CHAPTER 30: JEALOUS WIFE

~LAYLA~

"Layla," Axel breathed. "You good?"

We stayed in that position for a second or two, though it felt longer than that. The air was tense, and my heart hammered against my ribcage as I stared into his captivating eyes.

A sharp knock on the dressing room door shattered the moment.

"Is everything alright in there?" The saleswoman’s voice cut through the charged atmosphere as she pushed the door open without waiting for an answer.

We scrambled to our feet, Axel’s hands dropping immediately as we put distance between ourselves. The woman’s eyebrows shot up, surprised to see us both in here.

"Nothing happened," I said quickly, even though no question was asked. "I just slipped, and he caught me. That’s all."

"Of course," the woman said, though her knowing smile suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced.

Axel cleared his throat. "We’ll take this dress. Be quick about getting changed."

He left the room without another word, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and the saleswoman’s amused expression.

What was I even thinking? I asked myself as I carefully changed out of the dress. Axel didn’t like me,and this was just a business contract.

No feelings involved, and whatever I thought I’d seen in his eyes was probably just my imagination.

I stepped out with the dress, and the saleswoman began packaging it. While we waited, I noticed her stealing glances at Axel, who was standing near the window checking his phone again.

"Your husband is very handsome," she said sweetly.

I watched as she approached him with the packaged dress. "Here you are, sir. I hope you both have a wonderful day."

She placed her hand on his wrist as she spoke, letting it linger longer than necessary.

"Thank you," Axel said politely, but I could see the discomfort in his posture.

"If you ever need anything else," she continued, her voice dropping to what I assumed was supposed to be a seductive whisper, "I’m always here. Personal shopping is one of my specialties."

Something possessive and fierce flared in my chest, and I found myself walking over and slipping my arm through Axel’s.

"I’m sure my husband appreciates the offer," I said with a bright smile that didn’t reach my eyes, "but we’re quite satisfied with our shopping experience today."

The woman stepped back, clearly getting the message. "Of course. Enjoy the rest of your day."

When we got back in the car, Axel looked at me with raised eyebrows. "What was that about?"

"What was what about?" I asked, buckling my seatbelt.

"The whole ’my husband’ thing. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to mark your territory back there."

I felt heat creep up my neck. "We have to play a married couple in public, don’t we? That’s all I was doing. Playing the part."

He studied my face for a moment, then started the engine. "Right. Playing the part."

Back at the hotel, we retreated to our respective sides of the suite to prepare for the evening.

I spent longer than necessary getting ready, partly because I wanted to look perfect and partly because I was nervous about spending the entire evening pretending to be Axel’s loving wife while dealing with Alex’s obvious attempts to get under both our skins.

Evening came, and we arrived at the gala in style. The venue was impressive; I had to give Alex credit for that. Crystal chandeliers, elegant floral arrangements, and a guest list that read like a who’s who of Portland’s business elite.

"Stay close," Axel murmured as we entered the ballroom. "And if Alex gets out of line again..."

"I can handle Alex," I assured him, though I appreciated his protective instinct.

I didn’t fail to work the room, introducing myself to various business contacts and making connections that could be of great benefits in the near future for both our companies.

Several people were curious about our marriage and the whole attempted scandal, and I found myself getting more comfortable with the role of Axel’s wife.

It wasn’t long before Alex spotted us and made his way over, champagne glass in hand and that infuriating smile plastered on his face.

"Axel! Layla!" he called out enthusiastically. "I’m so glad you could make it. What do you think of the event? Pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?"

"It’s lovely," I said diplomatically.

"Cost me nearly half a million to put together," Alex bragged, clearly trying to prove some point. "But when you’re doing as well as Cross Technologies, money isn’t really an object. Funny how some people think we’re struggling when we can throw around this kind of cash."

He was obviously trying to disprove what I’d said earlier about his company’s financial troubles.

"Are we going to do business, or are you going to spend the evening trying to prove a point?" Axel asked bluntly.

Alex shrugged. "Well, that depends. Layla would have to convince me first. She seemed so confident about her numbers earlier; maybe she can convince me she knows what she’s talking about."

I felt Axel tense beside me, and before I could react, he took a step forward, his hands clenched into fists.

"You son of a..."

I quickly stepped between them, placing my hand on Axel’s chest. "It’s not worth it," I whispered urgently. "Don’t let him get to you."

Axel’s phone rang at that exact moment, cutting through the tension. He glanced at the screen and frowned.

"I have to take this," he said reluctantly. "Don’t go anywhere."

He walked away to take the call, leaving me alone with Alex.

"You know what, Alex?" I said, turning to face him once Axel was out of earshot. "It’s probably for the best that this deal doesn’t happen. I wasn’t mistaken about those numbers, and signing a contract with you would probably just drag us down in the future."

Alex scoffed. "Well, isn’t that convenient? The offer for your spot in this deal is no longer available anyway."

He walked away with a dismissive wave, leaving me standing alone near the bar.

’And there goes the business deal,’ I muttered to myself.