Axel’s rejection stung like an open wound rubbed raw with salt. I stood there, clutching his sleeve like a desperate fool, my fingers quivering with the need to hold onto sothing... anything.
I could feel Rosa’s presence beside him, her stoic satisfaction that in the end, she’s gotten what she wanted like she always did was so palpable and it made sick.
I wasn’t going to let this end like this. I couldn’t risk being sent to live as the wife of a devious rogue.
"Axel," I whispered shakily.
I reached for him, needing to touch him, to feel sothing real in the nightmare my life had beco. But before I could even graze his sleeve...
A sudden force slamd into my shoulder.
I gasped as I tumbled backward, landing hard against the tiled floor. A sharp pain exploded in my hip, and my palms stung from breaking my fall. For a mont, all I could hear was my own shallow breathing and the rushing sound of blood pounding in my ears.
"Stay away from my fiancé, María José, you tramp!" Rosa snapped, glaring at with pure hatred.
The mask of kindness she had been wearing for Axel’s sake broke down, revealing the true Rosa underneath.
I blinked up at her in shock, but I was too shocked to move.
A muscle in Axel’s jaw twitched. His fingers curled into fists at his sides. It was subtle, but I caught it—anger was starting to overtake him.
For a second, it almost looked like he couldn’t stand seeing in pain.
He moved.
Just a little; his foot lifted, like he was about to co forward and help up, but then he stopped himself. His lips ca apart before pressing into a hard line, and he forced himself to turn away.
He was fighting it.
But why?
"María José," Rosa gasped suddenly, clutching her hands to her mouth as if she had just realized what she had done. "Oh no! I didn’t an to push you that hard! Are you alright?"
Liar.
I knew her well enough to see the triumph twinkling behind her feigned concern.
Axel knew it too.
His eyes trailed to Rosa for a mont. His fingers wriggled, and for the briefest second, I saw the anger. He clenched his jaw, nostrils flaring, but he swallowed it down, forcing himself to remain still.
I had never seen Axel hold back anger before. He wasn’t like that. When he was mad, he let the world feel it. The fact that he was forcing himself to remain indifferent, to stay away from , only confird it; sothing was wrong.
He still cared.
He didn’t want to. He was trying to pretend otherwise. But he cared.
The realization shot through like lightning. I wasn’t imagining it. Sothing was wrong.
Axel wasn’t like this. Not completely.
I needed to get through to him.
Before I could stop myself, I dropped to my knees, grabbing onto his leg with both hands.
"Axel, please," I begged with desperation thickening my voice. "Please, just talk to . Just tell what’s going on. I know you don’t hate . I know you..."
"Let go of him," Rosa cut in but I ignored her.
Axel didn’t move. His whole body went stiff and I could feel his muscles tense beneath my fingers.
"Please," I repeated.
Rosa let out a frustrated huff. "María José, stop embarrassing yourself! He doesn’t want you! Let go of him right now!"
I clung tighter to Axel’s legs, scrambling on the floor like a prisoner.
"Please! Axel, listen to . I just need an audience. Five minutes. Just five minutes..."
"Get off of him!" Rosa hissed this ti, reaching down to pry away, but I only tightened my grip.
"Axel, please!" I begged as tears burned my eyes. "Whatever it is, whatever’s happening, you don’t have to do this! Please just talk to ..."
"Let go of him!" Rosa shrieked.
Then what I felt next was a sharp pain as her foot slamd into my ribs.
A sharp cry tore from my throat as I was thrown backward, my body curling in on itself. My breath left in a ragged gasp as a wave of agony sizzled through .
She had kicked .
Hard.
My finger clawed at the ground as I tried to breathe through the pain. Stars danced in my vision, and for a mont, I thought I might pass out.
I had thought Axel would just stand there and watch get kicked like a criminal, but he didn’t
"Rosa! Are you out of your damn MIND?!"
Axel’s voice roared through the hallway, raw and furious. The sound of it rattled through , jolting back into awareness.
"You just kicked her?" His voice was filled with an overwhelming amount of rage that even Rosa clearly hadn’t expected.
I forced my gaze upward, blinking through the haze of pain in . Rosa’s face had gone pale.
"I—I was just..."
Axel took a threatening step forward, his eyes ablaze. "You think I want to marry a woman who treats others like trash? Who can’t even show an ounce of kindness?"
His hands clenched at his sides, shaking. His whole body was taut, like he was barely restraining himself. "I don’t want a heartless bitch as my wife."
The words echoed through the hall like gunfire.
Rosa gasped, clutching her chest like he had physically struck her. "Axel! You—you don’t an that! I was just..."
And then, before I could even process what was happening, Axel reached down and yanked up. His grip was firm but very careful not to bruise . The butterflies in my stomach fluttered to life as his warmth seeped into my skin while he held steady.
He turned to with his jaw still tight.
"Co with ," he muttered.
My heart skipped. He was taking with him.
Rosa made a strangled noise, her hands fisting in her skirts. "Axel, no! Don’t let her manipulate you! You’re mine! You love !"
Axel ignored her.
I felt the smallest hint of a smile tug at the corner of my lips.
Oh, Rosa must be seething. She was no more or less acting like Camilla now and losing her popular sophistication.
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