121. “Are you sure that’s gonna work?” Axel asked after Amber explained Jack’s plan to him. “I mean, you and Janice are literally at each other’s throats. It’s crazy if you ask me.” Amber rolled her eyes. “I know befriending her sounds like a lot of work since I can’t put up with her,” she said, her tone laced with uncertainty. “But I believe this might work.” she was ready to do anything to prove to Cole that Janice wasn’t to be trusted; that Janice was a liar and was using him. There was no way she would be able to convince Cole without any evidence. Axel’s expression turned thoughtful as he massaged his temple, “Don’t you think she would find it suspicious? I mean, you can’t just walk up to her and ask her to be friends with you.” “I’m aware of that, Axel,” Amber said, folding her arms over her chest. “That’s why I have a plan. It’s simple, really.” She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I’ll pretend to have an issue with Cole.” she said. She already had one though becau
122.“Axel? My Axel?” she asked, her cold gaze on Janice and her so-called best friend. Janice folded her arms with a smirk on her face. She had no ounce of remorse on her face and Amber nodded her head as everything returned to her piece by piece.All this while she had thought it was for grades. She had no idea the main target was Axel, her boyfriend. Janice had been getting close to Cole and finally began dating him because she wanted free access to Axel every time she wanted it. And Cole was oblivious to that, giving the bitch the upper hand. Amber put her hand in her pocket. She felt a wave of rage wash through her as her eyes stayed glued on Janice’s face. Now she was angry for two things.One, Janice deceived her brother. Two, Janice was trying to seduce her boyfriend. It took every bit of self-control in her not to begin teaching the damn girl a lesson right now. “So…” Amber frowned, glaring at Janice. “You’ve been dating Cole to get close to Axel, right? Do you know Axel is
123.Amber, Axel, and Cole walked into an empty classroom where Cole slammed his fists on the wall. Amber quietly took a seat and Axel followed as well. They sat there, watching Cole exhale.Cole had seen it with his own eyes and heard it with his ears. He couldn’t believe that Janice was this heartless to have used him with the aim of getting to Axel. He felt betrayed and hurt. All these months, he thought they had something genuine going on. He thought he had finally found love and found someone who loved him, but it was fake. He was such a fool to have fallen for her lies.And he had accused Amber of lying and being selfish when she warned him about Janice. He turned to look at Amber, who was seated with Axel, his expression turning sadder by the second.He walked to where she was seated. He knew he fucked up and needed to apologize to her. “Amber,” he called, his voice soft. “I just want to thank you for making me find out that Janice wasn’t someone to be trusted,” he said and she
124.Melissa and Jack waited as Amber was being rushed into the Emergency Department where her wounds would be treated. Axel rushed into the hospital and Melissa ran to him.“Where is Amber?” he asked, paranoid. When they had called him that Amber had gotten shot, he couldn’t believe his ears and had to rush down here. “Is she okay?” “She is currently being tended to at the Emergency Department—”Axel didn’t wait for Melissa to finish answering his question as he began heading to the place, but she held him to stop him. “You can’t go there right now. They asked us to wait until they are done. Please, calm down.” Melissa pleased.Axel sighed and massaged his forehead. He couldn’t stay in a place and began pacing around, his heart beating frantically in his chest. “How on earth did it happen?” he asked, turning to face Melissa and Jack.“We have no idea,” Jack replied, his face filled with horror. He couldn’t believe what just happened. “We just finished our project and were about to l
125.While they waited for Amber to come out of surgery, Axel couldn’t help pacing. Cole had rushed in as well and had to wait as they filled him in on what had happened.“I believe it’s a targeted shooting as well, Axel,” he said, a frown settling on his face. “And believe me, if I find the jerk that did this to my sister, I swear I’m not gonna spare him.”“That’s if I keep him alive,” Axel answered.Melissa and Jack stared at Axel and Cole with shocked expressions on their faces. They knew these two cared so much about Amber, but they had no idea they were willing to kill to get revenge for her. She took a deep breath and buried her face in her hands. Her heart was beating frantically. Even though the surgery was being done on Amber’s arm, she still felt scared.When the doctor mentioned that Amber would be going in for surgery, she had been triggered. She recalled how one of her aunt was involved in an accident, and the doctor said it required her to go into surgery. Her Aunt didn’
126.A FEW DAYS LATER“Well, we have investigated, and the conclusion is that, it wasn’t a targeted shooting, but a stray bullet like we had predicted,” The female officer, whom Axel had questioned the day Amber got shot.Axel and Cole exchanged looks as they went through the statement. According to what the police officer had earlier explained, it was actually a robbery and an exchange of fire.Axel sighed, ruffling his hair. “Fine then,” he said, finally believing what she said because he had tried doing some investigations on his own, but couldn’t find anything. Maybe it was like she said. “If you find anything else, please do not hesitate to let us know about it.”The police officer nodded with a smile. “Definitely.”.Cole and Axel walked out of the station and got into the car as Axel drove them out of the premises. “Do you really believe that this is their conclusion, Axel?” Cole asked, his voice filled with doubt.Axel sighed, his gaze fixed on the road. “Not really, but I don
127.“Hey, Melissa, have you noticed that Axel has been acting weird lately?” Amber asked as they walked into the school hallways, filled with students who were just walking out of their classes. Melissa raised a brow. “Acting strange?” Melissa furrowed her brows, trying to think of something. “Not really. Why do you think so?”Amber sighed, licking her lower lips. “I don’t know if it’s just me or…” she sighed again. “He isn’t spending much time with me like before. Whenever I want us to spend some quality time together, he would tell me he was busy with something and had to take care of it. He isn’t spending time with me in school as well. I don’t know, but I feel like he’s avoiding me.”Melissa shook her head. “Knowing how much Axel loves you, he would never avoid you,” Melissa patted her shoulder. “Maybe he is really as busy as he claims. Axel is someone who can barely stay away from you. What reason would he have to avoid you? Even 24 hours a day is not enough time for him when h
128.“Oh that bitch! I should have hit her harder!” Melissa snapped, pacing back and forth as the doctor cleaned Amber’s wound.Amber gave her a soft smile. “Your slap was enough. I bet her cheek will sting for days.”Melissa shook her head. She wasn’t satisfied. “She made your wound open again. Just this morning, I was happy that you were healing, and soon the cast would come off. Then that stupid weasel opened it all up again. Look, she made you bleed,” Melissa seethed as the doctor changed the bandage and cast. “I want to return the favor.”Amber chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s fine, Mel. I’m already feeling better, and it’s that painful anymore, see?”Melissa sighed and took a seat. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better. I know how hurt you are, Amy. I know you are in pains.”Amber bit her lower lip, knowing that Melissa was right. The pain was nothing to write home about. She has been handling it quite well, but now, she felt like her hand was about to come off.She h
059.Amber stepped out of her apartment with her luggage and met Dan, the private chauffeur already waiting for her. When he saw her, he quickly rushed to take her luggage from her."Good morning, Ms. Smith." he greeted with a warm smile. Amber nodded, giving him a smile of her own. "Good morning, Mr. Dan.""I'd prefer being called Dan, ma'am." he said and Amber nodded."And I'd prefer being called Amber." she smiled at him.Dan simply nodded and opened the door for her. She got into the car and he closed the door before putting her luggage in the car booth. After that, he drove out of the vicinity. As they headed to the airport with the city passing by in a blur, Amber's mind reeled with lots of thoughts. Especially about what happened between her and Jack, and how Axel had taken it upon himself to take care of her. She couldn't help the fluttering she always felt whenever she thought about it, and now he had helped her book a flight to Los Angeles.With a sigh, she rested her head
058.Next Day... CLOUD LIMITED "It's over, Trent," Jack leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk as he rested his jaw on his palms. Now that he thought about what he did, he was sure Amber would never want to see him again. She might not even talk to him ever again.Trent watched him, his expression neutral. He was sick and tired of talking. Everything was already out of hand. If Jack had listened to him, he wouldn't have gone that far. "So... I don't think there's nothing we can do to fix this. You've lost her, man.""Don't tell me that!" Jack yelled, standing to his feet and ruffling his hair as he paced the office. "I have to find a way.""Didn't you just say it was over?" Trent asked, cocking his head to the side to get a close look at Jack. "Man, you went far this time. How could you have done that? That was fucking a sexual harassment. What are you gonna do if Amber decides to take it up? Have you forgotten that she's a reporter? What if she writes an article against you?
057.Axel was done cooking and Amber sat in the dining with him as they faced each other. He put the food into a plate for her and gestured for her to eat some.Amber stared at the food, feeling like she was dreaming. This all felt so surreal. "Come on, eat." Axel admonished her. She looked up at him and he gave her a small smile before gesturing to the food in front of her.Amber took a bite of the food, savoring the rich flavors Axel had skillfully crafted. The taste brought a flood of memories back to her—memories of the simpler times, before everything had become so complicated. She couldn't help but smile, despite the bittersweet nostalgia that tugged at her heartstrings."I...I really missed this," she confessed, her eyes meeting Axel's over the rim of her teacup. "You've always been the best cook. I don't know how you do it."Axel shrugged, a warm, genuine smile spreading across his face. "It's all about passion," he said, leaning back in his chair and sipping his own tea. "Wh
056.When Amber had calmed down, Axel cupped her cheeks. "Are you okay?" he asked and she slowly nodded.He held her hand and made her sit on the couch while he squat beside her, watching her closely. He reached out with his hand and wiped the remaining tears on her face, his heart aching for her.Amber clenched and unclenched her fists. Her mind was racing with lots of questions. Questions like, if Axel hadn't come, would Jack have done more than forcefully kissing her? Would he have forced himself on her? Jack wasn't like such a person. She's known him for years, and even while they were dating, he had not made any attempts of forcing himself on her before. What came over him? Did the breakup trigger him so much?But why would he go too far?Amber sighed, and shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. She was already disappointed and mad as it is. But then, she remembered something. What was Axel doing in her place? She looked down at Axel, who had been staring at her all t
055.Jack blinked at Amber, his expression that of disbelief. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that Amber would initiate their breakup. Was she being serious right now? "Amber," he called, his gaze fixed on her. He didn't want to believe this. "I know you are angry that I disrespected you. Everybody makes mistakes and acts in impulse. That's not enough reason for you to break up with me, please."Amber sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. As much as she was hurt for doing this, she needed to stop stringing him along. She needed to stop making him have false hopes when she knew she would never end up with him. "Jack, I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I'm not angry at you, Jack. I just feel so bad for agreeing to date you when I had no feelings for you.""Amber," he held her hand, his expression pleading. "Babe, I didn't mind. And I still don't mind. You will fall for me with time. We just have to keep trying.""No, Jack," Amber pulled her hand away and turned away from him. "We can'
054.Therapy Session...Axel walked into the therapy room with a heavy heart. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of emotions, and he desperately needed help sorting through them. As he settled into the chair across from the therapist, he couldn’t help but feel a little awkward.The therapist, Dr. Evelyn Clarke, was a middle-aged woman with a warm and inviting smile. She sensed his discomfort immediately and leaned forward, her eyes meeting his with empathy.“Hello, Axel. How are you feeling today?” she asked in a gentle, reassuring tone.Axel sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he'd developed over the years. "I'm...uh, I'm not doing great, honestly," he admitted. "It's been a really rough few weeks. I don't even know where to start."Dr. Clarke nodded, understanding etched on her features. "Sometimes just starting is the hardest part. But don't worry, we're in no rush. Let's start with whatever feels most pressing for you right now."Axel closed his eyes,
053.A.A ENTERTAINMENT Amber was beaming with smiles as she went through the readers comments on her article. They were so excited and expectant of the day Axel would reveal his identity to them. They couldn't help dying of curiosity as Amber discreetly gave them a hint about the event that was coming up in A.A Entertainment soon.With a sigh, she smiled at herself. "I'm really amazing," she said, going through the rest of the comments. The door to the office opened and Axel walked in. Gina's words about playing hard to get echoed in her mind, and she couldn't help letting out a scoff. She stood to her feet, her eyes squinting as she took him in. He liked quite pale. When she had come to the office, Maverick had informed her that he was at a meeting with the Executives and Shareholders. Why would he come out of there looking pale?Axel smiled and walked to stand in front of her. "Good afternoon, Reporter Amber." he greeted her, that smile still plastered on his face.Amber folded h
052.Next day... GLAM MAGAZINE "Girl, you're on fire. Now the readers are more curious to actually know who Mr. A is. You delivered that interview so perfectly that even I want to know who this man is." Gina said as she and Amber scroll through the readers comments under her article.Amber smiled. How was she going to tell Gina that she'd seen Mr. A before? Amber could remember the gala they attended at King Global, where Jack and Axel met for the first time in years. Gina had seen Axel, but didn't know he was Mr. A."And maybe we see him everyday, but since he hasn't shown his face, we actually don't know." Gina beamed.Amber chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."Gina moved close to Amber and cleared her throat. "When are you taking me to A.A Entertainment? I really really wanna see Mr. A. I know you're the one working there, but you could make me your Assistant for a day. I just want to see his face."Amber turned to face her. "You know we are supposed to keep his face confidential, right?" s
051.GLAM MAGAZINEMs. June went through the article and smiled. "It's great. And you say Mr. A approves of it?" she asked.Amber nodded with a smile. "Yes, he did."Ms. June sighed and crossed her legs. "Very well then. Publish it on the feature," she said and Amber bowed with a smile. "How has working with Mr. A been, Amber? Any issues? Observations?" she asked.Amber raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask, Ms. June?"Ms. June leaned forward. "What? Can't I ask anymore?" she raised an eyebrow at Amber. "Our journalist is working with A.A Entertainment. I want to know if she's comfortable there. Why do you ask like I'm trying to pry into your personal life?"Amber took in her lower lip. Ms. June was right. This was work, and she shouldn't have asked that. "I'm sorry, Ms. June," she replied and Ms. June nodded with an amused expression on her face. "It's been great working with him. A.A Entertainment is a very fun and conducive place to be. The employees are nice, and the CEO himself is..