Once a Love Fool Now a Leading Lady (Kylie rehbein and Axel Bowen) novel Chapter 6

The next morning, as soon as Kylie got to the office, Mona rushed over with a secretive look and showed her something she had found earlier.

"Looks like Ms. Malone may have spent the night with Mr. Bowen," she whispered, glancing around nervously.

On her phone was a blurry photo she had snapped.

"They arrived in the same car this morning. And Ms. Malone was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday."

Kylie gave the screen a quick look.

In the picture, a man stood at the car door, half his face hidden in shadow. He lowered his head toward Rhea as she stepped out.

Maybe it was just the angle, but the moment looked strangely intimate.

Kylie stared for a few seconds, then looked away. She shoved the pills in her palm straight into her mouth and washed them down with several gulps of water.

The water slid down her throat. The photo didn't bother her.

Seriously, not at all.

She spent the whole morning organizing project files and even drafted a resignation letter.

Meanwhile, Rhea walked into Axel's office four different times, staying over half an hour each visit.

And maybe because he was in such a good mood with her around, Axel never even mentioned Kylie ditching him last night.

Close to noon, Axel finally walked out with Rhea at his side.

As they passed Kylie's desk, he didn't stop for even a second.

Rhea was chatting with him, asking what he wanted for lunch.

She said it was her treat, a way of thanking him for covering her last night.

Axel suggested a beef stew place nearby. He said their stew was good for blood circulation and perfect for her right now.

Rhea looked touched. "You're so thoughtful, Axel."

Right before the elevator doors closed, Kylie typed her name at the bottom of her resignation letter.

Mona texted her to ask where they should eat lunch.

Kylie thought for a moment, then replied, "Let's go to Harvest Garden for beef stew."

Mona agreed.

The place was crowded since it was lunchtime.

The moment they walked in, Kylie spotted Axel and Rhea. The location of their seating makes those two impossible to miss.

"What are the odds?" Mona muttered, worried Kylie might get upset.

But Kylie stayed calm, her eyes sliding right past them. "There's a table available over there."

As soon as they sat down, a waitress who knew Kylie walked over with a smile. "Ms. Rehbein, are you here for seafood chowder again?"

Kylie shook her head with a faint smile. "Not today. I'll take something easy on the stomach."

The waitress asked without thinking, "Oh, did your boss's insomnia finally get better?"

Every time Kylie had come before, she had ordered special stew to help Axel sleep. Rain or shine, she never missed.

Over time, she had become one of their regulars.

Kylie's expression was calm. "Yeah. He won't be needing it anymore."

From now on, she only needed to take care of her stomach.

Mona asked the waitress, "Do you have any dishes that help with low iron? I'm on my period, and I keep feeling faint from low blood sugar."

"Yes, we do," the waitress replied quickly. "Today we had three servings of bone broth. You're lucky—only one is left. The other two were bought by that gentleman for his girlfriend."

The waitress's voice carried open admiration. "They look perfect together. Both attractive and stylish, and the man treats her so well. You don't see many good men like that anymore."

Mona nearly reached out to cover that waitress's mouth.

Because the couple she was describing was Axel and Rhea.

So that was why Axel had brought Rhea here, to have some food to replenish her strength, because she was on her period.

Yesterday, when he said she wasn't feeling well and kept drinks away from her, he had probably done it for the same reason.

How close did they have to be for him to know her that well?

In seven years with Axel, Kylie had seen moments of his tenderness.

But even married couples went through rough patches, the five-year chill and the seven-year itch. She and Axel were no exception.

As Vortex grew larger, so did Axel's responsibilities.

Many quietly leaned toward the new shine. After all, Kylie only had a local bachelor's degree—no graduate studies. How could she compete with Rhea?

Kylie, as always, focused on taking the meeting notes.

When she typed "Woton University," her fingers paused on the keyboard for a few seconds.

She had once received an offer from that university herself.

But she had given it up to help Axel.

Because of that choice, her old university professor had treated her coldly ever since.

Years later, she was losing now because of that decision.

With Rhea's gilded credentials, Axel's announcement that Rhea would take over the Pascall Group project no longer felt strange to everyone.

It suddenly seemed like it was Rhea who won the deal.

It was ironic.

Mona messaged Kylie privately, furious.

"Why did that project suddenly go to Ms. Malone?"

The young woman was truly furious, firing off message after message to Kylie without stopping.

"That was a deal you only closed after you drank until your stomach bled! How can they take it away?"

"How can Mr. Bowen be so biased?!"

"I don't get it. I really don't!"

"I'm about to explode!"

Kylie soothed her.

"Calm down. Don't make a fuss. It no longer matters."

She'd loved Axel for seven years and had already handed him up to someone else. What was a single project in comparison?

Mona wouldn't accept it.

"But that was your hard-won deal. Did Mr. Bowen even know you lost a child because of this project?"