CHAPTER 17: APOLOGIZE

~LAYLA~

Axel’s fork paused mid-air. He must have noticed my worried expression, because the next second, he was asking, "What’s wrong?"

I looked up quickly, heart pounding. His sharp gaze was fixed on me assessing, narrowing when he noticed the phone I was holding tightly, as if it could hurt me.

"It’s nothing," I said too quickly, but my voice cracked at the end.

He leaned back without blinking. "That didn’t look like nothing."

I bit my lip, feeling conflicted. If I showed him, it could blow up into something much bigger. But if I didn’t, he’d find out eventually anyway.

My hesitation must have given it away because Axel pushed his chair back and stood up. Before I could hide my phone, he reached over and picked it straight from my hand.

"Axel..."

His eyes scanned the screen quickly. Then he clenched his jaw so hard I thought his teeth might break.

A low, lethal whisper escaped him. "Someone’s going to fucking die for this."

I shut my eyes tightly, feeling a wave of shame wash over me. The pictures weren’t what they looked like but the angle from which it was taken made them look bad. Anyone would think I was tangled up with that man willingly.

"Axel," I managed in a shaky voice. "It’s not..."

"Don’t," he snapped, not at me but at the situation. His eyes were blazing as he scrolled through the photos. "Who the hell took these?"

"I don’t know." I pressed my hands together, fighting the panic swelling in my chest. "But I can’t help but feel that this was planned."

Almost immediately, my phone buzzed again and it was another message from the same number.

Axel opened it before I could stop him.

My heart dropped at the text: If you don’t cooperate, these go public.

He cursed under his breath, shoving the phone back toward me. "Bastard’s threatening you now."

My stomach churned. My fingers flew across the keyboard as I typed back: What do you want?

There was no reply.

Axel tried calling the number, but it went straight to a dead tone.

"Disconnected." His tone was razor sharp. "Coward."

I wrapped my arms around myself. "I don’t like this. If those photos get out..." My voice broke. "It’ll ruin everything I’m trying to build. My reputation, the work, all of it."

He looked straight at me, and I felt a lump in my throat. Guilt pressed down heavily on me. "And it’ll affect you, too. I’m sorry, Axel. This is my fault."

His shoulders rose and fell in a long breath. Then, to my utter shock, he stepped closer.

"Layla." His voice dropped, softer than I’d ever heard it. He pulled me against him, his strong arms wrapping around me. My cheek pressed against his chest, and for a moment, the tension in me melted.

"What you did was reckless," he admitted. "But this?" His hand tightened briefly on my back. "This isn’t your fault. It’s not your fault that piece of shit laid his hands on you."

My throat closed. God, he was warm, and his arms around me felt safe. I almost let myself sink into him, but then he pulled back, and the warmth was gone. His jaw hardened again.

"I’ll take care of it."

And before I could respond, he turned, striding toward his study without another glance.

I stood still in the dining room, feeling utterly useless. This was all my fault.

The next morning, I tried to focus on work, but it was no use. Every spreadsheet looked jumbled, and the words on the page just seemed to fade away. My thoughts kept drifting between the images I had seen and Axel’s frightening composure.

When I finally saw him at the office, he looked completely fine and calm, almost as if nothing had happened the night before.

He stood at the head of the boardroom table, flawless in a dark suit. I stared at him, wondering how he could look like that when I felt like my insides were falling apart. How was he planning to handle this?

And why, despite what he said last night, was he still keeping his distance?

Every time I thought he might glance my way, his eyes slid right past me. It was enough sign the wall was still there between us.

By midday, Helena appeared at my office with a folder. "Mrs. Layla," she said carefully, "you’ve received an invitation."

I barely looked up. "From who?"

"Your sister," Helena said, offering the card. "Cassandra. It’s for the launch of her new cosmetics line under Watson Holdings. She asked me to RSVP for you."

My jaw tightened. Cass. Of course. The last thing I wanted was to stand in a room with her smug face, pretending like she hadn’t ruined my life.

Still, avoiding it would look weak. And if there was one thing I couldn’t afford right now, it was weakness.

"Tell her I’ll be there," I said finally, snatching the invitation.

Helena hesitated. "Are you sure? I can politely decline..."

"I said I’ll go," I cut her off.

She nodded and left. I sank into my chair, dragging a hand over my face.

Great. Another performance.

That night, I sat curled on the sofa, scrolling absently when my phone buzzed again. My stomach dropped.

Unknown number.

I opened it and the text simply read: Miss me?

My hands shook as I typed back. What do you want from me? Stop playing these sick games and just say it.

The reply came almost instantly: Soon.

I stared at the word until my vision blurred.

—

The day of Cassandra’s launch arrived faster than I thought it would.

I picked out a fitted black dress and paired it with strappy silver heels. I also styled my hair in loose waves and added a bold red lipstick for a pop of colour.

I wanted to look flawless for this event. I didn’t expect Axel to come to my family event, not when he could barely look at me these days.

So I went alone.

The venue was filled with luxury. Chandeliers shone brightly above, and Cass’s new products were showcased on shiny white displays. Reporters were everywhere, taking photos and capturing the excitement.

I forced a smile, walking through the crowd with practised ease but inside, my chest twisted tight.

It didn’t take long for Cassandra to find me.

She glided over in a designer gown, her lips painted crimson, her belly just barely rounded under the silk fabric.

"Sister," she said smoothly, smiling widely for the cameras as if we were the best of friends.

I didn’t return it. "Cass."

Her eyes gleamed with amusement at my flat tone. She leaned in, still keeping that bright smile. "You know," she said sweetly, "You owe me an apology."

What the hell was she talking about? Nonetheless, I barked a short laugh. "You’d die waiting to get one."

Her smile stayed in place, but her eyes sharpened. She leaned in until her lips nearly brushed my ear. "Apologize, or those lovely pictures go out."