Once a Love Fool Now a Leading Lady (Kylie rehbein and Axel Bowen) novel Chapter 2

Elmer wouldn't stop gossiping.

The others in the room kept egging him on, their voices loud and messy.

Kylie couldn't hear what Axel said. All she felt was a sharp pain twisting in her stomach.

But even that wasn't half as painful as the stabbing ache in her chest.

October 10th.

The day I ended up with alcohol poisoning and lost the baby.

While I was fighting for my life in the hospital, he was out rekindling old feelings with his first love.

"Ms. Rehbein, are you okay? You don't look well."

A passing server froze when she saw Kylie crouched on the floor, her face pale as paper.

Kylie begged her to call an ambulance.

By the time she lay inside the vehicle, drenched in sweat, Axel's call came through.

Any other day, no matter how tired she was, she would have answered him right away.

But today the pain was too much. Too heavy.

She didn't want to care. Didn't want anything.

Not even Axel.

...

Kylie spent five days in the hospital.

The diagnosis was severe gastritis—complications from alcohol poisoning and the miscarriage she never fully recovered from.

During her stay, Axel never came. Not once.

Not even a single text.

Maybe, from the very beginning, she had been nothing in his world.

She just hadn't realized it until now.

On Monday, Kylie returned to the office. Her assistant, Mona Corbyn, pulled her aside, whispering like she was sharing a big secret. "Kylie, did you hear? We've got a parachute hire coming in! And it's a woman!"

"Parachute?" Kylie frowned. That didn't sound right.

Axel was strict about promotions. Even she had started as an intern before working her way up.

The company had never hired outsiders directly into high positions.

But Mona was certain. "It's true! I saw Mr. Bowen's signed appointment letter myself. Director of Investment Division Three!"

Kylie's brows twitched at this.

That was the position Axel once promised to her.

She had given everything to Vortex. Everyone in the company knew it.

By the rules of promotion, she should have been made a director long ago, leading her own projects.

But Axel said he couldn't do without her as his secretary. That no one else could replace her, and kept her as a secretary.

He promised that the director role would stay open, waiting for her.

Once Vortex went public, he promised he would personally sign her promotion.

"Really?" Kylie asked calmly, though her eyes twitched with unease. "What's her name?"

"Something like ... Rhea or something. I didn't catch it clearly."

Kylie's fingers trembled. The cup in her hand slipped, crashing to the floor. Hot water splashed everywhere.

Mona jumped in surprise. "Kylie, did you burn yourself?"

"No."

The water wasn't hot, but it still felt like it burned more than scalding heat ever could.

"Rhea Malone," Kylie said.

Mona blinked, confused. "What?"

Kylie drew in a slow breath. "Her name is Rhea Malone. She's about to be the new director of Investment Division Three."

"Oh, right! That was it! Kylie, do you know her?"

"No."

Kylie carried her cup back to the machine to refill it.

The news of the new hire spread through the company quickly. Soon, people started coming to Kylie to confirm.

Answering the same question over and over wore her down. Her good temper ran out, and finally she snapped. "If you're so curious, why don't you just ask Mr. Bowen directly?"

Her words dropped, and for a few seconds the entire office went quiet. Then a woman's gentle voice floated through the silence.

"Axel, it seems like your employee has quite the temper."

The same longing she'd pinned on marriage with Axel.

But now, both dreams—career and love—had slipped out of reach.

"I really like the design of this office," Rhea said with a smile. "It feels warmer than I imagined. And it's so close to Axel's office too."

She looked so pleased, so eager to share her excitement with Axel. She left Kylie behind and hurried next door.

Kylie stood alone in the office she had designed with such care.

She looked around. For a moment she felt like a clown on stage, her heart twisted so tightly it was difficult to breathe.

...

The Monday meeting was the week's most important forum. No one dared be late.

Kylie wasn't an exception.

Except Rhea.

Even as a newcomer, she broke the rule Axel himself had set.

Kylie expected him to be angry—at least say something sharp.

But Axel said nothing. Not even a word of blame. He spoke calmly, telling Kylie to hand out the meeting files.

For a second, she drifted.

Her mind flashed back to her intern days, when she'd once been late to this very meeting because she'd caught the flu from taking care of Axel. She came in with a fever. Axel had called her out in front of the entire company.

He never even remembered that she got sick from looking after him.

Later, she'd complained about the unfairness.

Axel explained that the company was still young, and he had to set an example and make a warning out of someone.

She had been that example.

Back then, she told herself he was just being professional. It wasn't personal.

But now, years later, this moment landed on her like a hard slap across the face.

Turns out he could bend the rules—just not for her.

People weren't treated the same.

The difference in their treatment was as clear as day and night.