CHAPTER 156: MARKING TERRITORY

~LAYLA~

"Me? I’m Axel’s girlfriend. And you are?"

The air left my lungs, a wave of disbelief crashing over me.

My mind raced as I processed her words. Axel’s girlfriend? The woman standing before me, with her confident smirk and piercing gaze, was claiming to be my husband’s girlfriend?

It felt as if the ground had shifted beneath my feet, leaving me on the edge of confusion and heartache. "What?" was all I could manage to choke out, the shock rendering me momentarily speechless.

"I said I’m Axel’s girlfriend."

"And I’m his wife."

The woman’s smile grew wider, and there was a hint of something cold and amusing in her eyes. "Oh," she said, standing up elegantly and extending a perfectly manicured hand. "How lovely! I’m Valentina. Valentina Russo."

I stared at her outstretched hand but didn’t take it.

Valentina’s smile didn’t falter. She withdrew her hand slowly, examining her nails as if my refusal meant nothing. "Axel mentioned you were like this."

My blood boiled. "Like what, exactly?"

"Protective... Territorial. It’s quite endearing, really." She moved around the desk, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. "He hasn’t mentioned me to you at all, has he?"

"Axel only mentions things that are important," I said coldly.

"Touché." Valentina laughed, a light, tinkling sound that grated on my nerves. "I like you already. You’ve got fire."

"What are you doing in my husband’s office?"

"Waiting for him, obviously. He was here a few minutes ago." She perched on the edge of the desk, crossing her legs. "He said he’d be right back. Something about getting us coffee or a drink, as he needs to leave and handle a crisis at one of his factories."

"Our factories," I corrected automatically.

"Of course. Our factories." Her smile suggested she found my correction amusing. "You know, Axel talks about you quite a bit. He’s very... devoted."

The way she said "devoted" made it sound like an amusing quirk rather than a virtue.

"How long have you known my husband?"

"Oh, years. My father and he were business associates. Axel and I practically knew each other for years." She picked up a paperweight from his desk, examining it. "Though I suppose that was before your time."

Before I could respond, the office door opened.

"Valentina, sorry to keep you waiting..." Axel stopped short when he saw me. "Layla. You’re here."

"Clearly." My voice came out sharper than I intended. "Should I not be?"

"No, of course you should. I just..." He looked between us, reading the tension in the room. "I see you two have met."

"We’ve been having a lovely chat," Valentina said smoothly, sliding off the desk. "Your wife is quite charming, Axel."

"Layla, this is Valentina Russo. She’s the international client I was meeting with this morning." He moved to stand beside me, his hand finding the small of my back. "Valentina, this is Layla, my wife."

"We’ve established that," I said, not taking my eyes off Valentina.

Axel’s hand pressed gently against my back. "I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the factory. The meeting ran longer than expected, and by the time I got your message..."

"Who is she?" I interrupted, turning to face him. "Really?"

"The daughter and heiress of Russo Enterprises," Axel explained. "Her father, Antonio, was one of my earliest investors. He helped fund my first company acquisition."

Valentina laughed, the sound filling the office. "You should see your face right now, Layla. I’m kidding. Well, partially." She grinned. "My father did invest in Axel early on, that part’s true. But we’re not... involved. Romantically or otherwise."

"Could have fooled me," I muttered.

"That was the point." Valentina’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "You’re fun to tease. Most people are too boring, but you? You actually care."

"Of course I care. He’s my husband."

"And a lucky man for it." Valentina grabbed her designer handbag from the chair. "My father did push for us to get to know each other better when we were younger. Thought we’d make a good match, you know what I mean? But Axel and I decided we’re better as partners. Business partners, that is."

She walked toward the door, then paused, looking back at Axel. "You’ll call me later to confirm those details?"

"Yeah, sure."

Valentina winked at me with a playful smile. "See you around, Layla. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other."

The door closed behind her with a soft click.

I stood there for a moment, processing everything, then turned to Axel. "What was that about?"

"Don’t mind her. She’s always been a tease. Loves getting reactions out of people."

"And I should believe that from this interaction? She was sitting in your chair, calling herself your girlfriend..."

"She was joking, Layla."

"It didn’t feel like a joke." I crossed my arms. "It felt like she was marking territory."

"There’s no territory to mark." Axel stepped closer, his expression softening. "Valentina and I have known each other for a while now. Her father helped me when I had nothing. She’s a business associate, nothing more."

"She’s beautiful."

"So are you."

"That’s not the point."

"Then what is the point?" He reached for my hand, but I pulled away.

"The point is she waltzes in here, acts like she owns the place, teases me about she being your girlfriend, and then laughs it off like it’s all some hilarious game."

"Because to her, it is a game. Valentina thrives on chaos and reactions. She probably saw you walk in and couldn’t resist messing with you."

"Well, congratulations to her. It worked."

Axel’s lips twitched. "Are you jealous?"

"No."

"You sound jealous."

"I’m not jealous. I’m irritated."

"You’re cute when you’re jealous."

"I said I’m not..." I caught the look in his eyes and stopped. "You’re enjoying this."

"A little bit." He stepped closer, and this time when he reached for my hand, I let him take it. "You have nothing to worry about with Valentina. She’s a friend, a business contact, nothing more. There’s no history between us, no lingering feelings, no secret romance."

"She called herself your girlfriend."

"To get under your skin. Which clearly worked."

I pulled my hand free again. "So what, I’m supposed to just be okay with random women claiming to date my husband?"

"No, you’re supposed to trust that I’m telling you the truth." His voice turned serious. "Valentina is nothing to me beyond business. She never has been, and she never will be. You’re the only woman I want, Layla. The only one I love."

"She said you two practically grew up together."

"We knew each other. That’s different from growing up together. I saw her maybe twice a year at investor meetings and charity galas."

"And she just happened to be waiting in your office?"

"Because we were having a meeting. Her father asked her to come in person to check on things."

I studied his face, looking for any sign of deception. But all I saw was sincerity and a touch of exasperation.

"But seriously, Layla..." He cupped my face in his hands. "That’s all there is. Do you trust me?"

I wanted to say no. Wanted to hold onto my irritation and suspicion. But looking into his eyes, seeing the honesty there, I found I couldn’t.

"Yes," I said quietly. "I trust you."

"That’s all I need to hear."

He kissed me softly and sweetly, his hands tenderly cupping my face. When he pulled away, he kept his forehead pressed against mine.

"No more surprise visitors in your office?" I murmured.

"I’ll have security screen everyone more carefully."

"Good."

We stood like that for a moment, the tension slowly draining from my body. But Axel couldn’t help himself from a jab at me. "You really were jealous, huh?"

"You wait for a time when a random guy comes claiming I’m his, not yours."

"Is that a threat?"

I didn’t answer; I simply shrugged and blew him a kiss.