The next day dawned quiet, a mercy after the chaos that had swept through her life. Yesterday had been a mess — the slander, the headlines, the cruel accusations that had left her trembling behind the counter of her own bakery. But somehow, Axton had managed it all. He had spent hours making calls, speaking in that calm, commanding tone that turned chaos into order. By nightfall, the articles had been pulled, the reporters gone, and her name slowly cleared.
He didn't stop there. Axton had arranged for discreet security at both her bakery and her apartment, making sure no one could invade her peace again. And when she asked him if he wasn't too busy with work, he'd simply said, "I'm taking time off. You come first."
Those words had stayed with her long after he left that night. They played on repeat in her head, gentle but insistent, warming something deep inside her chest. He was there. Always. And now, there was one thing she needed to tell him.
So she called him the next morning and asked if he could meet her.
At first, there had been a pause on the line, the faint sound of surprise in his voice when she said, "At Vivo City." And then, after she'd added softly, "There's a Subway here," he had laughed — low and amused — before agreeing without question.
Now, under the warm spill of the midday sun, they stood side by side in the little sandwich shop tucked near the mall's corner. The scent of freshly baked bread mingled with grilled meat and pickles. It was cozy, bustling, and worlds apart from the high-end restaurants Axton usually occupied.
"This is where you want to eat?" Axton asked, holding the door open for her. His tailored shirt and expensive watch looked comically out of place among the simple décor. Yet when she turned to grin at him, his expression softened immediately.
"Yes," Elin said, stepping inside with a small bounce in her step. "Simple. No fuss. And you've probably never eaten here before, have you?"
He tilted his head, pretending to inspect the bright green and yellow menu boards with exaggerated seriousness. "Can't say that I have," he admitted. "But I'm willing to risk it."
She laughed, a light sound that drew his eyes instantly. The queue moved forward, the line of customers chatting easily as the staff assembled sandwiches in a practiced rhythm. When it was their turn, Elin stepped up to the counter like she had done a hundred times before.
"Six-inch whole wheat, toasted, with chicken teriyaki, lettuce, cucumbers, and extra cheese," Elin said smoothly, her tone cheerful as she rattled off the order with ease. She leaned back slightly, glancing over her shoulder at Axton with a teasing glint in her eye. "See? Easy. Even you can do that."
Axton crossed his arms lightly, the corner of his mouth curving in quiet challenge. "I think I can handle that." he said, though the hesitation in his tone betrayed him.
The line moved, and when it was his turn, the staff looked up at him expectantly from behind the counter. The hum of the restaurant carried on—music playing softly in the background, the smell of toasted bread, pickles, and roasted chicken filling the air—but all of it seemed to make him oddly stiff.
He cleared his throat. "Bread. I'll have... bread."
The young man behind the counter blinked. "Sir, which kind of bread? Italian, honey oat, hearty Italian, multigrain—"
Axton frowned, already second-guessing everything. "Bread," he repeated, slower this time, as though the clarification might help. "Just... normal bread."
There was a moment of silence. The staff member's polite smile wavered as he glanced briefly toward Elin for help.
Elin bit down a laugh, her shoulders shaking slightly as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. "He means white Italian," she said finally, trying to sound composed but failing miserably. Her lips twitched as she turned toward Axton. "Right, Mr. CEO? Just good old-fashioned bread."
Axton sighed through his nose, though the faintest smile tugged at his lips. "Yes. That," he said with mock gravitas. "White Italian bread."
The staff nodded and began assembling his sandwich. "Alright, and what toppings would you like?"
Axton straightened, adopting his usual commanding tone—the same one that had likely swayed investors and board members alike. "Yes."
The worker blinked again. "I mean... which toppings, sir?"
"Yes," Axton repeated, his brows furrowing slightly. "Toppings. All of them."
The teenager looked confused. "All?"
Elin couldn't hold it in any longer. A burst of laughter escaped her, soft at first, then uncontrollable. Her laughter lit up the space around them, catching the attention of a few nearby customers who smiled at the sight of the flustered man in the expensive watch and the woman laughing beside him.
Axton turned to her, a helpless grin spreading across his face. "You could have warned me there was a strategy involved in ordering a sandwich."
Elin, still giggling, stepped forward. "It's okay, it's okay," she said to the staff, waving a hand. "He'll have a footlong Italian BMT, toasted, with lettuce, tomatoes, and light mayo." She glanced up at Axton, her eyes dancing. "Trust me on this one."
He looked down at her, pretending to be unimpressed, though his gaze lingered a moment too long on her bright expression. "You sound very confident about this, Elin."
"I am," she said, chin lifted proudly. "I have years of experience in sandwich customization."
"I bow to your expertise," he replied dryly, though his voice was laced with amusement.
As the staff moved on to the next step, Elin nudged him lightly with her elbow. "You look like you're at a business meeting you didn't prepare for."
"That's exactly what it feels like," Axton muttered, running a hand down his face. "I've negotiated with entire boards of directors, but this... this is chaos."
"It's not chaos," she said, grinning as the smell of toasted bread filled the air. "It's creativity."
"Chaos," he repeated flatly, though his lips were twitching again. "You have to make about a dozen decisions in thirty seconds. Bread type, meat type, cheese, vegetables, sauces—why are there so many sauces?"
"Because everyone likes something different," she said simply, her tone softening. "That's the beauty of it."
He looked at her, something thoughtful flickering across his eyes. "You really believe that, don't you?"
She blinked, caught off guard by the shift in his tone. "Believe what?"
"That everyone's supposed to have something different. Something just for them."
Elin hesitated, then smiled faintly. "Yeah," she said quietly. "That's kind of what makes things special."
Their gazes met, and for a brief moment, the world around them—the chatter, the sizzling toaster oven, the faint hum of air-conditioning—faded. It was just the two of them in that small space, standing close enough that she could smell the faint cologne on his shirt, warm and grounding.
Then the staff slid their sandwiches forward on the counter, breaking the moment. "Order ready!"
Elin quickly thanked the staff and reached for the tray. Axton was about to protest, but she shot him a look that dared him to argue. "Don't," she said softly, smiling up at him. "You've embarrassed yourself enough for one day."
He let out a low chuckle. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"
"Not a chance," she said, laughter in her voice.
They found a small table by the window, sunlight spilling across the wooden surface. Axton sat opposite her, peeling back the paper around his sandwich like it was some delicate operation. Elin watched, biting back another smile as he studied it for a moment before taking his first bite.
Axton froze mid-chew, his eyes widening slightly. "This is... really good," he said, sounding almost betrayed. "I didn't expect it to taste this... balanced."
"See?" Elin said triumphantly. "You just have to trust me sometimes."
The banter came easily between them, laughter bubbling like warm tea shared on a rainy afternoon. For a while, it felt as if the world had shrunk to this small corner table, the soft hum of chatter around them, and the golden light filtering through the glass. Elin's cheeks hurt from smiling too much, and Axton's shoulders had long since lost their corporate rigidity.
But then, as the laughter faded, something in his gaze shifted. He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly, studying her with quiet intent. The teasing curve of his lips softened into something steadier.
"Do you remember what I asked you?" His voice was calm, yet it carried a weight that immediately caught her attention. "A week ago?"
Elin froze, the piece of bread she'd been holding suddenly feeling much heavier than it should. Her pulse skipped. A week ago. She knew exactly what he meant, but she forced her eyes back down to her half-eaten sandwich, as if it suddenly required deep concentration.
"Oh," she said after a moment, her tone airy, her attempt at nonchalance painfully obvious. "You mean... that whole 'be my girlfriend' thing?"
Axton's brow lifted slightly, his mouth tugging into a knowing smile. "That whole thing," he echoed, voice low, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he was fighting back a smirk.
Elin peeked up at him, caught in the warmth of his green eyes. He looked so composed, so patient. And somehow that only made her heart beat faster. She leaned forward slightly, trying to hide her nerves behind a playful grin.
"Well," she said, trying to sound cheeky, "maybe you'll have to spend more time with me to find out."
The look he gave her made her stomach twist. His smile deepened, but this time there was something else behind it. He didn't look away, and that silence, stretched between them, made her pulse quicken.
Then he laughed softly, the sound low and rich, sending a small flutter through her chest. It was the kind of laugh that felt like a touch, genuine, meant only for her. But when it faded, he exhaled slowly and leaned forward again, elbows resting lightly on the table. The teasing was gone from his expression now, replaced with something gentler, steadier.
"Elin," he said quietly, his tone a world away from the banter that came before. "I wouldn't mind waiting for you." His eyes searched hers, open and calm. "I meant it when I said I don't want to rush you."
Her breath caught. She looked down at her hands, fingers nervously picking at the paper wrapper around her sandwich. She could feel the warmth crawling up her neck, the way her pulse thudded softly in her ears.
She had played this moment over in her mind for days, imagined how she might say it—maybe with confidence, maybe with a joke to lighten the tension. But now, sitting here, looking at him, all of that vanished.
Her voice came out small, barely above a whisper. "Yes."
Axton's brow furrowed slightly. "Yes?"
Her cheeks flamed. She tried again, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I-I'll be your girlfriend."
He leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving her. "Say that again," he murmured, almost teasing but not quite.
Elin groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Nooo, don't make me repeat it."
A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Elin." His tone softened, warm enough to melt her embarrassment. "Just once more."
She peeked at him through her fingers. His expression was steady, affectionate. The kind of look that made it hard to breathe. Slowly, she lowered her hands, her lips curling into a shy smile.
"I said..." she began, eyes darting away before finding his again. "I'll be your girlfriend."
"That," he said quietly, voice low enough to be lost in the gentle hum of the café, "is the best thing I've heard all week."
Elin's face flamed hotter. She bit her lip, suddenly aware of the small space between them. His hand was still close to hers, his thumb brushing the edge of her fingers as if by accident, though she doubted anything he did was ever accidental.
"Don't make a big deal out of it!" she blurted, trying to sound playful, but her voice betrayed her with its tremor. She swatted lightly at his arm across the table, a half-hearted attempt at distraction.
Axton chuckled, his low laugh rippling through the air. "I won't," he promised, though the slight curve of his lips and the glimmer in his green eyes said otherwise. He was absolutely going to make a big deal out of it.
Her heart did a small, traitorous flip at that look.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes still fixed on her, watching her reaction with the kind of attention that made her pulse stumble. "You know," he said softly, "you're adorable when you're flustered."
Elin's head shot up. "I'm not flustered," she said quickly, crossing her arms in a poor attempt at looking composed.
"Really?" He tilted his head slightly, pretending to think. "Because your cheeks are saying otherwise."
She gaped at him, mouth opening and closing like she couldn't quite decide between denying it or just sinking into the floor. "You—! You can't just—"
He smiled wider now, the faintest dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth. "I can't what? Tell the truth?"
Her lips twitched, trying not to smile back. She hated that he always knew how to disarm her. The playful confidence, the unbothered charm—it was infuriating.
She picked up her sandwich, glaring at it as if it had somehow conspired against her. "You're impossible," she muttered under her breath.
"I get that a lot," he replied smoothly, clearly pleased with himself.
She tried to focus on eating, but her heart refused to settle. Every time she glanced up, he was already looking at her, a small smile tugging at his lips.
The silence between them stretched comfortably after that. She chewed slowly, pretending not to notice how his gaze kept drifting her way. He wasn't saying much now, but his presence filled the small space, calm and steady.
After a few minutes, Axton leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table. "You know," he began, his tone lighter again, "when I imagined asking you out, I didn't think we'd end up having our first official date in a Subway."
Elin laughed, finally looking up. "What's wrong with Subway?"
"Nothing," he said, eyes glinting. "It's just... I've been to business meetings in London, gala dinners in Paris, high-end restaurants that serve food smaller than my thumb—"
"And none of them compare to a six-inch chicken teriyaki?" she interrupted with a smirk.
He grinned. "Exactly."
Her laughter rang out, bright and genuine.
She caught him staring.
"What?" she asked quietly, her tone a little breathless.
"Nothing," he said, his voice dropping lower. "Just thinking how beautiful you look when you're happy."
A slow smile curved her lips, shy but real. "You're getting really good at this, you know."
"At what?"
"At saying things that make me melt."
He chuckled, eyes glimmering with amusement. "Then I must be doing something right."
She looked down at her hands again, trying to hide the way her cheeks flushed pink, but the warmth blooming in her chest wouldn't go away.
Vivian's heels clicked sharply against the polished lobby floor of a nearby office building. She had been wandering the streets near Vivo City all afternoon, claiming it was errands, pretending it was coincidence, but every step was calculated. She had her eyes on them the moment she spotted the familiar curve of Axton's broad shoulders and Elin's delicate frame through the Subway's large glass windows.
Her chest tightened, an uncomfortable heat spreading across her cheeks. They were laughing together, their voices light and unguarded, and the sight was like a physical jab to her gut. Elin's hands gestured animatedly as she spoke, fingers brushing at the sandwich she was assembling. Axton's green eyes followed her every movement, crinkling with amusement at some private joke, his laughter low and rich.
Vivian's jaw tightened. Her hand clenched around the leather strap of her bag as she instinctively leaned against the glass of a nearby shopfront, hiding in shadow. She watched them move together so easily, so naturally, and her chest ached with a combination of envy and fury.
"They're too comfortable," she muttered under her breath, venom coating each word. "No one should have that ease with him. Not her."
She drew a shallow breath, trying to calm the storm inside her. Rationally, she knew Elin was just a baker. Axton was a CEO, a man of the world, someone who could have anyone he wanted. Yet seeing the way he looked at Elin, soft and completely absorbed, made her blood simmer.
Axton reached across the small table and brushed Elin's fingers lightly. Vivian's lips parted slightly, a hiss catching in her throat. Elin's cheeks flushed pink, and she laughed softly. That laugh, so effortless and warm, pushed Vivian further over the edge.