Once a Love Fool Now a Leading Lady (Kylie rehbein and Axel Bowen) novel Chapter 1

They say every man carries in his heart a woman he once loved but could never have.

Kylie Rehbein always thought Axel Bowen was the exception. After all, she had been with him since they were young.

But the world itself feels like a giant stage built for that unreachable first love.

And Axel, it turned out, was no different.

Kylie had been with Axel since she was 18. Seven full years.

More than 2,000 days and nights together, sharing every intimate moment. Yet none of it could compare to the fleeting crush he once had when he was young.

It was almost laughable.

Seven years, and she still hadn't figured out what was in his heart.

How deeply had he fallen in love with that old flame for Axel to keep it buried in his heart for such a long time?

Kylie's mind drifted. The man on top of her grew impatient. He pushed harder, warning her not to lose focus.

Axel was always intense in bed.

In one rough movement, he knocked over a small black box on the nightstand.

He caught it quickly before it could fall on her.

Axel hadn't seen that box before. For once, his curiosity showed. "What's this?" he asked.

Kylie took the box from him without a change in her expression. She tossed it aside and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips brushed his throat as she whispered, "You're thinking about something else now? Are you tired of me already?"

Her temptation pulled him back. Axel gave in, forgetting the box instantly.

But as Axel lost himself in her, Kylie turned her eyes toward the black box on the side. Her gaze turned watery, filling with a quiet ache.

Axel, you'll never know what's inside that box.

...

A month earlier, Axel's company, Vortex Group, had gone public. His friends threw him a small celebration party.

Kylie dressed up and went with one purpose: she planned to propose to him.

It should have been the man's job.

But Kylie loved him too much. She was willing to put aside her pride and be the one to ask.

No one knew she had waited seven years for this moment.

Axel was always focused on his career, so Kylie had built her life around him. She switched her college major to finance, even though she hated it, just to match his path.

After graduation, she gave up an offer from a top school overseas and chose to work at his company.

She started as an assistant and worked her way up to chief secretary.

The struggle, the sacrifices—only she knew what it cost her.

There were so many times, especially when her love for him felt overwhelming, that she wanted to ask, "Will you marry me?"

But she always held back.

Her mother had told her: gifts and love should never be begged for.

If someone gives freely, it's true affection. If you have to ask, it's charity.

And Axel was not the type of man to express love easily.

Still, in all these years, she had been the only woman by his side.

To her, it felt like marriage was just the natural ending to their story.

Kylie had fought for Vortex for years, giving everything she had.

Big or small, tough or easy, she took it all on.

She couldn't even count how many times she drank herself sick or how many trips she made to the hospital.

The worst was the time she nearly died on the operating table from alcohol poisoning and a miscarriage.

Her best friend Skye Thornton once asked, "After coming so close to death, do you regret it? Was wrecking yourself for a man worth it?"

Kylie hadn't even hesitated. She nodded. "It's worth it."

Skye gave her a nickname then—Cupid's Fighter.

She laughed and told her, "I just hope you don't lose this fight."

Back then, Kylie had answered with full confidence, "Axel won't let me lose."

That belief carried her all the way through until the day Vortex finally went public.

No one knew that while Axel was at Khison ringing the bell for the opening of the stock market, Kylie locked herself in her room and cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.

When the tears stopped, she began planning the surprise proposal for Axel.

She had no choice—Axel was too busy.

Vortex had just gone public. Axel was juggling new projects and celebrating with family and partners.

Axel ... had a first love?

No denial. No defense.

It sounded more like silent agreement.

"Come on, it's a celebration. Let's talk about something fun before I fall asleep from all this drinking."

Elmer pushed himself up from the couch, eager to stir things up.

He was a notorious player, changing girlfriends faster than he changed clothes.

Always chasing thrills, he grinned and called out, "Let's play a game. Everyone share the wildest thing you've ever done."

One guy jumped right in. "Make love inside a vehicle."

Elmer scoffed. "That's it? That's not wild."

The guy smirked. "On a train."

The whole room roared with laughter and cheers. "Now that's impressive!"

Elmer's eyes lit up. He turned toward Axel, who looked bored and detached. "What about you, Axel? Tell us—what's the craziest thing you've ever done?"

Axel seemed to think for a moment, then said calmly, "I become the side guy—for love."

The room exploded.

This was Axel!

He was the heir of the privileged family from Slegate, born into wealth and power. He could have any woman he wanted.

If he'd really done that, it could only mean one thing: true love.

Elmer's reaction was the loudest. His voice was so sharp and booming that it rattled through the door and pounded in Kylie's ears.

"It was Rhea, wasn't it? I knew you still loved her! Back then you liked Rhea, but Rhea liked Zander—so you became her lover. Axel, you're a simp supreme for real!"

The room erupted with laughter and teasing. To Kylie, those voices felt like buckets of ice water pouring over her head, chilling her to the bone.

Her stomach twisted uncontrollably, waves rising until she had to crouch down, fighting the nausea.

Inside, Elmer kept talking. "Axel, tell us the truth. On October 10th, did you meet Rhea?"

Axel's calm reply came, "How did you know?"

"That night she posted on Instagram," Elmer said. "She wrote, ‘A reunion is the most romantic thing in the world.' I figured it had to be you she was talking about!"

He leaned in, laughing louder. "So what happened that night? Sparks flying? Old flames catching fire again? Did you two share a wild and intense night?"