Axel Angelo Murdoch was the name he was born with.Axel never questioned the meaning of his name, nor did he want to know why his parents chose a name that sounded... rather soft for a man who had been raised the hard way.Angelo.Damn. What boy would want to be named Angelo? It was a less manly name, and Axel often dropped his middle name if he had to introduce himself in front of his new class.Considering he had to change schools almost every six months, Axel was getting tired of having to say a name he didn't like. If he could, he would change his name—pick one that sounded cooler for a boy. Maybe he would choose Max or Dosh, but Angelo was definitely not on his list.However, all those thoughts changed when he met someone with the name... Angeline.The name seemed like a perfect match for his name. Angelo and Angeline.Axel must have been crazy because he spent his entire day at lunchtime at Junior High School following Angeline, who preferred to rest in the library."You're hurt
Eve hated the spotlight even though her parents got their wealth from the media's attention.Ever since she was a little girl, it wasn't once or twice that pictures of her walking in the mall in casual teenage clothes became the talk of the town. She wasn't a celebrity, but there was no denying that she lived in a time when people were curious about everything—including the personal life of a man who owned the largest entertainment agency in the United States.Her mother and father coexisted with the media and often attended social functions broadcast live on international television. Eve couldn't count how many invitations her parents got in one week, from film awards, movie premieres, concert events of the best artists, music awards, and fashion events to fundraisers organized by the world's fashion designers. She was asked to accompany them, but she would make up any excuse she could to stay in her room with her favorite books.Growing up, she was used to life in New York. However,
The sunlight infiltrated faintly, but Eve could feel the blanket's warmth in the snowfall that she could see from the window facing her.Snow...Eve opened her eyes wide and pulled the blanket up to cover her face when she realized that she was... in her room at Axel's mansion.The events of last night replayed in her head, and she began to remember everything.The shooting, the screaming, the crying, Axel coming to save her, and then their conversation in the middle of the night, which was more dominated by his monologue.When she opened her eyes, Eve was grateful that she didn't find Axel beside her.Sleeping in the true sense of the word with Axel in the same bed as her was one crazy thing that never crossed her mind. Well, not that she wanted to ‘sleep’ in any other sense. No, of course not. She... never thought that she would let Axel lie in the same bed with her. However, what happened last night felt real, and she knew she wasn't just dreaming.Axel was next to her and... she h
Almost all of her schoolmates can ride horses. Apart from golf and tennis, horse riding is one of the sports that children from old-money families must master. They seemed to have their own standards for their skills and hobbies.Eve knew that not all of them liked horse riding, golf, or tennis. But they do it anyway because that's the standard they set for their community.Years ago, he used to spend her afternoons riding around the backyard of her mansion. She loved watching her brown hair flutter in the sun. She loved breathing in the air that hit her face as her horse galloped faster and faster. She loved every beat of her heart racing because she was afraid of falling off her horse.She loved riding, but she knew that she also hated riding.Compared to golf and tennis, riding was the best choice for her. She doesn't know why she made horse riding her hobby, but it just popped into her head when her parents asked her what she wanted to do in the afternoon.Not many people have hor
Eve missed the morning meal because she had to lock herself in the toilet. She doesn't remember what time she woke up and ran to the toilet, but she only returned to bed around 9 am to pull up the blanket and wrap her shivering body. It had been snowing since morning, and Eve had tried to raise the temperature in her room, but she still seemed to be shivering from the cold. Her eyes were closed for a few minutes, but of course, she wasn't sleeping. She just wanted to... laze around with a warm blanket—something she hadn't done in years. She was used to a busy life, and relaxing until noon was not a luxury she could enjoy every weekend. However, even if she skipped breakfast, she certainly couldn't skip lunch. There were no maids to deliver lunch to her room, so she assumed that she would have to eat lunch at the dining table like yesterday. Maybe... Axel was there, too. Unfortunately, a few minutes late
Eve felt her throat go dry, and she almost cursed when she found the glass beside her tray empty.Usually, she filled her glass before she went to bed. She had a bad habit at night, and she preferred to be prepared in case she was thirsty when she woke up. Unfortunately, tonight, she forgot something, and now she had to get up and get her own drink.She stopped counting how long she had been in this house, but she was sure that she still hadn't fully memorized every corner of Axel's gloomy mansion. At night, the mansion barely had a single light illuminating the hallways and rooms. If she left this room, then she would have to walk in the dark, and she hated the dark.The sound of a creaking door was the first thing that greeted her as soon as she stepped out of her room.She often came to the kitchen to get what she needed. Some of the maids said that she could call them whenever she wanted. Even Axel had told her the same thing. But of course, she would rather come to the kitchen he
"Why does everyone have to follow us with their cameras?"Ever since she was little—since she realized what her name was and what her family name was, Eve realized that cameras were also part of her life.Eve thought that everyone had the same life as her. She thought it was normal to wake up in a hotel and meet an actress she saw on television. She thought everyone could meet an actress or at least have a man with a camera following them around.However, she was wrong...Not everyone gets to meet the actress who acted in their favorite series. Not everyone has a camera following them around. Not everyone attends the gala premiere of a new movie. And not everyone goes to movie awards shows with their parents.So 12-year-old Eve, when she realized that her life was different from that of her schoolmates, asked her father a question as they walked to the stables at the horse farm they always visited on weekends."Because they want to know what you do all day." Her daddy replied as he li
Throughout his life, Axel couldn't count the number of times he had ignored the birthday party his mother had prepared for him.He would pretend that he forgot about his birthday and chose to drive around the city after sneaking away from the driver who picked him up, even though he knew that his mother prepared a birthday surprise when he got home from school.He would pretend to shiver from the cold when his mom made the surprise in the middle of the night.He would choose to play the PlayStation in his room when there was a family party to which his mother invited their entire extended family. Usually, Cailynn would drag him out and make him sit through at least half of his mother's long party.Axel hated blowing out candles because he felt it was just something girls did in their pink dresses and crowns. He gets annoyed whenever everyone asks him what his wishes are for this year and who will get the first cake on his birthday.Well, he wanted a lot of things to happen throughout
Eve spent many years of her life thinking she might end up with the man who became her fiancé months ago. She never felt that there was anything wrong with her life or the plans she had laid out in her mind. Everything went normally, but perhaps she had to accept the fact that in her life, she not only had to face heartbreak but also witnessed a great betrayal that left a deep scar.Despite all the bad things that had happened in her life—loss, disappointment, pain, and sorrow that crushed her—he would never forget any of it. She would embrace every wound she had endured and carry it with her throughout her life, keeping a part of it alongside every happiness she might experience with the man she chose.And she was certain that happiness would be perfect if she spent it with Axel—together with all the flaws and scars they had faced together.The bright morning sun with white clouds adorning the blue sky was the best thing she could ask for on her happy day—one of the happiest days of
As Axel said last night, he had indeed been at her house since this morning. Eve had to admit that he woke up earlier and came to her house before she even had a chance to wake up.Well, her sleep was not as sound and easy as before—just as she thought last night. However, she managed to sleep by 3 AM, which was a decent achievement considering she once thought she couldn’t sleep until morning.“You always wake up late,” Axel teased her with a playful smile as he spread chocolate spread on his whole-grain bread. “You like chocolate spread, don’t you?” He asked while placing the bread on Eve’s plate.Eve knew her parents were quietly observing what Axel was doing. And it seemed they were also trying to find answers to their conversation last night—a conversation that was still not fully resolved.“The maid didn’t prepare much because Eve didn’t say you were coming for breakfast. If we had known, we would have prepared better.”“That’s not necessary at all, Mrs. Meadow. I like what’s pr
Eve still remembers every detail of the streets in New York even though it has been a long time since she visited her hometown. This place still remains a part of her life, although she realizes that another part of her life has settled in Seattle with all the complications she left behind.Her parents welcomed her as Axel's car entered the spacious yard of her family's mansion. There are a few details that are different from what she last remembered, but this place is still the mansion where she grew up from childhood to adulthood. She recalls every dream she once thought of as she walked through the mansion's yard. She remembers planning to leave her parents' mansion and live on her own—flying with her own wings.Now, she is no longer a teenage girl who carries a notebook everywhere to write down everything she wants to do. Now, she chooses to live freely—following whatever is in front of her and trying to get through each day with slow steps. Not because she has lost her dreams and
Axel seemed to have forgotten the last time he visited his parents' graves. He used to come here every time he visited New York on his birthday—exactly on the anniversary of his mother’s death. He would come with a single flower and place it on his mother's tombstone, leaving his father's grave empty because he didn’t know what flowers the man liked. After all, his father probably wouldn’t care about any flowers placed on his tombstone since the only thing that mattered to him was being reunited with his wife, Beatrice.However, this time, Axel did something different. Instead of a single red rose, he brought a large bouquet—something he clearly did not buy based on his own decision. And not just one but two bouquets with the same content and size as if they were intentionally made to be identical.“Ah, if Aunty Beatrice knew the mess Axel has made recently, I’m sure I’d see him scream in pain from pinching him. He deserves a spanking for troubling everyone,” Cailynn complained like a
Waking up early and starting her day ahead of her usual routine was highly unpleasant for Eve. If she could, she would have preferred to lie in bed all day, wrapped in her blanket. Sunlight was beginning to filter through the window, but she would have ignored it, keeping her eyes closed all day.Unfortunately, last night, she made a promise she couldn't break, and she had no intention of breaking it."Wait," Eve turned her head, somewhat confused, as Axel led her towards a helicopter parked on the mansion's helipad. "We're using a helicopter?""Do you mind?" Axel extended his hand and helped her into the helicopter, which was all black—a signature look for anything associated with Axel."I don't mind helicopters." She shrugged. "Aren't we taking Cailynn with us?" She furrowed her brow as Axel climbed in and sat next to her, closing the helicopter door."She's already there," Axel answered calmly. "We'll meet her later."Eve had no other questions to ask, so she remained silent in her
"It's funny because these horses look so excited when you come here and give them apples."Eve turned her head and saw Cassy walking towards her with a few apples in her hands, joining her in feeding the horses from a close distance."I often come here in the morning when I don't have work. However, they seem uninterested in my apples, whereas now I see them scrambling for a chance to get apples from your hand." Cassy extended her hand, and magically, none of the horses scrambled to eat the apples from her hand. "See? They really frustrate me, and I promise I won't come here to give them apples anymore," Cassy said while laughing briefly.Eve snorted and took the apples from Cassy's hand, then started feeding the horses.She didn't know how long she had this new habit of giving apples to the horses. However, she felt she liked this new habit very much. It felt delightful to see the horses in front of her finish the apples and water she provided."Winter is over. Don't you want to go h
If Axel had known that life would lead him to a complicated fate and life story, he might have chosen not to let himself get too deeply involved in a life he always called a duty. Whatever he did in his life, he only went through everything because he knew it was his duty. He never had the opportunity to make decisions, no one ever gave him a choice when Lucas decided to give him the leadership of the clan, no one ever asked if he liked his life full of dangers that always followed him, and no one knew if he wanted the life he was living. Everything that happened to him was what he could never decide. He got everything because it was destined for him—all the things he had to go through, even if he didn’t want them.Then, for the first time in his life, he let himself be immersed in his desires—something he longed for with all his heart and mind. Did he know that this desire would lead him to a life full of complexity? Did he know that the consequence of his desire was that he brought
Eve has loved silence her entire life—as far back as she can remember.She loved the quiet she found at her desk with piles of books and a pen in her hand. She loved the breeze that blew her hair as she spent the afternoon on her bedroom balcony with a cup of tea and a thick book on her lap. She cherished every quiet corner of her mansion, far from the hustle and bustle of New York and the paparazzi cameras. She appreciated the silence her parents offered because of their guilt over what New York society had done to her.Yes, Eve loved every definition of silence because it was the hardest thing to obtain throughout her life.Years passed, and she hoped she would find the silence—the peace she craved—once she moved from New York to Seattle with every dream and hope in her grasp. She had big plans and was confident they would succeed as long as she worked hard.However, time taught her many things, and now she understood that not everything she desired could be obtained with her hands
Axel glanced at the round watch on his right wrist—ensuring that everything was in order according to the calculations he had made over the past week.Midnight came, and there was a change of guards throughout the base. At that moment, the first assault would certainly proceed a bit easier due to their complacency. But what about the second assault? Of course, the second assault would be much easier if the first team had completed their mission."What are you doing here?"Axel turned his head when he heard Adeline's voice behind him.Adeline...Whatever crazy notion was in this woman's mind that led her to remove Andres and become the leader of the rebellion was hard to fathom. It was difficult to believe that this was the same woman who had saved him and brought him to the secret base—far from Andres' reach with no access to this territory.Compared to Andres, Adeline was much more terrifying.She harbored secrets and immense danger—something hidden behind her angelic face."Nothing,"