Leah's Pov
I clutched the report tightly in my hand, feeling a rush of excitement and joy bubble up inside me. "Congratulations Mrs. Russo, you are three weeks pregnant," the doctor's voice thundered in my ear. I was filled with an overwhelming mix of emotions; I laughed, cried, and then laughed again. This baby had been long awaited, a dream finally coming true.The thought of sharing this wonderful news with Axel filled me with anticipation. I walked briskly to the sleek black car waiting for me at the other side of the road. As I settled in the back seat, the chauffeur asked, "Ma'am, where do we go next?" I pondered for a moment, contemplating the best way to celebrate this momentous occasion. "Take me to the grocery market," I told the driver. A good news like this should be shared over a delightful meal and a glass of wine.The car ride was filled with my continuous grinning as I read the report over and over again, rubbing my stomach gently and silently asking, "Are you there?"After a whole day of bustling and bustling around, I finally finished preparing a masterpiece of a meal. Placing the last piece on the table, I clapped my hands happily.I swiftly went upstairs to change into a black nightgown, letting my hair fall gracefully.As I descended the stairs, I addressed the servants in the house, "You can all return for the night," and they respectfully left. I sat down in the dining room, eagerly watching the time—it was just 8:30 pm, Axel would be back in just thirty minutes.The clock ticked on, and several hours passed without any sign of Axel. Frustration and worry gnawed at me as I checked the time again, finding it already 11:30 pm. I tried calling his phone, but there was no answer.Feeling both tired and anxious, I continued to glance outside. I was desperate to share the good news with Axel. The minutes dragged on, and I began feeling scared and angry. Axel had never been late coming home before. I couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong. As the clock edged closer to midnight, I made the difficult decision to prepare to raise an alarm for a missing person if Axel didn't show up.Just then, as I was on the verge of dozing off, I heard the sound of a car honk. Jolting awake, I rushed to the door and eagerly wrapped my arms around Axel, feeling a surge of relief and happiness wash over me.Axel returned my embrace with a tired smile, his face carrying the weight of a long and exhausting day.Ever since taking over the family company at the young age of twenty, Axel had consistently proven himself in the business world.Eager to share our news, Axel took me to the sofa, and with a hint of hesitation, he said, "I have something to tell you." Excitedly, I replied, "Me too! You go first."With a sigh, Axel bent down to my level and opened a briefcase, taking out a file. Handing it to me, he said, "Here."Confused, I looked at the file and assumed it was another grand gesture from Axel, who always wanted to spoil me. “Oh, Axel," I said, "Why did you get me a new property? I've told you to keep your money; I have more than enough already."With a gentle smile, I opened the file, but my smile quickly faded as I saw the bold word "DIVORCE" written on the paper.My heart sank, and I looked up at Axel, hoping that this was all just a terrible misunderstanding.As I tried to hand the file back to him, I said, "I think you gave me the wrong file, Axel." But Axel's eyes conveyed a solemn determination as he uttered those dreaded words, "Let's divorce, Leah."Confusion and disbelief washed over me, and I laughed nervously, desperately hoping he was joking. "You must be joking, Axel, right?" I asked, my voice trembling with uncertainty and shock.He was joking right??Axel looked at me with a stern expression and said seriously, "I'm not joking." I met his gaze, his deep blue eyes looking as calm as an ocean, a stark contrast to the turmoil I was feeling inside.I asked him, "Why?"Axel sighed and rubbed his hands together. "Louisiana is awake," he said.I gripped the file tightly in my hands. "Louisiana is awake?" I asked myself. I thought she was in a coma. How could she suddenly wake up? I looked at Axel, trying to understand his feelings.The diamond stud in his ear glinted under the living room light, but its brightness hurt my eyes.Louisiana was Axel's childhood sweetheart who had fallen into a coma after a terrible accident."But... we've been married for five years," I whimpered.Axel replied, "Our marriage was just an agreement from the beginning. You know that." As he stood up, his tall height made me feel small in comparison. He's 199 cm tall, and I'm only 150 cm tall.The pain I was feeling was enormous. It was true — our marriage was an agreement. But I had fallen in love with him over time.Axel continued to drop bombshell after bombshell. "We agreed to divorce when Louisiana woke up. She's awake now," he said, looking straight into my eyes.I felt my whole world crashing down, and I gripped the file tighter. "But you love me, Axel," I said.A glint flashed across Axel's eyes but quickly disappeared. "I have never loved you, Leah," he said coldly.I stood up, feeling a mix of anger and despair. "You lie, Axel," I screamed. "If you didn't love me, you wouldn't have treated me the way you did. You wouldn't have made me the envy amongst elites. You wouldn't have done all those things," I cried out.Axel replied, "It was all part of the agreement. I had to take care of you to make our marriage look real before the world."My heart stopped. I was just a cover-up for him?I kept questioning him, holding on to any hope. "What about going to the movies with me?""It was part of the agreement," he replied."What about going to the spa, to the mall, showing affection in public?" I asked."It was all lies,"The depths of my agony only deepened as I pressed on, my heart breaking with each word. "How about when you said you wanted me to be the mother of your children? Don't tell me it was all lies," I cried out, a mixture of hurt and desperation in my voiceAs Axel remained silent, I couldn't bear it any longer. I grabbed his shirt and shook him, my voice breaking with emotion, "Tell me it was all lies, Axel," Icried out, shaking him with a mix of anger and despair. "Tell me it was all lies, Axel," I repeated, my voice cracking with emotion.Axel said coldly, crushing my last hopes. "I don't love you, Leah," he screamed, looking into my eyes. He shook my hands off his shirt and dropped a pen on the table. "Please sign the divorce papers," he said.I stood there weakly, feeling like my whole world had crumbled. It had all been lies. Where had I gone wrong?What had I done wrong? Why was this happening of all nights?Feeling agitated and confused, I bit down hard on Axel's chest, not stopping until I tasted the iron of blood in my mouth. His fair chest was streaked with blood, the first button of his shirt undone, making him look disheveled. With the blood, he looked almost vampiric."I won't sign the papers," I said, running upstairs. If I didn't sign the papers, there wouldn't be a divorce, right?Axel, remaining calm, warned me, "Then get prepared for my lawyers to sue you to court."My pupils dilated. Axel's lawyers?The lawyers of the Russo Empire were the number one in the country. If I went against the agreement, I might spend the rest of my life in jail.I walked back downstairs, still in turmoil, and took the pen to sign the papers. Axel smiled as he took the papers from me. He then handed me a checkbook. "Write any amount of money you want and withdraw it from the bank," he said, placing the checkbook on the table.But my mind was in a storm of emotions. When Axel saw that I didn't respond, he asked calmly, "What's the good news you have for me?""Never mind," I replied, my heart breaking with every word spoken, tears welling up in my eyes.."Oh," Axel said as he stood up and straightened his coat, his demeanor unnervingly composed. "It was nice doing business with you, Miss Leah Thompson." With a formal bow, he made his exit, leaving me stunned and reeling at his words. Miss Leah Thompson?!!! Doing business with you?!!! The realization hit me like a sledgehammer – I was no longer Mrs. Russo.My so-called marriage, which I had held so dear, was nothing but a business deal to him??"Ahhhhh"!!!!I held my head in agony, screaming loud with all my might.Leah's PovThe following morning, as I sat in the dining room, waiting for Axel to come home, my mind raced with thoughts of reasoning things out with him. Perhaps he would reconsider; after all, I couldn't fathom leaving behind a marriage that I had grown so accustomed to over the years. My contemplation was suddenly interrupted by the honking of a car outside. I quickly rose and was shocked to see Axel walk in with a lady.Axel was 199cm tall, towering over the room, and was dressed in a casual white sweater paired with black pants. His eyes, blue as the ocean, gave him an unparalleled allure. The lady standing beside him, despite appearing slightly unwell, radiated a quiet beauty. At 160cm tall, her hair flowed down her waist like a waterfall, and she was wearing a white knee-length gown. As Axel gently guided her into the house, they looked like a match made in heaven."Axel," I called out, my eyes brimming with tears. Watching the man I had shared a bed with, caring for another
Five years laterLeah's Pov"I won't let you take my grandson away!" my dad screamed, his voice echoing through the room.I looked at my dad, feeling the weight of his resistance bearing down on me. "Dad," I called out calmly, "Jasper needs radiation therapy after his brain tumor surgery. The province doesn't have enough medical facilities, so they recommended us to take him to Country H."My dad snorted and muttered, "Wasn't it Country H where you met that man? Hmmph, I won't allow you to take my grandson away from me, even if I have to die."Turning to my mom, I exclaimed, "Mom, please help me."Sitting down on the sofa, I sank my face into my hands. My dad would never support my decision to go back to Country H, but I had no other choice. It was the best place for Jasper to receive the radiation therapy he needed, and I had to do it for my son's sake."I won't agree for you to take my precious grandchild from me," my dad said stubbornly."Do you prefer him being isolated from his p
Axel's PovMy lips quivered as I looked at the figure who had just planted a kiss on the window. "Leah?" I muttered. "What's Leah doing in country H?"I watched as the woman looked confused as the car drove by. I gripped the laptop on my legs tight, feeling a surge of emotions. Could that be Leah? Leah of five years ago had long, silky hair that felt like silk to touch, but this lady had a short bob cut. However, I couldn't be mistaken by the mole between her eyebrows."Master," Secretary Derek called out, "I am so sorry about the mess on the window; I will get it cleaned up immediately."I looked at my secretary, who was already sweating. All my workers knew I am a clean freak and that I couldn't condone a speck of dust. I looked towards the love-shaped kiss, which reminded me of her kiss. "Don't bother," I smirked. "Don't bother cleaning it.""Boss is really angry," I heard Little Nine, who was in the driver's seat, whisper to Derek. He continued, "I wonder what family that lady c
Axel's PovLate in the night, At the city Club, Vvip room"Here, have some alcohol," Marvin passed a glass of alcohol to me as he sat down on the sofa opposite me. I closed my eyes and ignored the looks of the others around me. The atmosphere was lively, but I felt out of place. It had been years since I last joined my friends for a night of clubbing."What is Axel doing here? Now tonight clubbing won't be fun," Tony whispered to the group. Our group consisted of me, Tony, Joel, and Marvin. Each of us had our own unique personality - Marvin in the medical field, Tony in the entertainment industry, known for his flashy dressing, and Joel, the quiet one, often lost in his own thoughts, is into oil and gas. They were all avid night clubbers, while I had long since stopped."Why are you here tonight?" Marvin questioned, his eyes mischievous. "Brother Axel, do you need me to help you look for hot babes, like this one over here?" he gestured to a lady beside him, earning a hearty laugh fr
Leah's Pov "I didn't say he was my child" Axel replied. I hugged Jasper tightly, fear and anxiousness gripped my heart. I never knew I would meet Axel this way. Coming to Country H, there was always a possibility that we might encounter each other, but I never expected it to happen like this.As Axel walked towards us, his handsome face brought back memories of our past. His casual attire and sparkling diamond stud earrings accentuated his charm. His dimpled smile was a clear resemblance to Jasper, and my heart clenched with a mixture of emotions. When he said, "I just want to ask him a question," Jasper beamed and replied, "What question, Handsome Uncle?"My heart raced as Axel made a gesture to playfully tug at Jasper's cheek, but I quickly dodged it, mindful of the precious cargo in my arms. Axel's hands lingered awkwardly in mid-air, and he smiled as he explained, "There's this new toy that just came out, and it's categorized by age. I want to get the one that's just right fo
Axel's PovI kept on looking at my watch impatiently, Leah was supposed to be here by now. "President...are you sure this is a great idea?" Derek asked, but I ignored him, walking to and fro impatiently in front of the emergency room."Where is he?" I heard Leah cried out nervously, she was limping while walking, her beautiful palm-sized face flushed. It looked like she had gone through a lot of trouble getting here. She went straight to the doctor standing nearby, "Doctor, what happened to my son? Where is he?" she asked nervously."Erm..Ms Leah, Jasper suddenly fainted in the hallway and we found out that he was short of blood after a series of tests," the doctor explained."Then give him blood, please, don't let anything happen to my son," Leah pleaded. She was almost on the verge of tears, her tears threatening to spill."Ma'am, your son has a rare blood gene, and we don't have it in our blood bank," the doctor said."Oh no, oh no," Leah held her cheek in despair, "Then what can
A month LaterLeah's povIn the conference room"What?! That's not possible," Mia exclaimed, her wide eyes reflecting her disbelief.As the youngest designer on the team, she had a boundless imagination and was tasked with designing dreamy gowns for kids. "I agreed with Mia," Jason chimed in, adjusting his glasses and adding, "The International Fashion Gala competition is not just an ordinary event, Leah. It's a big deal."I could see the doubt in their eyes, but I remained determined. "I know you all won't agree, but this international fashion gala competition has the potential to elevate our brand internationally," I gently tapped my nose, trying to convey my conviction.Lilian, who had been focused on sketching, looked up and replied, "As much as it might have the potential to make us international, it's not meant for local brands like ours, Leah. This fashion gala is only for well-known and established brands.""I think Lilian is right. Besides, getting a slot for this competitio
Axel's povAt the hospital "Are you happy getting discharged today, are you? Are you?" I heard Leah's playful voice as soon as I stepped into the children's VIP ward. After discovering that Jasper was my son, I had changed his ward to the VIP section, giving him a large room only to himself.The room was filled with toys, resembling an amusement park. Jasper was sitting on the bed with his tablet in hand, while Leah was tickling him, trying to make the little man laugh."Aiya!, mommy, stop tickling me," Jasper said, scowling in frustration. "I am no longer a baby."Leah looked at him surprised. "Who told you that you are no longer a baby? You will forever be mommy's baby," she said with a smile tugging his cheek.Jasper retorted, "I am already a big boy, mommy. I am now five years old, and I will be starting kindergarten soon," raising five fingers to show Leah.Leah scoffs and walked over to the luggage by the side, indicating that it was time to leave. Jasper looked up from his t