One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

In the next three days, Charlotte spent most of her time in the hospital with her mother who has a successful surgery and has been stabilized. She was still hospitalized for further supervision.

Meanwhile, Chase was in his office, with a pile of paperwork on the large, executive desk in front of him. Yet all he could think of was the fact that Mackenzie had accepted his offer, finally.

When she said it earlier, when asking for his help to save her friend’s mother, he had thought it was just her panic and desperation talking.

But, after Mrs. Weston was out of surgery and safe, Mackenzie still told him that she would work for him. Of course, he was only able to help Charlotte’s situation because of Mackenzie, but he didn’t do it to force or blackmail her into working for him.

But, she had finally given a positive answer anyway, and he gladly took the opportunity. It was what he had been dying to hear all this time, but when she finally did, she began to avoid him.

For the past two days, she had been so distant, that he was constantly wondering why she began to act like that all of a sudden, ever since the hospital Cafeteria. At least, she would not be able to avoid him anymore, since she is officially resuming her work duties today.

He flipped over a document, just as Nora, his assistant, walked in holding a cup of rich and exquisite black coffee, strong and without sugar or any additives, just as he liked his coffee. She elegantly placed it on the glass surface of the table, away from the documents, but close enough to him.

Chase picked up the warm coffee and took a sip. It suited his taste as always. He placed it back on the table and glanced at Nora, asking,

“Have you sent the driver to bring Miss Torsney over?”

Nora had been watching the CEO’s exchange with Miss Torsney from the sidelines, ever since the day he stumbled upon her design entry, and now, she was no longer surprised by how fixated he was on her.

“Yes sir.” She answered politely. Then added, “There is something you have to see, sir.”

Chase had already moved his attention back to his paperwork, and he answered detachedly, “I will check it out when I’m done with these.”

“Yes, sir.” She said, and lowered herself in a polite bow before walking out of his office, short heels clicking briskly. While she returns to her spot outside Chase’s office, he repeatedly checked the time in anticipation of Mackenzie’s arrival.

But the person that barged through the door in the next second, was definitely not Mackenzie.

It was West, crashing into the office in his loud, annoying manner without knocking to show any respect or regard for the CEO. Even Nora, Chase’s assistant had given up on West a long time ago.

Chase’s hand paused on a document, and he sighed internally.

What is it this fucking time, he thinks to himself.

West bustled closer, clutching an Apple iPad. “You have to see this, Chase! You absolutely have to take a look at this!”

“I’m fucking working, West. Can’t you see?” Chase asked, in a flat tone.

West gestured at the paperwork. “Trust me, this is far more important than the mountain of papers you’re currently drowning in, cousin. If that’s the average CEO workload, then I feel sorry for you.”

He thrust the iPad in front of Chase’s face, and Chase pierced West with a flat glare before lowering his eyes to the screen. It was a picture of him. Not just any picture, but of him protectively holding Mackenzie back, while aggressively facing the bastard who had the guts to harass her.

In that restaurant.

Chase looked unimpressed, rolling his eyes nonchalantly. “Is this what got you so excited?”

West shook his head, swiping this finger down the screen. “Look at the headline of the article, Chase! It’s so fucking scandalous.”

Chase looked at it. It read, YOUNG BILLIONAIRE HEARTTHROB, CHASE AXFORD, ENGAGES IN BAR FIGHT OVER A WAITRESS. No surprise his marriage is fighting for it’s life.

“Heartthrob turned heartbreaker has shocked the internet with this unruly behavior. The world has not recovered from his divorce scandal, now this leaked picture reveals another scandal? What if Chase Axford is completely different from what we know?”

Chase looked away from the article, reclining in his swivel chair and letting out a sigh.

West withdrew the iPad and arched an eyebrow, brushing one hand through his hair in typical playboy manner.

“You know what I was thinking when I read the entire article? Or rather, who was in my mind the whole time? Selene. I mean, this has Selene’s handwriting all of it, but then, how was that picture taken? She would not pay paparazzi to stalk you, would she?”

Chase answered monotonously. “This is definitely something Selene could pull off out of spite.”

But he was not bothered one bit. He got up from this chair and called the security guard in charge of bringing Mackenzie over, “Where are you?”

“Sir, we are almost at the building. Miss Torsney is right here in the car.”

“Hurry. Come in through the back entrance, and avoid the front.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Chase ended the call, West asked, “Who is that? Are you getting a lawyer to sue the asses of the people who put this fucking article together?” His eyes grew thoughtful. “But I honestly think you should not respond to this. It seems like they’re taunting you to get a reaction.

“A lot of people have their sights set on you recently, wanting to pick apart every move you make. The internet is crazy, Chase, and a lot of people will criticize every move you make, every step you take, whether wrong or right. They’ll twist and interpret whatever you do into something that suits their theories.”

West took a few steps forward, stroking his chin in thought. “They don’t even know what Selene did, that contributed to this divorce scandal. They are on her side because she always promotes this fake image of being the innocent, beautiful, sweet and perfect wife. As long as that image is still in people’s minds, they’ll be watching you.”

“Don’t worry about it, West. I never planned on doing anything about that trash article. I don’t give a shit about the attention seeking fucks that put it together.”

West nodded in approval. “I know you don’t.” Then his voice grew serious, which was so unlike his personality. “But this has broken the internet. That picture, that article… it had made things pretty worse. I mean, the divorce scandal already caused a blazing inferno… but now? This article has started a wildfire. You name is the fucking most searched today.

“The worst part? People are already digging up information on the woman you are holding in that picture, who I’m sure is Jeffrey’s ex-wife, Mackenzie. Am I right, Chase?”

West stared at Chase, with a serious expression on his face. His brain was about to explode from thinking about this new development, and the many questions he had. Yet, Chase stood there, so calmly and silent.

“What’s going on, Chase?” He asked. “We all thought Mackenzie went back to North Dakota with her father? So what is she doing in Greensville? In a waitress uniform? And how did you even fucking meet her? And you were holding her hand?

“Cousin, you were even fighting for her, so much so that you almost pulled out a grown man’s fucking hand, because of her. What the hell, Chase? What is even going on?”

West inched closer, “I am dying of curiosity right fucking now. Come on, tell me. You know you can always tell me anything. I got you.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

Chase gave him a dismissive look. “I have nothing to tell you, West. So you might as well go back to work. As you can see, I was right in the fucking middle of a very important work when you came in.”

“Right. How could I forget dismissing people is your style. Well, you can simply dismiss me, Chase, I’m not going nowhere.” He flopped down onto the seat in front of Chase’s desk. “So about that call you made… who’s coming?”

Chase didn’t bother to respond, but that didn’t faze West, who continued talking anyway,

“This article is definitely going to affect the stock prices. I mean, the board of directors have been patient with all of this drama, so far, because you had lifted the company, made the profits skyrocket and broke so many global records. But now, they would want an explanation from you.

“Especially since every single thing in your private life affects the stock prices…”

As West spoke, The security led Mackenzie to Chase’s office and she stood in the doorway, pausing when she saw that Chase was with someone inside.

In that moment, West glanced at the door, and froze in shock when his eyes locked on Mackenzie.