The following morning around 7 a.m., Alethea stirred to the warmth from the sun calling her to wake up. But she wasn't ready to face the day just yet, so she lingered more in the comfort of the bed.

Right then, Axel let out an audible chuckle from the corner of the room.

The sound jolted her out of her peaceful reverie, and she suddenly recalled what transpired between them last night.

Her face burning with embarrassment, she felt so timid under the bedsheet as she contemplated how she'd get out of bed.

But to her disappointment, Axel's voice cut through her thoughts, shattering the silence. "This is past 7, and it seems you still want to sleep more. But in case you don't know, we're leaving here at exactly 8 o'clock. I got the document signed, and I have no business here anymore."

His words, landing like a slap to her face, she suddenly sat up. "He got the paper signed?" she thought, confused, and heartbroken, as she held the bedsheets tightly to her chest.

"It seems you don't want to have your bath before we leave. But judging from what we had last night, I doubt you really want to step out of here without freshening up," Axel interrupted again, as he focused on his iPad.

Slowly turning to face him, she took a deep breath, and spoke. "Please, sir, I'd like us to act like what happened last night never did happen."

Axel's gaze darted to her in surprise, and his expression went from amused to intrigued. "Of course, what happened last night means nothing to me, as we were only flirting," he replied, and paused briefly to study her.

"But regarding your request, I'm really not ready to grant it. You were awesome last night, Alethea. Go have your bath now," he concluded, and left for the balcony.

Watching him walk away, Alethea felt a mix of relief, frustration, and shame at once, as she recalled the whole scenario that played between them, right from the previous night to the present. Heaving a sigh, she decided to let it all settle at the pit of her belly and get ready for the day's activities.

Getting out of the bed, her eyes abruptly landed on the document on the shelf, and she couldn't help but blame herself more for foolishly getting laid with no other person than her womanizing boss.

~

Arriving at the facade of the hotel, they found Gabrielle leaning against her car door, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I was thinking you guys don't want to leave anymore," she murmured, stepping away from the car.

A sly smile playing on her lips, she stopped right in front of Axel and locked eyes with him. "I'm still gon' have you just to myself, Axel," she whispered to his face and stepped back.

Alethea's eyes rolled in disgust, and she couldn't help but let out a low scorn beside Axel.

"Till we meet again, Axel. The car is waiting," Gabrielle added, and with this, she walked back to her car.

As the other available car ignited, Alethea felt so uncomfortable sitting beside Axel. She didn't want to be near him for like the next few days, but she knew that wasn't going to happen. Especially not when they were on their way back to California.

~

After hours of flight, they were eventually back in Axel's penthouse in California. The moment they both stepped into the living room, Alethea hurried to her room without a word.

Having freshened up, she took her phone from the bed and dialled her aunt's number.

"Mommy!" Her daughter's tiny voice was the first to boom over the line.

"Hey, baby," Alethea cooed, her heart swelling with love.

"I've really missed you, Mommy," Elora, her daughter muttered, sounding dull over the phone.

"Oh, my girl. Mommy has really missed you too," Alethea replied with guilt.

"Is that my niece?" Lexi's voice came sounding from the background.

"Yes, Grand-aunt," Elora replied, handing the phone over.

"Hey, dear," Lexi muttered the moment the phone touched her ear.

"Good evening, Aunt. How have you been?" Alethea murmured with a smile.

"Oh, dear. We've been good. How's work been?"

"Glad to hear that, Aunt. And talking about work, it's been so financially good that I recently got paid a huge weekly wage. I will transfer 80,000 dollars to you as soon as I'm done with the call," Alethea said, trying to sound casual despite the enormity of the amount.

"What!? You got such a huge amount from your secretary job?" Lexi exclaimed.

Alethea hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to lie to her aunt, but she couldn't tell her the whole truth either.

"Ummm... something like that, Aunt. Just trust me, it's clean money," she finally replied, hoping it would convince her.

"I can't wait to see you, Mommy," Elora suddenly interrupted, saving her the explanation.

Aunt Lexi didn't have a choice but to hand over the phone back to Elora immediately.

"You'll see me soon, baby. I'll be there next weekend," Alethea muttered, feeling so remorseful for having been away from her for so long.

"Pinky swear?" Elora articulated.

Alethea smiled at how smart her 5-year-old daughter could be. She knew how to hook her up with a promise, and she couldn't help but admire her spirit.

"Pinky swear, baby," she replied, and shortly, the three all kissed each other good night.

~

The following morning, on Monday, Alethea ate together with her boss in silence, but yet she still felt uneasy sitting across from him at the dining.

As she tried to focus on her breakfast, her eyes kept drifting towards Axel, who was only eating his breakfast with a calm and collected demeanor.

Once they finally finished eating, she thanked the stars that they didn't at least have to face each other while in the car on their way to the office.

Despite the fact that they shared the same office as his manager, they didn't say a word to each other until it was closing hour.

"We have to visit a fashion mall. I'll be hosting a party to welcome back all my lost business partners by 8 p.m. today," Axel said in a deep voice.

Alethea's eyes blinked erratically, amused by the big event coming right after their business trip in Paris. "Alright," she managed to say, before directing her focus back to her briefcase.

~

Back at the Penthouse. After freshening up, Alethea slipped into the pitch gown Axel had gotten her earlier at the mall. The moment she was all set, she stepped out of her room, only to see Axel coming out of his too. Looking breathtakingly handsome in his tailored tuxedo, she couldn't resist the urge to stare at him.

Axel was also mesmerized by her beauty, but he managed to compose himself as he approached her. Stopping in front of her, he stretched out his arm. "Ready?" he muttered.

"Sure." Alethea replied calmly, and gently placed her hand in his palm.

With their hands locked, Axel helped her get into the limousine waiting outside for them. Shortly, the chauffeur glided them away to where the event would be held.

Reaching their destination, the driver came to a halt in front of a magnificent hotel building, which has a red carpet stretched out from its entrance.

The moment Alethea gazed out from the car, she was awed taking in the sight of the hotel's grand entrance.

But then, Axel's deep voice interrupted her. "Most of the people here are well-known CEOs who got popular for their great work and achievements," he began in a low and serious voice. "I want you to behave at your best, Alethea, and don't dictate for me like you did in Paris with Gabrielle."

Alethea calmly listened to him, but the moment he mentioned Gabrielle, she secretly rolled her eyes.

"I'll help you out of the car," Axel added, adjusting his necktie, and then stepped out to the other side.

As they both stepped onto the red carpet, paparazzi and camera crews swarmed around them and their bodyguards. Alethea felt uncomfortable as the flashlights almost blinded her, but she smiled the situation off, remembering her boss' words of caution, as his media wife.

Finally walking into the hotel, she was welcomed by the grandeur of the interior, followed by the sound of chatter and laughter from different angles. The room was filled with influential businesswomen and men, all dressed to impress in their designer suits and gowns.

Realizing she was about to enter a world that was completely foreign to her, her heart began to race erratically.

Walking deeper into the crowd with Axel right beside her, her eyes widened in bewilderment as she took in the sights of people whom she wasn't really expecting to be present. She couldn't help but feel a little intimidated as her eyes landed on familiar faces she had only seen in magazines and newspapers.

No doubt, the room was filled with business legends, like her boss had earlier said.

As they made their way through the crowd, Axel was stopped by people left and right, all of whom seemed to want to shake his hand or exchange a few words.

Standing beside her boss, Alethea watched as he effortlessly charmed his way through the crowd, his smile and laughter putting everyone at ease.

But she, on the other hand, felt like a fish out of water, her nervousness growing with every step.

As they continued walking, Axel noticed how nervous she was with her sweaty palm, and he squeezed it slightly. "You're doing great," he whispered into her ear.

Alethea smiled weakly, feeling a sense of gratitude towards him for the first time in weeks.

Just then, a woman in her early 50s suddenly approached them with a warm smile on her face. "It's been a while, Mr. Jones Junior," the woman muttered in a sweet, luxurious old voice.

"It's my pleasure having you here, Mrs. James," Axel replied to her calmly with a warm and genuine smile as he stood before her.

"Your wife is a rare one. She's smart and at the same time beautiful," the woman complimented, as her eyes narrowed at Alethea beside him.

Alethea couldn't help but smile at her sincere words, even though she was only a fake wife.

"You flatter us, Mrs. James," Axel muttered, forcing a short smile, and his eyes locked onto Alethea's for a brief moment before focusing back on the old lady.

"Well, I'm only here for your speech, son. Carry on, and hurry up with that," Mrs. James added, and with this, she gently walked away.

~

A few minutes later, Axel left Alethea sitting in one of the front seats and headed to the stage for his speech.

"Good evening, everyone," he began, his voice echoing across the room.

Almost immediately, the hall fell silent, as everyone became eager to listen.

"I want to start by saying a big thank you to my wonderful wife-Alethea Jones. Thank you for standing by me and helping me fix my reputation. Without you in the picture, this event wouldn't have taken place tonight," he announced.

From where she was seated, Alethea felt a surge of surprise at being mentioned first in his speech. She couldn't help but wonder what tactics he had with him this time around.

"Also, to my business partners who have come back to support me, I'm really grateful for your trust and loyalty," he continued, his tone and expression turning serious.

"Thank you all for being here today. This event would have also been meaningless without any of you being present. I promise to work harder than ever to ensure our partnership is a successful one while also achieving something greater in the future." He articulated, closing his short speech, and the whole crowd applauded his words.

As he departed from the stage, he put a smile on his face and made his way back to Alethea.

"That was a nice, reassuring, motivational speech, Mr. Jones," a woman sitting right beside Alethea said the moment she sighted him near.

"Thank you, Miss Lee," Axel replied with a short smile. Then, he stretched his hand out for Alethea to grab onto.

Alethea solely placed her palm on his, but not without a questioning gaze.

"I need to pay my greetings to some important business partners before we take our leave," he muttered as she stood.

"Okay," Alethea simply replied, before walking off with him.

"Hey, Axel! Long time, no see. I hope you haven't missed me much?" a feminine voice suddenly boomed behind them as they walked.

They both stopped in their tracks and then turned to look at her. Axel's expression instantly changed from calm to cautious, and Alethea couldn't help but wonder who the woman was.

She was dressed in a red gown, and she didn't cease to also look like a million bucks, just like her.

"What are you doing here, Maxi?" Axel eventually spoke, his tone coming out harsh.

Alethea noticed how his grip on her hand had tightened, and she couldn't help but wonder why the strange woman had such an effect on him.

"I haven't come here to fight, Axel. I can see you're still into using fresh blood to achieve your goals," Maxi, who's a woman in her late 20s, said as she took in Alethea's face in disdain.

Axel's expression darkened, his voice taking on a sharp edge. "You don't dare talk to me like that, Maxi! What the hell are you doing here!?" he repeated.

Maxi pretended to be scared of his raised voice, and she took a step back before raising her hands in a defensive gesture.

Alethea saw the glint of amusement in her eyes, and she could sense that she was really enjoying the confrontation.

"You really have to take chill pills, Axel. If you know what crucial role I play in your enterprise now, you wouldn't be here yelling at me like you just did," Maxi cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Also, about your nightmare secret... I know the whole story behind it now. Don't you think it's better we reconcile?" she added, with a sly smile playing at the corner of her cheek.

"Stop spitting nonsense, bitch! What are you here for!?" Axel snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Alethea could sense the anger simmering beneath the surface, but she remained silent.

Maxi, however, seemed to be enjoying the scenario, and a wry smile wouldn't stop spreading across her face. "Awww, you still got that in you. Well, the real thing is, I want us to discuss business in my apartment tonight," she said, finally sounding serious.

Her words, like a dropped bombshell, made Alethea's eyes widen in curiosity, mixed with annoyance. She couldn't help but wonder who she was, and why she was being so provocative.

"Did you just say business? You must be sick, Maxi," Axel spat in disgust and turned to leave with Alethea.

But then, Maxi's next words brought him to a halt.

"After you, I now have the highest shares in the company," she announced, her voice dripping with triumph. "I'm the top 2 shareholder of your company, Axel. Your aunt transferred all her shares to me."

Her words hung in the air like a challenge, and Alethea's eyes instantly snapped to Axel's face, watching as his expression changed from anger to shock. There, she realized the woman wasn't totally a stranger.

"Also, about your nightmare secret, I'm serious about knowing the whole truth behind it," Maxi added, her voice dripping with malice. "I know you're not what everyone seems to think you are, Axel. If you don't want me to spill the beans right here in front of all your prestigious business partners, you better cooperate with me, starting from here."

Her words were like a thinly veiled threat, and Alethea could sense the tension between her and Axel escalating.

But then, Axel suddenly dropped her hand for Maxi's, before forcefully dragging her out of the hall.

As Alethea watched both of them disappear into the crowd, she stood frozen, looking puzzled on the spot.

Just then, a man looking mesmerizing in a tailored wine suit suddenly showed up in front of her. "Hello, hot princess," he said, making her snap out of her thoughts.

As Alethea took in his chiseled features and piercing grey eyes, she saw him smiling brightly at her, with his lips curled up in a charming way.

"Uhmm, hello," she replied abruptly, in a daze.

"You seemed to be lost in thought when I got here. You must be curious about her... I mean, the woman your husband walked out with," the strange man uttered in a low and smooth voice.

Alethea couldn't help but be more dazed by his words, but she deliberately kept mute.

The man didn't seem to mind her silence and continued talking. "Oh, sorry, my bad. I'm actually an old friend of your husband. You can call me Carlos," he added with a smile, and then stretched out his hand for a shake.

Alethea's eyes narrowed slightly, observing the man. After so much hesitation to dismiss him outright, she finally waved the thought off and took his handshake slowly.

"Such delicate skin," Carlos complimented, rubbing her palm.

"Can you let go, please?" Alethea muttered, looking into his eyes, as his hold suddenly became firm on her.

But Carlos didn't listen. Instead, his grip tightened the more.