Once a Love Fool Now a Leading Lady (Kylie rehbein and Axel Bowen) novel Chapter 7

The moment Mona mentioned the child, the pain Kylie had buried deep inside began to spread again, little by little.

She remembered the harsh white lights on the ceiling, the sharp smell of disinfectant, and the cold that wrapped around her after the surgery.

Those things would stay with her forever.

So would the memory of the pain of the baby being cut out from her body, like life itself being torn away.

Looking back now, it felt like the baby must have known.

It came quietly and left just as quietly.

Almost as if the baby had come to her to carry her through the storm.

When the meeting ended, Rhea asked Mona to send her the notes.

Mona, still upset, snapped back, "They're not ready."

"Then finish them before you send them," Rhea said, frowning.

"I'm already swamped. I don't have time for that."

Rhea frowned and cast a glance at Mona.

Mona ignored her, busy helping Kylie to clean up the meeting room.

Once Rhea left, Kylie gently spoke to Mona. "You need to remember, never let your emotions follow you into work. At Vortex, that's not allowed. If you want a future here, don't make enemies, especially not with someone above you."

"I just think it's unfair to you."

"There's no such thing as fair or unfair in this." Kylie's face grew calm again.

To her, love was never about equal exchange.

Her choice to love Axel was hers alone.

How he responded was his choice.

She didn't draw lines between the two, because that would only bring her more pain.

Kylie had given up her chance to study overseas and thrown herself into his company, willing to stand behind him every step of the way.

The ending wasn't what she had hoped for, but she didn't regret it.

Sometimes the biggest enemy isn't another person—it's your mind trapping you.

The end of a relationship always left you tired and sad.

But with time, she knew she would move on.

...

Before leaving the office that day, Kylie sent Rhea a message.

She told her that all the Division Three project files were organized and ready, and she could deliver them anytime.

Rhea replied almost immediately.

"Ms. Rehbein, could you please take the files to Axel's office? I just returned to the country and am not familiar with the business culture around here. I need Axel to go over them with me."

She called him by his first name, Axel, again and again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

And Axel never corrected her.

But Kylie clearly remembered—Axel hated when people at the company skipped titles and went straight to first names.

For seven years, Kylie had followed one rule: at work and at every company event, she always called him Mr. Bowen.

She worked hard, stayed loyal, and never crossed a line.

Now, it all felt like a joke.

Axel's rules were never meant for himself. They were meant for outsiders.

And she was the outsider.

For the woman he loved, he set no limits.

Kylie texted Rhea back with a short message that she understood. Then, she stacked all the files she had already organized, ready to send them to Axel's office.

Before standing up, Kylie pulled her signed resignation letter from the drawer and slid it into the stack of documents she needed to deliver to Axel.

She didn't know whether he'd sign, but the process had to begin.

Arms full of files, she walked straight toward his office.

Like always, she knocked and pushed the door open right after.

It was the only privilege Axel had ever given her. As his secretary, she often needed to rush in with urgent work.

To save time, he had allowed her to enter without his permission.

Over the years, that rule had become muscle memory.

So she knocked, then stepped inside without pause.

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