"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.

Right in Maxi's place. "He's here, finally," Maxi purred and approached Axel the moment he stepped into her living room.

Standing close to the door, Axel's eyes fixed on her.

"C'mon, don't just stand there. Aren't you happy to see me?" Maxi cooed, stopping a few metres from him.

"We planned to talk about the business over dinner, Maxi. Let's get on with it," Axel snapped.

"Ouch! That really hurts," she muttered in disappointment and then gestured to the dining table.

Axel simply walked to the dining area, and they both settled down.

"I think we should eat first, don't you think?" she murmured, picking up her cutlery.

But before she could take a bite, Axel's fists hit the table, making the fine china rattle.

Taken off guard, her gaze on him faltered for a second before focusing back. "I'll go straight to the point while we eat then," she finally said.

Axel's flicked leashes answered, giving her the go-ahead.

"I noticed how your Aunt is bent on ruining you, so I asked her to sell her shares to me, so you don't suffer from her wrath anymore," she began.

"As an old business partner, and something more, I've actually come back to support your company, despite having bought the shares. That's the business talk," she concluded and sipped from her wine glass.

"Don't tell me you made me come here just because of this? I think I'm done here," Axel uttered coldly and immediately sprang to his feet.

But then Maxi's next words made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Do you know your wife has a child somewhere?" she uttered calmly and smirked.

Axel let out a low chuckle and then settled back into the chair. "Well, for your information, I'm the father of that child," he stated bluntly. "You know how carefree I became after you left. I didn't know she was pregnant for me until recently, and that was part of why I married her."

"Why do I feel you just told me a lie?" Maxi seethed.

"A lie?" Axel muttered with an arched brow. "Perhaps you're finding it hard to accept the fact, since you had the opportunity to carry my child, but you chose not to," he added with a smirk.

"Watch the way you talk to me, Axel!" Maxi spat, anger simmering beneath her voice.

"You only have to accept the truth in your face," Axel smirked again.

Maxi scoffed and then rolled her eyes. "Even if somehow you managed to knock her up, don't ever forget I know everything about your nightmare secret," she threatened.

Axel remained calm, his expression unreadable as he leaned back in his chair. "I need evidence, Maxi-evidence that proves you're really aware of what happened that night. After that, I'll agree that you really know about my nightmare secret," he muttered.

With this, he stood and walked towards the door.

Maxi's face contorted in anger and frustration as she watched him leave. "This is just the beginning, Axel! I'll surely take back all that's mine!!" she yelled, standing up, before glaring hard at the untouched meal in front of her.

~

Back in Axel's penthouse at exactly 11:23 PM, Alethea rolled sideways in her bed, lost in thought about what Maxi might be capable of plotting against her and her child. But then, the sounds of approaching footsteps from the hallway interrupted her thoughts. Instantly, she got out of bed and stepped out.

"You haven't slept," Axel muttered, with his eyes solely on her figure the moment she showed up in the corridor.

"Yes, I..."

"Follow me then," he said, cutting her off.

Alethea let out an inward scorn before following him into his bedroom.

The moment Axel stepped deeper into the room, his hands drifted to his shirt and began to unbutton it. Alethea's eyes subtly on his broad back, she remained silent, watching him from where she stood near the door.

But then his voice suddenly broke the stillness. "This will be your room from henceforth," he announced, still backing up.

"What?" Alethea blurted in disbelief. Before she could say anything further, Axel turned to face her with a bare chest, and her words abruptly caught in her throat.

Taking note of every one of her reactions, Axel let out a smirk and decided to approach her while still half-naked.

Stopping right in front of her, he lifted her chin and stared down into her brown eyes. "I wouldn't want you to be an addition to my problem," he whispered, his hot breath fanning her face.

"I know Maxi pretty well. She doesn't give up easily. She wouldn't stop at anything to find solid evidence against me," he added, and suddenly drew her closer to him by her waist.

Alethea's pulse quickened the moment she felt her breast press hard against his bare chest through the thin fabric of her nightie. But yet, she remained silent and didn't push him off.

"We need to start acting like a real couple now, Wifey," Axel continued in a whisper. "Especially now that I have lied to Maxi about being the father of your child," he declared.

That was it! Alethea forcefully pulled away from him, her eyes wide with shock and anger as she gazed into his ocean-blue eyes.

"You lied about being her father behind my back!?" she spat, her heart pounding hard against her chest.

"I'm sorry it was behind your back. But it's the only way to avoid suspicion," Axel stated calmly, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Your child is the easiest way to reveal this is all fake, and I wouldn't risk that. I know she stays with your aunt. We'll go get her tomorrow," he added.

Alethea's heart couldn't stop throbbing in fear as she listened to him. "Why can't she just leave my daughter out of this?" she trembled.

Axel sighed, before replying, "Just know your child will be safe with me," he murmured.

His words were meant to be reassuring, but Alethea's still expression remained skeptical.

"Why can't you just give her what she wants like you did with Gabrielle in Paris?" she spoke, her voice tinged with frustration. "I'm sure if you give her what she wants, she'll leave us alone."

Axel chuckled at the absurdity of her suggestion, even though she was spot on about what Maxi really wanted. Closing the distance between them, he again wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer against his body.

Still frustrated, Alethea struggled to push him off as her chest pressed to his. But his hold on her was too strong, and her breast only rubbed harder against his chest as she wriggled. Helpless, she stayed still.

Axel's eyes dropping to her chest, flickered for a brief moment, before focusing back on her face with a furrowed brow. "So you really want me to give Maxi what she wants, when I didn't give Gabrielle what she wanted, and still got the contract?" he muttered calmly, gazing into her brown eyes.

His revelation catching her off guard, Alethea's eyes bulged in shock. "How?" she abruptly mumbled in confusion.

Axel gulped before responding. "It's my principle not to be in bed with any woman twice. So I can't give Maxi what she wants."

His response, shocking Alethea to the core, she couldn't help but wonder if the principle also applies to her.

"Just know that you and your child will be safe here, with me. You can sleep in my bed tonight if you want. But starting tomorrow, you have to," he concluded, and with this, he released his grasp on her and approached his bathroom.

Left alone in his room, Alethea stood frozen in place, trying to process all he had just revealed. The more she thought about his principle and her daughter getting involved in the whole mess, the more she hated herself for ever saying yes to be his contract wife.

But she knew she couldn't call off the deal-not when her career is at stake.

After so much thinking, she stepped out, shaking off the thought of sharing the room with him starting that night.

The moment she stepped into her room, she pulled out her phone to inform her aunt about coming to her place the following day.

Her aunt couldn't be less curious about her motives. But she told her she would explain everything better in person.

~

The following morning, after freshening up, she got dressed in a yellow flare gown and then packed her red hair into a ponytail.

Putting on flat coral shoes and a matching bag, she took one last glance at her appearance in the mirror before stepping out of her room.

Upon getting to the sitting room, she found the space empty. Just then, her phone suddenly buzzed in her hand.

She glanced at the screen and saw a text message from her boss stating: "I need a helping hand here."

Her brows furrowed in confusion as she wondered what he suddenly needed her for, before heading to his room.

Stopping by his doorstep, he asked her to get in before she could even knock.

The moment she stepped in, her eyes widened in surprise at what she saw-he was standing in front of her, half-naked again, with just his trousers on.

Again, she felt a flutter in her chest as she took in the sight of his chiseled body, noticing the way his muscles rippled beneath his skin as he moved.

"I need you to help me with this shirt," Axel murmured, stopping in front of her and stretching out a black shirt. "The buttons are at the back," he added.

Alethea felt a shiver as she met his piercing gaze. Most times he stared at her, there was something in his eyes that made her feel like he could see right through her, and that always made her feel really awkward.

"Uhmm, alright," she managed to say, her arm reaching out to take the shirt.

But the moment her hand landed on the shirt, Axel dragged the fabric, and she went flying toward him, with her palms landing on his bare chest in the process.

Seizing the opportunity, Axel immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer against his body.

Caught off guard, Alethea abruptly gazed at him in awe.

But Axel only smirked at her.

With such a reaction, she realized he was clearly enjoying her discomfort. So she instantly tried to pull away from him.

But before she could succeed, Axel suddenly grabbed her by her hips and made her legs wrap around his torso as he swept her off her feet. At the twinkle of an eye, he was pinning her against the door, with his hands caging hers above her head.

The moment Alethea felt her back hit the wooden door, panic washed over her. With their lips just an inch apart, Axel could feel how restless she was, as her body heated up under his touch.

Gazing intently into her sparkling brown eyes, his eyes suddenly dropped to her lips.

"Your lips are sexy," he complimented in a husky voice, and then slowly leaned forward to kiss her.

But then, Alethea found her voice. "I...I thought you can't sleep with any woman twice," she stuttered, her words making him pause mid-action.

Axel's brows furrowed in surprise, taken aback by her reminder. He never thought she'd go as far as declining just a kiss using his principle.

"I'll go for a front-button shirt instead," he said, swiftly pulling back while still holding her.

"And you're right," he murmured coldly, finally dropping her. "I wouldn't fuck any woman twice... and that doesn't exclude you."