Chapter 8

"You're still mad at mom and dad, aren't you?" she asked him.

Axel froze for a few seconds before he put down the spoon and looked at her.

"I don't want to talk about that." he told her.

She nodded understandingly and held his hand.

"You will always be my family, so don't ever push me away, Axel." she told him.

He gave her a warm smile and held her hand.

"Never." He told her.

"So, when are you starting your shift at the hospital?" she asked him, retreating her hand and changing the subject.

"Next week." He told her and added. "I need to buy a few things and get my apartment set up before I go to work."

"I can help if you want." she told him.

"By help you mean sitting on the sofa and ordering me around?" he asked her.

She grinned at him.

"You know me so well." She told him.

He chuckled.

"No, thanks. I'll manage." he told her.

"If you say so." she told him and took a bite out of his sundae.

"Hey, you have your own." he complained, shielding his sundae from her.

"Yours tastes much better." She told him.

"No. Eat yours and let me eat mine in peace." he told her.

She pouted at him and pretended to be displeased with him.

"You're still so stingy." She told him.

"A man has to protect his sundae." He told her and then changed the subject. "So, what have you been doing these days? Still doing your secret job?" he asked.

"Yeah. I have to work during the night and it's getting to me." she told him.

"I'm not surprised. How much are you sleeping?" he asked her.

"Three hours a day, sometimes four." she told him.

"Plum, I don't think that I have to tell you how unhealthy that is. A normal person needs at least eight hours of sleep a day." he told her in a worried tone.

"I know, Axel. But what I'm doing is important." she told him.

"Nothing is more important than your health." he told her. "If you end up in a hospital because you didn't get enough rest, then I won't talk to you."

"Hey, that's not fair." she complained with a frown.

"It's completely fair." He told her.

"Then what do you suggest, Dr. Axel?" she asked him, but she wouldn't let the opportunity of teasing him escape.

"First of all, stop calling me doctor." He told her. "And as for your problem. Try taking naps in the evening or afternoon."

"I'll try if mom doesn't constantly barge into my room to tell me to help her bake or go shopping with her." She told him.

"You can crash at my place." He told her.

"Thanks." he told her.

"Anything for you." he told her.

"So sweet of you. I might just kiss you right now." she told him.

"Please don't." he told her, pretending to be disgusted out.

She laughed.

"By the way, how's Celia doing?" he asked her.

"She's better now. They did some tests at the hospital today and if everything is okay, she'll be coming home tomorrow." She told him.

"That's good." he told her.

She nodded.

Her phone rang once when she got a message. She picked it up and looked at the message. It was from an unsaved number.

Unknown Number: Dinner at 7 at Blue Star restaurant tommorow? I heard they have good pasta.

She suddenly remembered that she made plans with Finn.

Plumeria: Sounds good. I'll be there at 7.

Unknown number: Do you want me to pick you up?

Plumeria: No, thanks. I'll drive there myself.

Unknown number: As you wish.

"Who is it?" Axel asked.

She looked at him while putting down her phone.

"Remember mom and dad said that I am supposed to get married to a friend of theirs?" she asked him.

He sat back and looked at her, displeased.

"Which I am still against." he told her.

"Well, it's that guy's brother. His name is Finn. We met at the hospital today while I had my appointment with Dr. Stone. He said he wanted to have dinner and catch up with all the years we were away." She told him.

"Take pepper spray with you." He told her.

She laughed.

"He's a friend from when we were kids." She told him.

"And you don't remember anything about it after the accident. For all you know, he might've been a bully, and now he just wants to mess with you."

"But mom and d-"

He cut her off.

"It doesn't matter what they think, they weren't the ones who spent time with him. Anyone except me and your dad is your enemy. Especially if that person has a dick." He told her. "Take pepper spray. I'll feel much better if you do."

"Fine. I'll take the pepper spray. Happy?" She asked.

"Not completely." He told her.

"You can't stop me from having a relationship with someone forever." She told him with a smile.

"If it's someone I don't approve of, then I'm taking you back to France with me. Capeesh?" He asked her.

She made an okay with her hand while laughing a little.

"Capeesh." She told him.

"Good." He told her

"I had a blind date with my chosen one today." She told him.

"Did you take pepper spray?" He asked her.

"We were in public. I didn't think I would need it." She told him and now wished that she did.

"Plumeria. You are too innocent, and one day someone is going to take advantage of that. Just because you see the good in everyone doesn't mean that they actually are." He told her.

'Yeah. I found that out the hard way.' she thought.

"You're taking pepper spray next time you go out with guys." He told her. "Promise me."

"I promise you." She told her.

"Good." He told her.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" He asked her.

"No." She lied.

Plumeria did have something she wanted to tell him and that was about the panic attack she had earlier, but she decided against it because he just got home and the last thing she wanted to do was make him worry about her the whole day.

"Think again." He told her.

She shook her head.

"Like not wanting to marry someone you don't know?" He asked her.

She went silent.

"Plum, if you don't want to marry him, then you don't have to. Just because your parents decided who you're going to marry with doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your life for them. Your life is your own and no one else's." He told her.

She gave him a smile.

"Axel. I'm not against this marriage. Besides, if someone forces me into marriage, I'll come running to you." She told him.

"And I will always be available whenever you need me." He told her.

"I know." She told him, feeling glad that she had him in her life.

…

Levi went back to his office. On his way, he passed by his secretary's desk, Lyla Avery, and gestured to her to follow him inside. She got up and followed him to his office.

"Get me the names of every investor the Ashlyn's have in their company and make sure no one finds out." he told her.

She looked at him.

"Ashlyn's as the ones whose daughter you're going to marry?" Lyla asked him.

He nodded and looked out the window.

"It's time I pay them back in double for the thing they did." he said, looking outside.

Lyla asked no more and went away to do what he asked her to do.