"Axel has always been around beautiful women," Carlos cooed, and his smile suddenly faltered. "I'm sure you don't know anything about that woman in a red dress," he added, with his gaze locked onto her face.
Alethea stared at him, confused, as she wondered what his real concern was.
"If he refuses to tell you about her, you can reach out to me through this," he continued, slipping his business contact card into her hand.
At that moment, Axel stepped back into the hall with Maxi right beside him. As his eyes landed on Carlos and Alethea's joined hands, his jaw clenched in anger, and he strode up to them.
The moment Carlos noticed his approach, he dropped Alethea's hand at once and awaited him.
"I'm sure you're aware she's mine, Carlos," Axel seethed upon reaching them, and without hesitation, his arm slid around Alethea's waist, pulling her forcefully against his body.
Alethea's eyes widened slightly as she felt her backside bounce hard against his torso.
"Chillax, man. I was only sending my greetings as your old pal," Carlos replied, flashing him a wink.
Axel's gaze locked onto his, annoyed. "Don't make it seem like you're still important, Carlos. We're nothing but business rivals now. And mind you, I wouldn't want you a metre near whatever is mine from henceforth," he warned.
With that being said, he released his grasp on Alethea and walked out of the party with her.
"You didn't have to provoke him that much," Maxi said to Carlos the moment she walked up to him.
"Not like I was even close to what you did tonight, bitch," he said, smirking.
~
The drive back to the penthouse was utterly silent. The moment the car halted, Axel was the first to step out of the car.
As he retreated, Alethea watched him from the car, realizing he wasn't himself yet. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at Carlos' business card in her palm and slipped it into her purse before stepping out of the car.
Stepping into the living room, she found him sitting on one of the sofas with his gaze fixed at the entrance, as if awaiting her presence.
"I was thinking you decided to sleep in the car tonight, or probably elope with your charming prince, Carlos," he said in a deep, husky voice.
Alethea stared at him in silence, his words leaving her dumbstruck.
Just then, he stood up and moved to stand in front of her. "I'm sure you can recall rule 2. Till the deal is off, my wife shouldn't be seen in such close contact with another man," he uttered calmly to her face.
Alethea scorned inwardly before replying. "He wouldn't let go of my hand after shaking it," she muttered.
Axel chuckled softly as he stared at her face. "Well, next time, don't even bother to shake a man," he said coldly, glancing at his wristwatch. "I'll be heading out to meet Maxi. Prepare to bring your daughter here tomorrow," he ordered, then turned to leave.
Alethea's eyes snapped up in shock as the second sentence echoed louder in her head. "Bring my daughter for what!?" she snapped.
Her sudden outburst made Axel stop dead in tracks, and his eyes flickered in surprise. He had never spoken to him in such a manner before, and for a moment, he realized just how fiercely protective she could be over her daughter.
Facing her, he responded, "If you want to continue keeping your daughter safe, you'd do just as I say. Maxi won't stop at anything to get to me now, and trust me, you're already her first target."
Alethea's face became livid. "And who the fuck really is this Maxi!?" she snapped again, her patience finally slipping off completely.
Axel sucked in a breath, his gaze on her furious expression. "Maxi is no one important, Alethea. But kindly be rest assured, your daughter will be safe right here with us," he managed to reply calmly.
"How did you know I birthed a girl?" Alethea muttered, finally calming down. "And if Maxi isn't someone important, why would you hastily drag her out of the hall?"
Axel's brows suddenly furrowed in displeasure at her last question. "Remember I'm still your boss, Alethea. Maxi is no one, and that's final!" he seethed.
"And about your child, I had to know more after the single mother revelation," he added.
Alethea swallowed her words as she realized he was back to overpowering her as the boss.
Taking in her silence, Axel sighed in frustration and then spoke again. "I'll go deeper into more details about other changes probably tonight if you're still awake. I'll be heading out now," he concluded, and with this, he used the door.
Left alone, Alethea's mind whirled with concerns, unable to stop thinking about her child and the identity behind Maxi. What Axel had told her about being her first target really scared her, and she couldn't help but truly agree with him that her child would be safest with her.
But either way, she's still determined to find out about Maxi, even if it has to be through the hardest way.
Feeling so restless, she decided to take a cool shower and then stay awake till her boss came back from his outing.
