"My father is an entertainment agency owner in Hollywood," Eve breathed deeply as she intertwined her fingers with Axel's fingers through the air. "He... is very wealthy. I don't know the exact amount of his wealth, but I know he is very rich."Almost five seconds passed, but she didn't hear any response from Axel.She turned with concern, but all she got was Axel's intense gaze. She knew he was listening. She was sure of that."You told me that you once thought about becoming a doctor because... you lost your mother." She didn't know how it felt to lose her parents. She always wished she would never experience the loss of her parents. "I thought about becoming a doctor because I love what I can do as a doctor. I don't want to live in the shadow of my parents. Maybe that's one of my reasons."One of Axel's hands stroked her hair while his other hand was still holding her. He didn't say anything, but once again, she was sure that he was listening, and he still wanted to listen."Cailyn
Since Eve decided to pursue her dream—learning everything she could to continue her studies at the best medical school she desired, she never missed a day without reading books. For her, books were a part of her life—something she could never let go of.Then, as time passed, she began to have other activities besides reading books in the library. Her class schedule was very busy, and she still had to make time to participate in research with her professor—one of the things that always interested her.She was fortunate that her parents could afford all her tuition fees, so she didn't need to work part-time to earn extra money. The only thing she did during college was study and participate in scientific activities that could broaden her knowledge instead of working hard to deliver fast food as most students did.Throughout her life books have been an essential part of her life. Therefore, she couldn't be happier when a guard delivered a box containing several books that Axel bought for
"I wish I could call my Daddy to clear out the mall," Cailynn sighed briefly.Eve smiled wryly.Even though she was in a private school full of wealthy people all this time, she never really socialized with them. She felt like she had wasted a lot of time in her life because she was too busy with herself to have time for socializing. For the first time, she had to socialize with one of the people with extraordinary wealth, making her words feel... unrelated to daily life.Well, who calls their father to clear out a mall when they want to go shopping?"It seems like Axel could do it too," Cailynn sighed shortly, "I don't know how anyone can enjoy shopping in such a crowded place." She continued her complaint."There won't be any problems in Seattle because people here will ignore you even if they know you're a famous model," Eve retorted."I don't mind that. Even in New York, I haven't been getting as many problems lately. It seems like they're getting bored with my private life becaus
"Are you afraid of me?"Eve should have run.She should have run away or at least screamed when she found Andres there—standing with a cynical smile as if mocking her as she walked backward.There were many people there. They would help her if she ran and screamed loudly.She could open the door, then run as fast as she could. She could call Axel and ask him to come there.Instantly, she regretted making Axel forbid the bodyguards from following them.She regretted it, but her regret wouldn't save her if she didn't do something right away.Run. She just needed to run out of that room, then find people—anyone who could save her.However, just as she turned around, she jerked in surprise when she heard the loud fire alarm.Oh God...Eve knew there was no fire. She knew that the alarm wasn't a fire signal but something dangerous that might happen to her—something that would clearly happen to her."It seems you can still read my mind," Andres spoke calmly from behind her. "You're not afra
Axel didn't know how long he sat in the hospital hallway while nurses and doctors moved in and out of the operating room. Beside him, Cailynn rested her head and occasionally wiped her tears because she couldn’t stop crying."That’s okay, everything gonna be okay," Cailynn murmured softly.Axel understood the meaning behind that sentence. Cailynn wanted to reassure him—to make him feel better after everything that had happened. But even though she tried to look strong in front of him, he knew that he had to embrace her and strengthen her. She is the one who needs someone to make her believe that everything gonna be okay.And not just for her, Axel had to be the strength for everyone—to show that no matter how fragile they felt, they could still rely on him for everything."Everything will be okay, right?" He whispered softly."Yes, everything will be okay," Cailynn looked up at him with red eyes.Axel knew Cailynn was crying, but he also knew that his question made her feel better—mor
Eve's parents came to Seattle at night after Axel asked the hospital to call them.Of course, Eve was not awake yet. She was still in her room and seemed reluctant to open her eyes, as if she didn't want to deal with the pain in her body.For a moment, Axel hoped that she would stay asleep for the next few days, at least until the wounds on her body got better a little so that she wouldn't have to feel the pain. However, deep down, Axel knew that he was always praying and begging for her to open her eyes.He didn't go inside her room.He saw her parents coming and looked at him in confusion when they found him sitting alone in front of her door, staring out the window and hoping he could find something there.There was no change.For almost two days, he sat there—standing as long as his legs had the strength to stand, then sitting when he felt that he had lost his strength.He would eat when Cailynn came and forced him to eat.A few times, he saw Kaira and Daxton come to visit. They w
Axel wasn't there.Axel—the only name she called when she first opened her eyes. Axel was the only person she wanted to see first when she remembered everything that happened. Axel... the only person who begged her to keep her eyes open when she could no longer bear all the pain in her body.Axel... wasn't there.Axel wasn't there when Eve got the painful news—the information she never wanted to hear.Axel wasn't there when she found out her baby died because of her stupidity.Axel wasn't there at all, as if he... didn't care about anything.Axel wasn't there when she cried and screamed alone in front of her parents, who were also silent and crying when they saw her.Axel wasn't there as if... what happened between them wasn't worth anything between them.Axel wasn't there...Eve knew that Axel knew about her condition, but he wasn't there.He was begging her to keep her eyes open, so... why wasn't he there when she opened her eyes?The painful fact that she had gotten from Kaira had
Eve was allowed to go home one week later.The wounds on her body were still very visible—physical wounds that could be seen with the naked eye. Everyone who came to visit her could see the scars, but not everyone could see the scars in her heart.A week passes, and Eve... still doesn't get a visit from the person whose name she called when she first opened her eyes.She knew Axel didn't care—that much was clear from his attitude towards her. He didn't even come to visit her when she was at the lowest point in her life.Yes, Axel must have known everything about her—about her pregnancy and about her miscarriage.Yet, he didn't even come to her to see how she was doing. He just disappeared as if he... didn't care about what happened to her.Yes, Eve was able to get through day after day after all the bad things that happened to her. She could still breathe after knowing the terrible things Andres did to her. She can still eat well even though she knows that now she has no obligation to
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,"