Chapter Five: Just How Rich Is He?!

Eveline's POV

Awkwardness. Silence. Uncomfort.

That was all that filled the dense atmosphere as Axel and I made our way toward one of Axel's expensive cars. He said that he planned to buy another one for me the second we get married, the pockets and wallets of rich people seem to be an endless abyss such that they are capable of purchasing luxurious items nonchalantly.

Axel secured his seatbelt before turning towards me and ensuring that I had already fastened my seatbelt before turning on the engine, the sound of the car starting signaled Axel to begin driving. I pressed my legs together, hands fiddling with each other as I turned towards my left, pretending to be busy admiring the boring scenery of people moving about. I did not even know where we were heading. I wanted to ask Axel but I got a feeling that I should just keep quiet and wait.

I leaned on the strong glass on the car doors and allowed the vibration that came from the moving vehicle to get to me. My eyelids were tired and dared to close and then enter a deep slumber. Now that there is silence between us, it gave me the perfect opportunity to rethink my decisions albeit I knew that it would not help with ending the offer since there was a contract that forbid me from doing such. I thought about the offer again, how silly it was. Not the contract, but more of the reason I accepted the offer. To spite my ex? I closed my eyes and my eyebrows furrowed. So in the end I did not improve myself, instead, I trapped myself in a loveless relationship.

I thought of what would happen if I never accepted nor considered the offer at all. Axel and I would go back to a boss-employee relationship, or perhaps more like strangers. My life would still be the same as ever and I won't be involved in such a hassling act.

I brought my hands up to my cheeks, slapping them slightly, leaving a red mark and a lingering sting where my palms had touched my skin. 'Stop thinking so much you moron!' I mentally chided myself. 'Since you've already taken this path, deal with it and live your own life.' I nodded to myself.

Axel who had been watching me conflicting with my inner self chuckled softly. I did not know whether that was due to him thinking it was amusing or thinking I was being an idiot. It did not matter anyway.

"We're here." Axel commented and that was all he said as he opened the car doors, stepping out and showing no signs of opening the car doors for me like a 'gentleman'. I knew it, the small sweet interaction at the Restaurant was a facade. I should not expect too much from this man who was capable of any feat that did not involve romance.

I silently stepped out of the vehicle and observed my surroundings. How very foreign this area was to me. All that was around me was estates that just seemed to rub salt in my wounds by telling me that 'this place was reserved for the rich, and I was not a part of them.

"Where are we?" Curiosity spread to my brain and I found it hard to hold my tongue back.

"My neighborhood." Axel simply responded and then walked away. I quickly caught up to him and held his wrist. The handsome male turned around and looked at me, both confusion and disgust filled his eyes as if he was angry at me, a lowly peasant, for having the audacity to grab him like this. Those eyes. They reminded me of David.

I let go and then looked at him. "Which one is your house?" I interrogated, seeming to have ignored the hints of revolt shown on Axel's facial expression.

"All of them."

"Pardon?"

Axel sighed and turned around such that his body was fully facing me. "Every single estate in this neighborhood belongs to me. Do you need me to spell every word out again or can you get that through your thick skull?"

Ouch. That hurt. However what Axel had said was shocking, to me at least, I don't know how others would react to such news. Being the commoner that I am, I had a big reaction to Axel's words.

"EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE ESTATES BELONGS TO YOU? JUST HOW RICH ARE YOU?" I screeched, nearly deafening.

Axel had to cover his ears and frown before he agreed to my statement. No more words were exchanged between us two as I followed Axel down the pavement while paying close attention to him as he pointed at various infrastructures and told me more about them while expecting me to memorize everything word for word. I was so close to begging Axel to stop and provide me the sufficient time to search for the notebook from before and just take approximately twenty minutes to recollect all the information I heard earlier and transfer them onto paper.

Axel stopped for a brief moment, waiting for me to catch up. He took some time to analyze my appearance before bending forward such that our faces were inches apart. My breath hitched, not used to being this close to my boss.

"Now that I thought of it, you look rather a beautiful Ms. Lennox. Looks like I've struck gold by asking you to be my wife." Axel commented nonchalantly, smiling briefly before getting up and then walking off, not saying anything more during the whole trip.

My body froze slightly, rethinking what the Axel, my cold boss, had done. I clutched my chest,' Stop it, you useless heart!' I mentally screamed as I attempted to recover from a small heart attack. 'He's just saying that to make me feel better, that isn't true at all.' Was what I had chosen to tell my love-struck heart to stop it from yearning for fake love. However to my disappointment, that had only urged my youthful heart to pursue this man. Damn this heart of mine.

"Hurry up. I need to show you something important." Axel chided me slightly when he noticed that I was not moving at all. Pushing away my heart problem aside, I rushed forward such that Axel and I were walking at the same pace. Due to our height difference, I needed to take larger steps to catch up to Axel or walk at the same momentum.

"Here we are," Axel noted. I stopped moving and looked at Axel. He was pointed at the building before us. My eyes followed his finger. Such a lovely estate it was, with the large and furnished garden and fish pond and patio. I knew that the interior of the infrastructure would be as gorgeous.

Axel guided me inside and as Axel took off his shoes, I took the time to take in the surroundings. There was a kitchen and living room on the first floor, there were two large bedrooms and three toilets on the second floor. I went exploring and was in awe of the building. I mean, as a normal person I have never stepped into such lovely housing.

Axel beckoned me to go over and join him in the living room. I did that and sat down on the velvet cushioned sofa, eyeing him, and awaited his next sentence.

"This building." Axel began, "Belongs to you now. I've already assigned this estate to you and it's yours to use however you like. Here's a card worth five hundred thousand dollars." Axel took out a card from his wallet and shoved it gently into my hands. I looked at it and indeed, this card was worth way more than my monthly salary. "Use the money to change whatever you want in this house to your liking. Oh don't worry, you can keep the rest of the unused money. I do not need it."Typical rich businessman.

"Here. Just sign this document and this estate belongs to you." Another document appears before me, along with the same pen Axel lent me at the matchmaking event. The second time I had to sign documents related to Axel today.

I read the contract closely and nodded before signing my name slightly above the line provided on paper. Pleased with what I had done, I returned the document to Axel who kept it safely in his briefcase.

"I'm going to go back to the company. You can stay here and get used to your new home. I'll get my people to deliver your things from your former home here, they should be here in an hour or so." Axel got up and prepared to leave. I did not know why but I felt a bit upset that Axel was going to leave me alone here.

'No Eveline, Axel doesn't even love you so don't even bother. Let him go. It's better this way.' My brain argued. It seems that my stubborn stupid lovestruck heart did not even bother listening to half of what my brain had said. Why do I say so? Before I knew it, my organs began making decisions and doing something reckless without the consent of my mind.

"Is there something wrong Ms. Lennox? If you think that five hundred thousand dollars are not enough I can always provide even more." Axel commented as my index finger and thumb gently yet tightly tugged at Axel's neat suit. I grit my teeth, was this man so dense? Suddenly I remembered that the contract specifically stated that there should be no feelings in this relationship. My eyes looked tired. I let go and forced a smile.

"Nothing. You can go now." I retreated my hand, squashing that mischievous hand of mine with my other hand.

My eyes trailed Axel's body as he nodded however still slightly confused, turned around and out the front door using a pair of keys that he owns to get out.

My body relaxed. There's no need to act now that he's not here.