Lucky ones

Cold sweat broke out all over Alan's body as he realized his mistake. He ran to Axel and laughed nervously while apologizing. "I'm so sorry Mr Miller, this wouldn't happen again, rest assured". Alan apologized sincerely and kept his head lowered while waiting for Axel to say something. But it seems Axel really liked the position Alan was in as the man kept looking down at him without saying a word.

Axel had seen the way Alan looked at Hannah and it irked him. Men like him should be castrated and their testicles be fed to the dogs, but that was not Axel's way of doing things. If Hannah doesn't have a problem with it then it doesn't concern him. From the little he knows of Hannah, he was sure that she would slit his throat without hesitation if she found it uncomfortable.

Alan's secretary was already secretly lighting a candle for a boss when she saw Axel condescendingly looking at Alan. She knew right from the start that things were not going to go well if Camden was not here but she didn't expect it to happen so soon even before their meeting started. She only hoped that Axel would lessen their punishment and at least let their company live for a while. That was the only thing she could wish for as Alan's secretary.

While she was still praying that their company doesn't close down, she heard a low 'hmm' and she raised her head abruptly. It was so sudden that she felt pain in her neck but that was the least of her worries right now. The "hmm" from Axel was very low but because of the suffocating silence that Axel's presence caused, everyone heard it.

Alan raised his head in surprise and thanked Axel, bowing his head again and again. His secretary also did the same as they both mentally pat their chests in relief.

They were safe!

Axel, tired of their rubbish, walked away and started looking at the models. Alan follows after him immediately, and his secretary does the same, both of them making sure that they don't make any more mistakes.

Giving people a second chance was rare as far as Axel was concerned and it was believed that only a few lucky ones got a second chance and they happened to be one of the lucky ones.

Hannah stood aside, completely ignored by the other three in the room. She didn't even know what she was supposed to do as this was her first time coming out with Axel. Okay, maybe the second time but it was the first time they actually got to work and she doesn't know what to do.

Watching the other lady, who was Alan's secretary, walk behind Alan, she thought, 'should I walk behind Axel like that lady?' After all, she was his secretary. That seemed like a good idea and without thinking further, she stepped forward and stood behind Axel.

Everything turned silent once again and the suffocating feeling returned. Both of them, Alan and his secretary, held their breaths as the atmosphere became tense again. Anyone would be terrified but it seems she was immune to it as she kept looking at them in confusion as if asking them why they suddenly stopped talking.

Alan and his secretary turned to look at her with shock evident on their faces while Axel just stared at her blankly without saying a word. Hannah could even swear that she saw a look of pity on the secretary's face. Alan was also looking at her with pity but the next second he smiled, making Hannah cringe from within.

Hannah, still oblivious to the tense atmosphere, wondered what those looks meant. Why were they staring at her like she had just held hands with the devil?

"Continue". Axel's one word made Alan and his secretary gape at him in shock. Their jaws dropped, almost touching the floor and they just stood, staring at him.

Was he really going to let that woman go?

Axel never lets anyone that close to him! Heck, Alan had to fire six employees at once because Axel complained about them standing too close to him when they were at least five feets away. As a matter of fact, this was Alan's third secretary in the last two months. Why? Because Axel said that they were too 'close' to him. His present secretary was the only one who had managed to last for a long time because she stays as far away from Axel.

Even Alan doesn't dare move that close to Axel. Right now, he was at least three feet away. But this woman, whoever she was, was standing so close that if even the slightest wind blew, her hair would touch Axel's back, and all Axel said was 'continue'?!

It seems there were many 'lucky ones' today.