Chapter 12

"Don't say that, I am glad you were born..."

Janet added, almost crying.

"But I'm not glad. I hate myself..."

Before Janet could add anything, the main door opens. Axel was here. She quickly wipes her tears and leaves Aylin to go to him.

"Janet? What are you still doing here? Weren't you supposed to go back at 8?"

"I was worried for Miss Aylin."

"Worried? Why? What happened? Where is she?"

Axel asked immediately, it was as if he was rapping these questions.

Janet thinks about whether to tell him all that she talked about but then she remembers Aylin asking her not to call Axel. This means that she doesn't want him to know. For this reason, she decides not to tell him and instead motions him to tell her where Aylin is.
Axel goes there to find Aylin trying to drink from an empty bottle.

"What happened?"

"...I am not sure. She just keeps on drinking."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"She didn't let me...."

"Fine, you can go now. You also need to go home. Thanks for staying with her."

Janet takes her leave, as Aylin keeps staring at Axel.

Axel goes on his knees to look up at Aylin softly calling her name,

"Aylin. Is something wrong?"

"....I am sleepy."

Axel puts his arms under her to carry her. He notices her empty ring finger. He looks around to see if she dropped it somewhere but doesn't find it. He then takes her to their bedroom.

On the way, Aylin kept poking his nose and eyelashes,

"You're so tiny. Your nose is so tiny. Your eyelashes are so tiny. Your hands are so tiny. You're like a baby."

She giggles. Axel chuckles thinking that right now she's the one that seems more like a child. He then puts her on the bed,

"Oh, when did I get here?"

Axel is about to give her water when his eyes go around. Aylin felt something hot on her cheeks. Tears dripped down as if it was a flowing stream. She herself didn't even realize she was crying. Axel sits down next to her and is about to caress her cheek when she avoids his touch and instead tries to stop crying. She murmurs with a breaking voice,

"What do I do? I don't know what to do...."

"What's wrong? Did something happen? You can tell me. It breaks my heart to see you like this...."

Axel added, clenching his fist.

"Does it really?"

Aylin bluntly retorts, making Axel puzzled. She then remarks,

"Whenever I am with you, my heart flutters, and I feel happy. But.....I don't know what you are thinking."

Axel is about to reply but Aylin keeps on continuing,

"Even if....I know you have your reasons for not telling me why you approached and married me. I know it must be hard to marry a person whose father killed your parents. And I know I am the enemy here...but still.......still....I....hate it. What I hate more is that I can't bring myself to confront you about it. I'm afraid of you saying that these fairytale moments of ours were just a lie. And this...us...would disappear. I hate myself....I'm such a coward aren't I?"

Tears continued to pour out, as she tried to crack a smile but failed.

Axel was silent. He felt water in his eyes upon seeing Aylin like this. So many questions ran through his head. He also wanted to explain everything to her properly but Aylin continued,

"You didn't have to lie and hide things from me, you know. Once. If only just once had you told me, just one word about it, I would have gladly helped you. Whatever you are planning. This is how much I support and blindly trust you. This is how much you have made me like you."

Inhaling a shaky breath, she adds,

"But I don't know anymore....Do I like the idea of you that you have created for me? Or do I actually like the real you? Do I even know the real you?"

"That's not it...."

Axel interrupts,

"I....have never once lied to you. It's true, I may have hidden things from you. But I was always myself beside you..."

He reaches his hand to caress her hair but she reflexively snaps it back,

"Don't touch me."

Feeling surprised and hurt by her sudden action, he sadly pulls back his hand. While Aylin adds,

"Every time you touch me.....I don't know what to feel. It disgusts me not knowing whether you are just playing around or actually mean it..."

"But I do mean it...I never had any intention of hurting you."

"I know you don't but please....leave....I want to be alone right now..."

Aylin hugs her knees and places her face on them, not even bothering to look at Axel who leaves the room feeling hurt and angry at himself.

The next morning, Aylin was still sleeping. Axel, who couldn't sleep last night, came to check on her because he was worried. She drank a lot last night and didn't want her to fall ill.

As he gazed at her face, he was going to softly push her hair away from her face but stopped when he remembered last night that she told him that his touch disgusts her. He clenches his fist, thinking about talking with Aylin. He wanted to tell her everything. From the beginning. That was his plan but he couldn't help but think that she will end up hating and leaving him. Thinking about this made his heart hurt. He didn't even want to imagine living without her in his life...this makes him scared that she already hates his touch and that if he said anything at all, she will be hurt even further. It wouldn't be a lie to say that he does want revenge for his parents. But the reason he approached her was not because of this.

Flashback-

At that Christmas party, Axel as usual prepared to meet the usual people. He had heard that Brendon Abbott was also going to be there. Ever since his parents died, just his name would make Axel's blood boil. No matter how much business rivalry you have, he crossed the lines by murdering them.

Although it was declared an accidental death, he knows that it was all planned. This is why he wasn't looking forward to tonight's party. He didn't want to be in the same place as that man.

When he left his car, apart from the blinding lights, his eyes directly met across a girl. It was someone he had never seen before. This was unusual because normally these parties were the same social circle meeting over and over at different events.

The first thought that came into his mind was, 'how beautiful'.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he fell in love at first sight. But he didn't know what this feeling was called at that moment. He just wanted to keep looking at her, to talk to her. But she scrunched his nose at him. Why? Did he look weird?

He subconsciously fixed his hair and when he looked back, she was gone.

Axel then asks Eric to find out who that girl was.

When inside, Axel could feel her looking at him. And even he too wanted to look at her. Even when he couldn't see her, he couldn't help but think about what she was doing.

Finally, when he managed to slip away from the crowd, he found her sitting all alone, away from the party surrounded by bodyguards. Seeing the guards, he concluded that she must be some important personality.

But even with that, he felt attracted to her. He wanted to talk to her. So, he approached her. And he's glad he did. He had one of the most interesting discussions with her. He doesn't know what it was. But she wasn't like everyone else. No. She was special. She has this charming aura to her that makes one feel attracted to her. When she giggled, he couldn't help but smile. It made him happy.

Eric did try to approach him. Maybe he was there to tell him her identity. But he didn't want him to interrupt them so he didn't listen. Maybe he should have. Because he was shocked to find out that she was the murderer's daughter.

Still, even if his brain told him to leave because she was his enemy's daughter. His body refused to move. Because his heart wished to keep on talking to her. How can his daughter be so different from him?

After that, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Eric and Lexi told him not to do something which he might regret. While the board members thought he was planning to manipulate Brendon's only weakness against him. But they were all wrong. He just wanted to get to know her better. Was it so wrong for him to just talk to her?

He then made up his mind to talk to her more because of what Eric and Lexi reported to him about her, he felt something wasn't right.

When he talked to her at the restaurant, he finally deduced that things aren't what they seem. Her father is controlling. But to what extent was he dominating? This is something Axel wasn't sure of. He tried to dig in but failed to find anything. Everywhere he found evidence of those two having a healthy close father-daughter relationship.

That night when he took her away from the dinner date, his resolution to be with her further strengthened. His revenge has got nothing to do with her. When he proposed to her, it came genuinely from his heart due to his urge to be with her. Every moment he was with her, he felt as if he was falling in love more and more. He had never been like this before. All of these feelings were quite new to him. But he didn't hate them. He in fact enjoyed them. Every moment with her was full of happiness and he wanted to continue staying with her.

However....when their marriage was decided and all. He had forgotten a few things. Blinded by his feelings, he overlooked the fact that she still remains his enemy's daughter.

And even though he may not see her that way, others would. Everyone around him supported the fact, thinking that this marriage was a lie and that they were now going to use Aylin to get back at Brendon.

Axel didn't want to bring Aylin into this revenge plot and get hurt so he decided to end it before the marriage. He thought that talking to her was only his selfish desire. He knows that Aylin must have suffered some sort of loss by persuading Brendon to this marriage. And she will continue to get hurt if this marriage takes place. And he never wants that. He decided that he can just protect her from her father from afar. No need to be in contact with her. He should end it before she becomes too attached to him and his feelings also become deeper.

This is why he visits her house. But when he sees how she is treated over there, he couldn't help but change his mind. He may be overthinking this, but everything about her was screaming that 'help me.'

That was when he decided that he was going to help her no matter what. Even if she isn't marrying him because of love, he will continue to help her.

But the next day after his marriage, one of the board members send his men in a plan to so called kidnap Aylin and use it to blackmail Brendon. This made Axel's blood boil. He couldn't stand this. Not on his watch. He vowed to take care of her and plans to keep her as further away from all this shit. Because he wants to protect that smile forever.

Flashback ends-

This is why it pained him when he saw her cry last night. He couldn't handle it. He thinks about that 'person' she mentioned. Though it was killing him, if it was some guy, he was willing to help her be with him as long as it meant she was happy.

But when she made that drunken confession yesterday, he knew she had fallen just as hard for him as he had for her. Even though it made him happy, he couldn't help but feel sad. She hated seeing him. And he was scared to tell her everything. What if she refuses his help? And shuts herself out even more? He doesn't want that. This is why, even if it's hurting him, he will continue to wait for her.

He lightly chuckles at himself.

'I am such a loser. A coward. I know this misunderstanding will be easily cleared if I come clean but....I don't want to risk the possibility of things going further south.'

Axel thinks to himself. He never really believed in love at first sight but he ended up being truly in love thanks to love at first sight. He felt an instant connection to her and wanted to make her his. There may have been some lies and secrets, but all along, it was because he loves her.

She is the first and only one to make him feel this way and he knows she will be the last one too because even if all the negative things, he is thinking, ends up happening, he will always truly love her.

And there you have it! Axel's POV! 🤩 What do you guys think about it? Do you believe in love at first sight? 👀 Do comment to let me know what you think about the story so far! And if you enjoyed reading, which I hope you did, please do vote and share!
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