075.“What is wrong with you?” Melissa asked Jack after they were out of the classroom and outside.Jack looked at her, his brows furrowed. “What do you mean?” he asked, the annoyance from what earlier happened still evident in his tone.Melissa placed her palm on her forehead and sighed. “Why did you say that to Amber? Have you no idea how much it could hurt her?” Jack rolled his eyes. “I simply told her the truth, Mel,” he answered, not feeling an ounce of regret for what he said. “She and Axel are best friends and what’s more, Axel is her brother’s best friend. Two of them cannot work out, and it’s time they got to know about it.”Melissa shook her head. “Both of them are adults, Jack. And if they love each other, they should be allowed to be together whether they are best friends or not. Besides, what is wrong with dating my brother’s best friend? If he is the best for me, why not? If Axel is the best for Amber, nothing stops them from being together.” Melissa said, her tone defi
076. “Do you think Jack would find the courage to express his feelings to the girl he likes?” Amber asked Melissa as they walked into the gymnasium to watch the cheerleaders practice their routines.Melissa made them sit down in the first row and turned to look at Amber, trying not to give anything away. “Um… I don’t think he would,” she answered, but even she doubted her answer. Jack might be calm and reserved, but she knew him too well. He was a daredevil who had the habit of going for what he wants, when he wants it, and however he wants it. His father wasn’t a ruthless mafia kingpin for nothing.Though Jack hadn’t emulated his father’s mafia ways and preferred to be an average guy, she knew he had those traits in him. She only hoped he would be sensible enough to jeopardize their friendship with Amber. Amber sighed. “Do you think we should help him?” she asked, chasing Melissa’s eyes to widen. “We could set up a date with him and the girl and get them to talk. Maybe he will fina
077.“Wait a minute, are you being serious right now? You’re kidding?” Melissa asked, staring at Hazel who only had a deadpan expression on her face.Hazel maintained her stance. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” she replied flatly.Melissa was about to yell, but Amber held her hand to stop her. Melissa huffed and looked away while Amber returned her focus to Hazel. “You’re saying you don’t remember I and Melissa?” she asked, knowing fully well the lady was just getting under their skin for nothing. “Me, you and Melissa tried out for cheerleading and after Candice was suspended, and I was made the Captain, I handed over the position to you. Do you recall that now?” Amber asked.Hazel scrunched up her face in fake confusion which only made Melissa boil with rage more. “Oh,” she snapped her fingers, giving them a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I remember you two now. You know, being a captain of the cheerleading squad is great work. I’ve been so occupied that I could
078.Amber let out a soft gasp, her breath catching in her throat as Axel’s lips captured hers. The car was filled with a sudden heat, and Amber could feel her heart pounding in her chest.His hands moved to cup her face, holding her still as he deepened the kiss. Amber melted into the embrace, letting out a soft moan as Axel’s tongue danced with hers.For a moment, everything else disappeared. The car, the road, the world outside—it all faded away.Axel pulled away slowly, his eyes locked on Amber’s as he fought to catch his breath. He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened.“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment you walked into the parking lot,” he confessed, his voice low and husky. “I guess I just couldn’t wait any longer.”Amber smiled, reaching up to touch her lips, still tingling from the kiss. “I don’t mind at all, King,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been wanting to do that too. Kiss me again,”Ax
079.A week later,“What the hell is this?” Amber asked between chuckles as Axel led her into the private restaurant he had booked just for the two of them. She had been busy with tests all through this week, and he had been tutoring her on Math as well, coupled with the school dance coming up that they couldn’t spend quality and personal time together. On top of that, Axel had asked her to be his girlfriend countless times, but she had been giving him a negative answer and using her busy schedule as an excuse. He wondered why she didn’t want to date him. Tyler had been suspended, and they wouldn’t be seeing him for the rest of the semester. Candice had transferred out of the school, and they wouldn’t be seeing her as well. They had their freedom.Axel had to prepare this restaurant so he would try again. He really wanted her to be his girlfriend now that she was done with everything that was taking most of her time.“Well,” Axel began, his face filled with smiles. “I thought you co
080.“I don’t want to lose my brother.”Axel reached across the table and took Amber's hand in his. “Amber, we can't control how Cole reacts. But I think if we're honest and open with him, he'll understand. We can't let the fear of what might happen keep us from being happy,” he paused, his gaze intense. “And Amber, I want to be happy with you.”Amber's heart fluttered at Axel's words. She knew he was right. Cole would eventually accept their relationship, but they couldn't let his reaction dictate their lives. “Okay,” she whispered, a smile spreading across her face.Axel leaned forward and gazed into Amber's eyes. “Amber, I'm serious about this. I really want to make you happy. I want to be there for you, to support you, and to love you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, setting it on the table.Amber's eyes widened as she saw the box. “What's that?” she asked, her voice suddenly shaky.“Open it and find out,” Axel replied, a playful grin on his face.With trem
081.“OMG, Amber!” Melissa exclaimed. “You two are officially together?” she held Amber’s hands and both girls shrieked happily, drawing the attention of all the students in the cafeteria.Amber gave them an apologetic nod and some looked away quietly while others murmured and hissed. Melissa beamed at Amber. “Took you a while to finally give him a listening ear,” she chuckled. “I’m so happy for you, Amy. I like that you finally took the bold step and dated him.”“What bold step?” Jack asked from behind and the girls turned to see him standing there, holding a tray of food in his hand.Melissa cleared her throat. “Um… you might want to take a seat first.” she gave him a nervous smile.Jack raised an eyebrow but he didn’t protest. He took a seat and smiled at them. “So, what’s making you girls so excited?” he asked.Melissa hesitated but Amber, oblivious to the fact that Jack had a thing for her was too excited to share the news. “Axel and I are officially dating!” she exclaimed and J
082.“I know you miss me, mum,” Amber chuckled, placing the last plate of food on the dining table. “Yeah, I miss you too, but you don’t have to worry too much. The semester will be over in a few weeks and I will get to come spend the holiday with you.”Loris giggled excitedly from the other end of the phone. “I can’t wait for you all to come. I’ll prepare the guest room for Axel since you said he will be coming with you guys.”Amber smiled as she headed up the stairs to Axel’s room. “How about you let me do the cleaning and the arranging when I get back?”“Nonsense,” Loris exclaimed. “You will be too tired for that. I will get everything ready, okay?”Amber bit her lower lip. She really wanted to be the one to decorate the room and get his stuff. She wanted to use that to repay him for helping her out with her room here as well.With a sigh, she finally gave in. “Okay, mum, but do not touch or add any rock star designs on the walls. I’ll do that myself.” Loris chuckled. “Oh, Amber,
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