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,
083.Axel's grin widened as he quickly obeyed Amber's command, slipping her shirt over her head and tossing it to the floor. His hands explored her bare skin, tracing the curves of her body as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss against the soft skin of her neck. "You are so beautiful, Amber," he whispered against her skin, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine.Amber moaned softly, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra, letting it fall away and exposing her breasts.Axel’s fingers caressed her breasts, his thumb circling her nipple, and she arched her back, pressing herself against him. A moan escaped her lips as he captured her nipple between his teeth, teasing her with his tongue and sending bolts of pleasure through her body."Oh God, Axel," Amber gasped, her voice breathless with need. "That feels...incredible."Axel grinned against her skin, his tongue continuing to tease and torment her nipple. "I'm just getting s
084. "Oh my goodness, what the hell?" Amber chuckled as she walked to where Melissa stood, checking out the bustling activites in the hallways. Melissa smiled on seeing how surprised she was. "I know, right?" she laughed. "It's like a prom fever." Amber shook her head, her gaze fixed on the students who were busy interacting and talking about the school dance. While other students focused on decorating the hallways, some busied themselves with asking their crushes out to the dance. "Has anybody asked you out to the dance yet?" Amber asked, smiling at Melissa. Melissa groaned and shook her head. "No way!" She laughed, shaking her head. "Not a single soul has even bothered to ask me out. Do you really think guys would be interested in me?" she asked, her thoughts drifting to what happened with Tyler. Amber shook her head at Melissa, giving her a knowing look. "You're underestimating yourself, Melissa. You're smart, beautiful, and those killer curves of yours would make any guy w
086.Laura sat in a coffee shop, her feet tapping relentlessly on the floor. Vera had gone to get them drinks but that was the least of her problems right now. She knew Gina was the one responsible for the beating she received, but she had no idea how Amber was able to clear her name in just a small amount of time.This only confirmed her suspicion that there was someone helping her form the sidelines. But who could that be? And why did the girl who helped to get the man caught look so familiar?"Something is fishy!" "Laura, did you hear, Amber has gotten all her opportunities back. Lots of companies are calling to get interviewed by her. They were moved by now she took care of the case and gave the police the leverage to catch the abuser." Vera dropped the coffee on the table and sat down.Laura groaned. "I hate how this is turning out, Gina. We need to do something about it.""That's not all. Ms. June has given her the cover page for the Mainland Tech Conference Article. If she pu
085.Amber's face lit up when she saw Larissa walking out of the club. She got down from the car and rushed to hug her. "You're back!" she gave Larissa a peck on the cheek. "You did it! My reputations cleared. I watched everything."Larissa smirked. "Told you not to worry about anything. Did you think it wouldn't work out when the plane was Axel's?"Amber raised a brow. "I thought it was your idea."Larissa shook her head. "It was all Axel's. I only agreed to be the bait," she said and Amber smiled."I'm grateful to you both. Now I feel relieved that it's all been taken care of. I can sleep with a smile now." Larissa chuckled.~•~•~The next day...GLAM MAGAZINE Amber walked into her department and Gina rushed to her. "Oh you have no idea how happy I am that you're finally back to work. The man has been caught by the police. Turns out, he was brutally beaten by the ladies he harassed. He's currently being questioned and you my dear, have gotten your fans back."Amber scoffed as she
084."Hey, beautiful," the man drawled, his voice low and seductive.Larissa's grip on the glass tightened, her brows twitching as she fought the urge to punch him in the face and give him a good beating. She quickly forced a smile to her face and turned to face him. "Hi." she answered and looked away. All she had to do was play hard to get and he was going to try forcing himself on her for sure.The man took a seat beside her. "Can I buy you a drink? A beautiful lady like you shouldn't sit here all alone, you know." his eyes roamed her body as his tongue ran over his lips.Larissa rolled her eyes. "As you can see, I already have a drink. And it's not bad to be alone, is it?" she asked."So you're really alone," he smiled to himself and moved closer. Larissa noticed this and leaned back. "You know," he began, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I saw the way you danced a few minutes ago. Mind if we get a room and you can show me privately? I'd love to see it up close." he touched her la
083.KING'S MANSION The family was seated in the dining room, having a nice relaxing dinner. Kevin looked at Axel, who seemed to be in a good mood. It's been a while he saw Axel actually eat enough food like he did.His gaze darted to Larissa and Maverick. They were also in good moods. Were these kids hiding something from him? Besides, he saw the scandal with Amber. They couldn't be smiling at a time like this, right?Knowing Axel, he would have thrown a tantrum and dealt with whoever did it. But here the young man was, eating like he was celebrating.When he couldn't take it anymore, he dropped the fork and knife he was holding, making a clanging sound on the plate that drew the trio's attention. They all turned to look at him."You three, what's going on?" he asked, his gaze narrowed at them.The three of them exchanged confused glances, having no idea what Kevin was talking about. "Uncle, what are you talking about?" Larissa was the first to ask.Kevin scoffed. "Are you trying to
082.“No! There's no way I'm letting you do that. What if it backfires? Promiscuous men like him can do anything to women.” Amber declined after Larissa told her about the plan. “C'mon, Amber,”“No, Larissa,” she sighed. “You are an idol. You have fans all over the world. Do you have any idea what this would cost you if it backfires? No way am I letting you go to that club and be the bait.” Larissa chuckled and took a seat beside Amber. “I like the fact that you underestimate me, Amber,” she smirked. “Look, I know how the club works. And I know what makes stupid bastards like that idiot tick. Do you think I'd go there with no backup? Trust me. It will only be just to lure him into the trap.”Amber sighed. “I don't know, Larissa.”“Amber listen, I'm sick and tired of seeing mean comments against you. Many jealous reporters are using this opportunity to ruin you the more. They might have been quiet because they saw nothing to use against you, but now, they are trying to ruin your rep
081.Amber pulled away from the kiss and cupped Axel's cheeks, her eyes shining with love for him. Axel raised a brow at her. “What was that about?” he asked amidst chuckles.Amber batted her lashes at him. “Don't you like it?” she asked, her voice small.Axel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, then a grin spread across his face. “Well, now.” he drew Amber closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I do like it. But I can’t say I’m not a little bit surprised.” his voice was low and gravelly, making Amber’s heart flip-flop in her chest.Amber blushed, but she couldn’t look away from his intense gaze. “I had to do something to thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”Axel’s eyes softened as he stared at her. “Amber, you don’t have to thank me for anything. I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.” He pressed his forehead against hers, their lips inches apart. “And I want you to know, I love you too.”Amber’s heart skipped a beat. She wrapped her arms around him. They've been thro
080.“So, how long have you and Mr. A been together?” Larissa asked during their break.Amber was taken aback by the question. “What? He and I are not together.” she answered.Larissa chuckled. “Seriously? Are you telling me that you two feel nothing for each other, or he feels nothing for you?” she asked, handing a chocolate bar to Amber.“Aren't dancers supposed to eat healthy snacks?” Amber asked, her gaze on the chocolate as she tried to change the topic.Larissa raised an eyebrow. “First of all, this is dark chocolate, which is supposed to be good for you. Second of all, don't change the subject.” she pointed her finger at Amber. “Now, tell me. Are you and Axel just friends, or is there more to it?”Amber fidgeted with the wrapper of the chocolate, avoiding Larissa's gaze. “We…we're just friends,” she insisted, though her voice wasn't quite as convincing as she'd hoped.Larissa smirked. “Uh huh,” she leaned forward, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Okay, let me break this down f
079.Axel continued patting her on the back as she cried. Amber couldn't help the tears. She melted into his arms while he kissed her hair. “Hey, stop crying, okay?” he said and she nodded.Axel pulled away from the hug and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me,” he said and Amber looked up at him with a tear stained face. Axel used his thumb to wipe her tears and smiled at her. “You're a strong woman, Cat eyes. You don't need to let them know they've gotten you. I know you were set up, your friends know that as well, and your loyal fans too.”Amber nodded. “I'm just so hurt and annoyed.”“I understand,” Axel said. “And I won't let that motherfucker get away with hurting you. He's just dug his own grave for hurting my woman.”Amber smiled, a blush crawling up her cheeks. “You still call me your woman in such playful tone while I'm really annoyed here?”Axel leaned forward and rolled strands of hair into his index finger. “Why not? At least I got a smile from you.” he said, hi
078.GLAM MAGAZINE Amber walked into the company the next day, but something felt different. The employees were murmuring and talking in hush voices as she walked by. Her brows creased. What was going on? She was still in a sour mood from what happened yesterday, what was going on today?She walked into her department and Laura walked to her. “Oh, what a slut you are. I should have known that you got all your fame because you sleep with me that are old enough to birth you.”Amber frowned. “What the heck are you yammering on about?” she asked.Laura snickered. “You're a journalist. The news should be something you check every damn fucking day. I always knew you were pompous, now you've gone outside to show the world just how terrible you are.” Amber shook her head and walked to her desk. She knew bantering with Laura won't yield any results. The girl will only end up getting her to lose her temper, and she didn't want that.She brought her phone out and switched her data on. Her eyes