029.'Return to your senses, Amber. He is just messing with you. Come on!' Amber yelled in her head, but it seemed her body wasn't cooperating with her.Axel lifted her chin so she would look into his eyes and leaned forward, his eyes burning with an intensity that made Amber weak in the knees. Her grip on her bag tightened. "Cat eyes," he called and she blinked at him, knowing that if she dared to utter a word, it might come out as a moan instead. "Why are you so hot and tempting? I thought I could put up with holding myself during the day, and now you come here, all dressed up and tempting me," his voice was deep and husky, and Amber swallowed. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss this red lipstick off your lips and leave it swollen with a mark that I own you?"Axel maintained eye contact with her. He knew he had her right where he wanted her, but he didn't want to rush things with her. Despite the urge to show her that she was his, and he would never share her with anyone
030.As they drove Amber back to her apartment, a soft music played in the car while Amber was lost in thoughts. She couldn't count how many times her heart had skipped beats tonight. And when Axel told her his wish, she felt a kind of warmth she hadn't felt in years; a familiar warmth only Axel could give.She turned to look at him and there he was again, staring at her, with those piercing blue eyes of his that intimidated other people but made her heart yearn for him. When she had asked why he wished for her and not for himself, his reply wasn't something she'd expected,"I wished for you because I want nothing more than to see you happy, loved, successful and full of energy and hope. For me, your happiness is my satisfaction. I want nothing more than that for you."And she knew she wasn't going to forget that in a hurry. "Axel," she called, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you really mean everything you said to me five years ago?" she asked, her face filled with curiosity.A
031. GLAM MAGAZINE Amber held the necklace in her hand as she swayed in her chair. If Axel thinks he could win her over with something expensive, then he was clearly mistaken. He should know the kind of person she was. She hated extravagance, and she particularly detested when people tried to please her with extravagant and expensive things. She picked up her phone and dialed Maverick’s number. Maverick picked up almost immediately like he was expecting her call. “Good morning, Ms. Amber.” Amber sighed. “Good morning, Mr. Maverick,” she took one last look at the necklace. “Please, I’d like to give something to Mr. A. Would you mind me sending it over then you help me hand it to him?” she asked. “Of course, Ms. Amber. I’ll have someone come for it.” Amber sighed in relief. “Thank you so much, Mr. Maverick,” she hung up and was about to put the necklace in a box when Gina gasped. “Oh my God, Amber, you have this?” Gina took the necklace from her. Amber was about to take it
032.“Ms. June, you can’t be serious!” Amber snapped, not believing what the woman just said. “What do you mean a partnership with A.A Entertainment? And why would I be the in-house Journalist? What happened to Laura?” Ms. June swayed in her chair, her expression neutral as she looked at Amber. “Amber, you have to calm down. This is a very good thing for our company; partnering with A.A Entertainment… do you even have any idea what that means?” she asked but Amber wasn’t interested in what it meant or any other thing that pertained to it. Her concern was the fact that she was at the center of it all, and she knew darn well Axel was using this to his advantage. Was this the new plan he told her about? Was this what he meant by her getting to know his company? Did he have to be so petty just to win her back?Her fists tightened. Oh, she wasn’t going to let him get away with this.Ms. June noticed the conflicting emotions on Amber’s face and stood to her feet as she walked to where Amb
033.“Have a seat, Ms. Amber,” Axel smirked at the expression on her face. “You need it.”Amber’s fists clenched and unclenched. Why was the universe being this mean to her? For fuck sake, he was the one who’d hurt her, but why was she at his mercy? He should be on his knees, begging for her forgiveness, but why is she the one being frustrated by him?“Why are you really doing this to me? What do you really want from me?” she asked.Axel stood to his feet and walked to where she stood. He stopped in front of her, his tall frame towering over her despite the heels she had on. “I already told you what I want from you, Amber. Isn’t it obvious that I want you?” Amber sneered at his words. “Do you think it’s that easy to want someone back after hurting them? Do you think I’d just open my arms wide to accept you after everything or are you used to getting things done your own way?” “I do know how to get things done my own way,” Axel replied with a small smile. “But I decided not to do tha
034."What did you come to do in Axel's company?" Candice asked, her lips curving upwards.Amber internally rolled her eyes. So, Candice knew Axel was Mr. A. She couldn't help but wonder how they got to connect with each other again. Last time she checked, Candice had transferred out of their school because she was too pity she and Axel were in love. Amber sneered. There's no doubt the lady was back because they weren't together."I could ask you the same thing," Amber folded her arms. "What are you doing here?" Amber knew it wasn't her business to know, but somehow, she wanted to know what Candice was doing in Axel's company. Candice clicked her tongue, sizing Amber with her eyes. The lady had grown and become more beautiful than she remembered. She looked away. "I work here," she said and Amber couldn't conceal her shock. Candice worked here? How's that even possible? "How about you? You're a Reporter, I don't see you having any business here. Especially after what you did to Axel.
035."You want me in the same office with you?" Amber asked, her eyes widening in shock. What the heck was this man doing?Axel chuckled softly. "What? Don't you want to be in the same office with me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.Amber shook her head. "I don't want to." she answered plainly.Axel sighed and steepled his fingers. "It's not like you have a choice, sweetheart," he sneered. "We are going to be working on the feature together, Ms. Smith. If we don't stay in the same office, how do you expect us to get it done?" he asked and Amber bit her lower lip.Now that he put it that way, it did make sense. But how was she going to survive in the same office with him? She hadn't spent an hour with him without him frustrating and making her question what her heart really wanted. And now she was going to be frequent here now. How was she going to put up with this, huh? Looks like fate has decided to open her chapter and give her life a good spanking.Amber sighed. "But your off
036.Amber walked beside Axel as he showed her around. She wasn’t interested in everything even though they looked beautiful and nice, and was certain the reason she'd remember most of the things he said was through her recorder. Axel's company was big, no doubt and deep down, she was glad he finally achieved his dream. She recalled him telling her years ago, that he loved Entertainment but then she asked him why he got into Mass communication department. He didn't give her an answer then, but she made a mental note to include the question in the feature about his company."....And my personal favorite, A.A Entertainment studio," Axel said and that seemed to catch Amber's attention as he threw the big doors of the studio open.Amber's eyes widened. "Wow!" escaped her lips as she gaped at the massive studio which looked like a building on its own. The main hall had a big stage, with a spectators corner."This is where we deal with auditions whenever we want to start a new movie or any
118.The reporter’s voice echoed through the television in a serious, breaking news tone, “This just in: The only son of the world-renowned billionaire, Kevin King, has taken to social media to announce that his wedding to renowned journalist Amber Smith is soon, with the date being kept a secret.”The news spread like wildfire. Within minutes, the entire nation was buzzing with excitement, speculating about the date and location of the wedding. But underneath the glamour and excitement, a darker force lurked in the shadows.As the days passed, Amber and Axel played their part, lavishing each other with affection in the public eye. Every post, every picture, every tweet seemed to fuel the media frenzy and the anger of the dangerous underdog.Meanwhile, Cole and Axel worked tirelessly to track the mysterious Don. But despite their best efforts, they kept coming up short. The spyware was immune to every hack they tried, and the location remained hidden. It was as if Don were a ghost, sl
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