Once a Love Fool Now a Leading Lady (Kylie rehbein and Axel Bowen) novel Chapter 4

When Mona heard someone suggest alcohol, she panicked.

"No way. Kylie's not feeling well. She can't drink."

The night Kylie almost died from alcohol poisoning, Mona was the one who had gone with her to the business dinner.

She saw everything with her own eyes, and the memory left her shaken.

The doctor even said that if they had arrived a little later, Kylie's life would have been in danger.

Elmer frowned, annoyed. "Come on, don't underestimate her. Everybody knows Kylie can drink anyone under the table! Remember when she went north with Axel for that business trip? There were 20 people at the table. She drank round after round and walked away fine. And now you're telling me she can't handle three glasses? What, she just picking and choosing when it's convenient? Or is she's just trying to embarrass Rhea?"

Rhea didn't want the atmosphere to stay so tense. She jumped in to ease things. "Elmer, come on. Ms. Rehbein is a woman. Don't make it harder for her."

Elmer wasn't happy with that. "I'm not making it hard."

He turned to Axel for backup. "Axel, do you think I'm making things hard for her?"

Axel lifted his eyes. His gaze slid across Kylie's face, unreadable. Then the corner of his mouth tugged coldly. "Not really."

Hearing that, Elmer grew more confident. "See? Axel says it's fine. Rhea, you're just too kind. Not like Kylie—she's a seasoned player in the business world, always knowing how to chase profit and avoid trouble."

Kylie didn't argue back. She just looked straight at Axel, as if trying to find something else in his eyes.

She waited for him to step in, to say something—anything. Even just enough, or don't push her.

Like a last desperate reach before drowning.

But Axel never spoke.

His eyes stayed cold.

And in that moment, Kylie understood.

It felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over her, crushing the last bit of hope in her heart.

Her smile was faint, almost dazed. She bent down, lifted the glass on the table, and said calmly, "Guess I don't know the rules. I'll drink."

She had learned plenty of tricks for drinking at business dinners.

Eat first, drink some milk, and take small sips. Those tricks had helped her hold her ground many times before.

But tonight, none of it mattered.

She just kept pouring it down.

One glass.

Two.

Three.

The whiskey burned her nose and made her stomach twist in pain.

But she brushed it off, lifted the empty glass toward Axel, and said lightly, "Done. Now can I leave, Mr. Bowen?"

...

Kylie didn't know if Axel ever nodded in the end.

She didn't wait to find out.

She turned and left the room, her stomach churning so badly she was afraid she'd throw up right there.

In the restroom, she collapsed over the sink, vomiting until her head spun. In that miserable moment, she almost felt lucky she had taken stomach medicine before drinking instead of antibiotics.

Nobody is born with a strong tolerance.

Before joining Vortex, Kylie never touched alcohol.

The first time she went with Axel to a business dinner, the host insisted he drink, saying it was the only way to show his sincerity.

But Axel was allergic to alcohol—he couldn't touch it.

So Kylie stepped in.

It was her first time drinking. She had no idea what she was doing. One glass nearly choked her, but she forced it down.

But when she thought about how hard Axel had fought for that chance, she forced the alcohol down, no matter how hard it was for her.

That was the first project she won for him.

Axel had called her the hero of Vortex. He promised that once they made it big, they would share the glory together.

Kylie spoke first. "Bill, just drop me on the side of the road. I'll get a cab from there."

But on this stretch of road, there were no cabs. There was no shelter from the rain.

Feeling guilty, the driver handed her an umbrella before leaving.

Maybe fate gave her a small break that night. She hadn't waited long before a car finally came.

Still, the next day Kylie woke with a fever and chills.

Her body, already weak from the miscarriage, with stomach problems that kept coming back, had no strength left to fight. Even a cold wind could knock her down.

But today she had a meeting with Gresham Pascall from Pascall Group. The same project Axel had called her out for during the meeting.

If she missed it, Axel would surely find another way to mock her.

The thermometer read 101.3°F. Not life-threatening, but miserable.

She could have taken some medicine. But Gresham was known for his drinking. He preferred to talk business over shots, not coffee.

Kylie shoved the pills back in the drawer, grabbed the files, and walked out of the office.

...

She had just ordered food and drinks when Gresham arrived.

Gresham saw the table filled with his favorite dishes and drinks. He broke into a smile. "Ms. Rehbein, why not join my company and work as my secretary? You can name your salary."

"Thank you, Mr. Pascall, but my contract with Vortex hasn't ended yet. I don't plan on leaving for now."

It was her usual answer.

With her skills, people in the industry were constantly trying to recruit her.

Once, a drunk business partner even tried to poach her right in front of Axel.

Axel didn't say a word. But that night, he took it out on her in bed, proving his point in his way.

In the end, Kylie signed a long-term contract with Vortex, just to coax him.