previous night.Did he actually mean everything he said? She might not have given him a response then because she was unsure, but now that she thought about it, did he really want her? Did he approach her because he wanted her back and not because of the guilt?Amber shook her head to get rid of the thoughts and stood to her feet. She walked to the water dispenser to get a glass of water, which she took before returning to her seat.“Amber, Ms. June wants you.” Gina tapped Amber’s back.Amber nodded and headed for Ms. June’s office. When she got there, Ms. June gestured for her to take a seat which she did. “The deadline is approaching, Amber. Have you corrected the draft and sent it to Mr. A?” she asked.Amber shook her head. “I’m almost done with the corrections, Ms. June. You know, he made numerous corrections so…” she trailed off and lowered her head.Ms. June
017.Axel kept staring at Candice as she walked to stand in front of him. She made to hug him, but a look from Kevin made her halt.Kevin walked to stand in front of them, smiling. Axel looked at his father, his expression showing he wanted an explanation. Candice rubbed her arms, waiting for Kevin to say something.“Hey, no need for the staring contest, come sit down,” Kevin smiled at Axel.Axel sighed and sat down, crossing his legs. Candice sat down as well and Kevin followed right after. He faced Axel. “Before you ask, no, she isn’t one of the ladies I kept for you. Besides, you already made it clear that no one can replace Amber,”Axel nodded, his gaze fixed on Candice, who looked away instantly. She couldn’t believe how more good-looking he had become:“You know Candice’s father has been friends with us for years. Candice just returned from overseas where she went to study theatre and arts. He pleads that you let her work in your company. I think she wants to go into dance and a
018.Amber quickly pushed him away. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, folding her arms.Axel smiled at her. “You asked us to talk, didn’t you?” he asked, feigning an innocence that made her want to hit him on the head with a brick.“Do you act like this to every female reporter who comes to your office?” Amber asked, her voice laced with irritation. Had he become a pervert? Why would he hold her like that?Axel’s eyes darkened and closed the space between them. He leaned forward, but Amber leaned back. Axel didn’t stop and leaned in again. Amber tried to lean backwards to escape him, but he wrapped his hand around her waist and used his other hand to support her back. “I do that to only those who come to my office uninvited, while I’m addressing my employees and asking us to talk.” He paused, his eyes locked with hers. “Now, shall we continue our conversation?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows suggestively. “You look a little hot, do you know that?” Axel whispered, sendi
019.Saturday Night… Cinema… 9pm“Are you enjoying the movie?” Jack asked and Amber nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She kept checking her phone at intervals. The deadline was Monday, and she needed Axel to attend to her before then. She had already polished the first draft and sent it to him again, but he hasn’t said anything.Coupled with that was his obsession with making her heart skip beats several times. She couldn’t trust herself around him anymore, and had to stop meeting with him personally. But Axel was a determined person, and it was driving her nuts.She drew a long breath and checked her phone again. There was supposed to be text from Ms. June with feedback by now, but she still got nothing.Jack kept noticing that she was spacing out at intervals. He watched her closely and when the movie was over, Amber turned to face him with a strained smile. “Did you enjoy the movie?” she asked, rubbing her palms together.Jack smiled and nodded. “How about you? You seemed to
020.KING GLOBALAmber stared at the imposing doors of the luxurious hotel, where the event would be taken place and exhaled. When Ms. June had requested her and Gina handle this event, she knew that woman was prone to throwing her into the den of her past.There was no doubt that she was going to see Mr. King himself today. And there was no doubt, Axel was going to be here today. Jack was going to be here to be here too. She prayed they wouldn’t cross paths. She didn’t want Jack to find out Axel was Mr. A.“Are you coming or not?” Gina, who was excited and pumped up for this, asked, already walking in.Amber exhaled and walked in as well. They registered their names and were led to the front row which were the seats designated for them. Amber wondered how this was possible. This wasn’t her first time attending such event. She was dang sure that someone had pulled strings for them to have the best spots. Only reporters with lots of connections or influential backing get to sit at the
021.There was silence for a while as Amber fiddled with her fingers. This was bad…really bad. She hadn’t wanted him to find out, and he still did.Amber hesitated, biting her lip as if considering whether or not to confirm Jack's suspicion. “Yes,” she finally answered, her voice barely audible.Jack's expression hardened, his face a mixture of anger and hurt. “Why didn't you tell me? I deserve to know these things, Amber.” he paused, taking a breath to steady himself.Amber sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I know, but I didn’t feel the need to let you know about it.”“Is that why you didn't react when you saw him? Why you just stood there like a fool? Because you're still in love with him?” Jack accused, his voice shaking with anger. “Is that it? All this time, you've been playing me for a fool?”Amber’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” she asked, wondering where this conversation was headed. “A fool? Do you have any idea what you are saying? Why would you even say that to me?” s
026. AMBER'S APARTMENT Amber sat on the floor, her back rested on the couch in the room. Her thoughts drifted to how Axel had saved her from those thugs on the night of the gala. She couldn't believe she actually got butterflies when he called her his woman. She knew he was only trying to intimidate the men, but why couldn't she get that off her mind? Then, her thoughts went to her relationship with Jack. She should have opted out of it when she had the chance. When it hadn't gotten to this and when Axel hadn't come into the picture. Now, she didn't know what to do. She remembered her father's words, but it was easier said than done. Her doorbell rang and she forced herself up to take it. "Coming!" she walked to the door, peeped through the hole and was happy to see Melissa standing there. She opened the door with a smile. "Tada!" Melissa beamed, holding up a carton of pizza and drinks Amber's eyes widened. "Girl, I love you!" she exclaimed, taking the pizza from her and steppi
025.THE SMITH'S Amber turned the doorknob, opened the door slightly and poked her head in. "Hello!" she called.Loris, who was busy setting the table rushed to the living room. "Amber!" she quickly opened the door and pulled Amber into a warm embrace. "Oh, sweetheart, it's been a while." she whined, rubbing Amber's back.Amber chuckled. "It's nice to see you too, Mum," she said, pulled away from the hug and gave Loris a kiss on the cheek.Loris brought her in and shut the door. "You've been so busy working that you can't check on your mother anymore, huh?" she asked, feigning offense. "My little journalist." she pinched Amber's cheek.Amber chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Mum, stop it. I'm not that little anymore." she said, looking around to see if Cole was in."Oh, please, you will always be my little sunshine, sweetie." Loris smiled, causing Amber to smile as well."Where is Cole?" Amber asked, feeling all excited.Loris beamed. "He is upstairs in his room-"Amber didn't wait for
024.The next day…GLAM MAGAZINEAmber walked into the office and was shocked to see everyone smiling and looking at her. She had no idea what the attention meant. She was usually the center of attention, but this particular one looked different — it wasn’t the usual one she got every morning.What was going on?When she got to her department, Gina rushed to embrace her with a smile on her face. “Didn’t you see my texts and calls?” Gina asked.Amber raised an eyebrow. “No, I just—”“Mr. A approved your draft early this morning!” Gina exclaimed and the employees applauded.Laura scoffed. “Sheer luck.”Amber rolled her eyes at Laura’s statement before smiling at Gina. “I’m so happy!” she hugged Gina.Gina chuckled. “Ms. June asked to meet her in the office.”Amber nodded and rushed into Ms. June’s office. “Good morning, Ms. June.” she greeted as soon as she entered.Ms. June stood to her feet with a smile. “Good morning, Amber. Have a seat,” she gestured to the chair in front of her des
023.“And it’s a wrap. Thank you all for coming.” There was a round of applause and everyone began to disperse, except the reporters who flocked around Kevin and wanted to get additional information from him concerning the Charity gala. Amber stood to her feet and grabbed her bag. “You still haven’t told me what’s wrong, Amber. You just disappeared and returned like nothing happened. But I could see your hands trembling slightly. Did anything happen to you? Did that guy name Axel do anything to you? Just tell me and…and… I will beat him up. I don’t care how handsome he is.” Gina balled her fists, her expression turning protective.Amber forced a smile. “It’s nothing serious,” she looked around, her gaze landing on Maverick who was standing alone. Glad that Axel wasn’t with him, she rushed to his side, leaving Gina who raised a brow. “Good evening, Mr. Maverick.” she greeted with a smile.Maverick turned to face her, his lips curving into a smile at the sight of her. “Wonderful Even
022.“What do you think you’re doing?” Melissa snapped at Jack after he walked back into the hall. “How can you just suggest a breakup out of the blue? Do you have any idea how crucial a time like this is?”Jack ruffled his hair. “I got upset. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t think because I was so scared and hurt and… I just said whatever came to my mind.” he whispered.Trent, Jack’s friend facepalmed. “Fuck it, Jack,” she sighed. “Axel is back. This is the time you need to get close to her and show her you can do better than Axel. That you can give her more than Axel can ever give.”Melissa just sighed and sat down. All she wanted was for Amber to be happy again. She knew what the lady had been through, she was aware of Jack’s efforts as well, but things were becoming complicated now that Axel was back.Jack steepled his fingers. “What do I do? I said hurtful things to her.”Trent massaged his forehead. “You have to go back out there and apologize. Right now, you are in a compet
021.There was silence for a while as Amber fiddled with her fingers. This was bad…really bad. She hadn’t wanted him to find out, and he still did.Amber hesitated, biting her lip as if considering whether or not to confirm Jack's suspicion. “Yes,” she finally answered, her voice barely audible.Jack's expression hardened, his face a mixture of anger and hurt. “Why didn't you tell me? I deserve to know these things, Amber.” he paused, taking a breath to steady himself.Amber sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I know, but I didn’t feel the need to let you know about it.”“Is that why you didn't react when you saw him? Why you just stood there like a fool? Because you're still in love with him?” Jack accused, his voice shaking with anger. “Is that it? All this time, you've been playing me for a fool?”Amber’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” she asked, wondering where this conversation was headed. “A fool? Do you have any idea what you are saying? Why would you even say that to me?” s
020.KING GLOBALAmber stared at the imposing doors of the luxurious hotel, where the event would be taken place and exhaled. When Ms. June had requested her and Gina handle this event, she knew that woman was prone to throwing her into the den of her past.There was no doubt that she was going to see Mr. King himself today. And there was no doubt, Axel was going to be here today. Jack was going to be here to be here too. She prayed they wouldn’t cross paths. She didn’t want Jack to find out Axel was Mr. A.“Are you coming or not?” Gina, who was excited and pumped up for this, asked, already walking in.Amber exhaled and walked in as well. They registered their names and were led to the front row which were the seats designated for them. Amber wondered how this was possible. This wasn’t her first time attending such event. She was dang sure that someone had pulled strings for them to have the best spots. Only reporters with lots of connections or influential backing get to sit at the
019.Saturday Night… Cinema… 9pm“Are you enjoying the movie?” Jack asked and Amber nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She kept checking her phone at intervals. The deadline was Monday, and she needed Axel to attend to her before then. She had already polished the first draft and sent it to him again, but he hasn’t said anything.Coupled with that was his obsession with making her heart skip beats several times. She couldn’t trust herself around him anymore, and had to stop meeting with him personally. But Axel was a determined person, and it was driving her nuts.She drew a long breath and checked her phone again. There was supposed to be text from Ms. June with feedback by now, but she still got nothing.Jack kept noticing that she was spacing out at intervals. He watched her closely and when the movie was over, Amber turned to face him with a strained smile. “Did you enjoy the movie?” she asked, rubbing her palms together.Jack smiled and nodded. “How about you? You seemed to
018.Amber quickly pushed him away. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, folding her arms.Axel smiled at her. “You asked us to talk, didn’t you?” he asked, feigning an innocence that made her want to hit him on the head with a brick.“Do you act like this to every female reporter who comes to your office?” Amber asked, her voice laced with irritation. Had he become a pervert? Why would he hold her like that?Axel’s eyes darkened and closed the space between them. He leaned forward, but Amber leaned back. Axel didn’t stop and leaned in again. Amber tried to lean backwards to escape him, but he wrapped his hand around her waist and used his other hand to support her back. “I do that to only those who come to my office uninvited, while I’m addressing my employees and asking us to talk.” He paused, his eyes locked with hers. “Now, shall we continue our conversation?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows suggestively. “You look a little hot, do you know that?” Axel whispered, sendi