~ Layla ~
"There's clearly been a mistake," I said, backing off. "I'll head to the reception to sort this out."
Axel crossed his arms over his broad chest, his muscles flexing slightly. "Good idea."
I turned and walked out, slamming the door behind me before I could fully process what had just happened.
By the time I reached the reception desk, I was really frustrated. The hotel lobby was dimly lit, and the warm light from the chandeliers didn't help soothe the anger building inside me.
The receptionist was a woman in her thirties with a strained smile. When I walked up to her, she looked up and greeted me with that same tight, formal expression.
"There's been a mistake," I said, placing my keycard on the counter. "You gave me the key to a suite, one that was already occupied."
Her smile faltered. "Occupied?"
"Yes," I snapped. "By a man who was very much inside and very much…" I hesitated, cheeks heating up at the image of his shirtless body, "...not expecting company."
Just then, Axel appeared beside me, now fully clothed. His dominating presence made the small space feel even smaller.
The receptionist's fingers flew over the keyboard, eyes scanning the screen. Her brows creased in a frown.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Watson. It looks like there was a system error. The room you originally booked was a standard room, but somehow, our system reassigned you to Mr. O'Brien's penthouse suite."
"Is there another room available?" Axel voiced out my thoughts. His tone was calm, but there was an underlying authority to it that made the receptionist tense up.
She gave him an apologetic look. "Unfortunately, sir, we're fully booked for the night."
My stomach sank.
At that moment, I seriously started to think I was cursed. It could be the only explanation for all my bad luck today.
Axel exhaled slowly, as if this was a minor inconvenience rather than a full-blown disaster. "Of course you are."
I pinched my temples, willing myself to stay calm. I was down to the last bit of self-control I had. "So what am I supposed to do?"
The receptionist shifted uncomfortably as she looked between Axel and me. "I could put you on a waitlist, but we won't have any vacancies until tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?! Where am I supposed to go tonight?"
I had no home to return to and no friends I could call. I'd left the Watson estate with no plan, just the desperate need to escape. I was all alone.
The receptionist went mute, and her silence only infuriated me further.
Axel turned to me, with an unreadable expression. "You can stay in my suite."
I blinked. "What?"
He shrugged like it was the most logical solution in the world. "You need a place to stay. I have an extra room in my suite. It's simple math.
Simple math?
Nothing about the situation was simple.
Staying in a hotel suite with a man I had just met, one who carried a gun and whose name sent chills down my spine, was a terrible idea.
And yet…
What choice did I have?
I swallowed my pride, nodding stiffly. "Fine."
********
Axel's suite was nothing short of luxurious. It made sense that it wasn't the room I'd booked to begin with. I'd been cut off from my father. I couldn't spend thousands each night on a room. My eyes scanned through the space, taking it in all over again.
He clearly had money. Lots of it. Not that it came as a surprise to me.
I dropped my bag by the door, arms crossed over my chest as Axel poured himself a drink. He didn't offer me one. I didn't care anyway. Maybe a little. But getting drunk with a stranger was definitely a bad idea.
"Let's get one thing straight," I said, ignoring how out of place I felt in his suite. "I'm not here because I trust you. I'm here because I have no other option."
He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, not bothering to look at me. "Noted."
There was a long pause between us. I shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with my top as I remained standing by the door.
"You're allowed to move around the room and use its facilities, you know?" he said before taking a sip of his glass.
I looked around, spotting a door that would most definitely lead to the bathroom. A nice, long, hot bath sounded so appealing to me. I needed it.
I looked towards Axel. He wasn't paying any attention to me, so I grabbed my bag and shuffled into the bathroom. The second I soaked in the hot tub, I felt my body come loose.
I closed my eyes, but I couldn't escape from the events which had led up to that moment. However, I felt a lot better when I got out of the shower. Then I pulled on some shorts and a baggy top.
Axel was still seated by the bar when I came out. Suddenly, a drink didn't sound so bad anymore.
I sat down on the stool next to him and poured myself a shot of the same wine he was drinking. I had a glass, then another, and soon I started to feel a little tipsy.
I felt Axel's gaze watching me for a second. My emotions were still raw from the day's events. And then, before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out.
"My sister married my fiancé today."
Axel didn't react.
I didn't know why I was telling him.
Perhaps it was because he didn't seem to care. Maybe it was because he was the only person who hadn't looked at me with pity. Perhaps I simply needed to absorb it all fully, and the only way I could do that was by talking.
"I was at the altar," I continued bitterly, "The official asked if anyone was against the marriage. And my younger sister stood up, revealing she's pregnant with my soon-to-be husband's child. And right there, in front of everyone, he admitted loving her."
I let out a humourless laugh. "And my family just… let it happen."
Axel finally looked at me. "And?"
I frowned. "And?"
His expression remained unreadable. "You told me all of that. Now what?"
Anger flared in my chest.
"Now what? I was humiliated in front of hundreds of people. I lost my fiancé, and my family chose her instead of me after everything I did to make them happy. I lived my life based on my parents' wishes. I worked so hard to be the perfect daughter, and this is what I get in return: betrayal and embarrassment. I feel lost! I have nowhere to go!"
Axel sipped his drink, looking unimpressed. "Sounds like you're better off without them."
I let out a sharp breath, my hands trembling at my sides. "You're unbelievable."
I wished I hadn't said anything at all. He was just a douchebag.
His lips curled into a smirk. "You expected sympathy?"
I hated that smirk, and I hated that he wasn't wrong. I turned away before downing another shot and pressing my fingers against my temples.
"Why am I even talking to you?"
"Because you have nothing left," he said simply. "And you need something to hold onto."
I tensed up as his words hit me hard. The silence that followed was heavy and uncomfortable. I stood up, ready to leave, but just then, he spoke again.
"Marry me."
I froze. What?
I slowly turned to face him, sure I had misheard. "What did you just say?"
Axel set his glass down. "Marry me," he repeated, his lips curved into that smirk I was getting used to. "Let me help you ruin them."
I stared at him, waiting for the punchline… Waiting for him to smirk and tell me he was joking. But he didn't.
Instead, he got down from his chair and approached me, like a man who knew what he wanted and always got exactly that.
"I don't know anything about you, and you don't know anything about me," he said smoothly. "But I feel the hurt you're feeling, and I know you want revenge."
My breath caught in my throat. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes darkened. "I can help you get what you want."
I swallowed hard, my pulse racing.
"This isn't about love," Axel continued. "It's about power. Do you want to take your family down? Do you want to make them regret ever discarding you?" He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Then marry me."
I felt like the ground beneath me was shifting.
This was insane.
And yet, as I looked into Axel O'Brien's cold, calculating eyes, a dangerous thought whispered in the back of my mind.
What if this was exactly what I needed?
What if the only way to destroy them was to become something they never expected?
I took a slow, steady breath, meeting his gaze head-on. "What's in it for you?" I asked.
Axel smirked. "Everything."
I looked into his dark eyes as he leaned towards me. His eyes told whispers of all the crazy things I'd never do. And his offer felt like one of those things.
Was I about to make a deal with the devil?