Chapter 10
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Chapter 10
The blind date turned out to be far more formal than Axel had expected.
In the private dining room of an exclusive members-only restaurant in Stawford City center, both families were present.
Dressed in a tailored Chanel suit, Maisie carried herself with the innate aloof poise of a lady born into privilege. She responded with polished grace to Margaret’s remarks about art and philanthropy.
The ambiance was cordial, but Axel’s mind kept drifting.
Last night, he’d thought about texting Cora to test the waters. But when he tapped on WhatsApp, he realized she hadn’t sent him a single message since leaving.
Scrolling up, he realized that for the past three years, Cora had reported her daily life like clockwork. Convinced she must still be upset over Louise, he hesitated before tentatively sending her a text. “Are you there?”
After waiting for hours, he never received a reply.
How dare she? Annoyed, he blocked Cora’s number and imagined how lowly she’d be when she finally came crawling back. But his phone had remained silent ever since.
“What do you think, Axel? Ms. Taylor is asking you a question.” Margaret sharply nudged his elbow, clearly dissatisfied.
“Oh, sure. It sounds good.” He snapped back to attention and offered an awkward smile.
“Axel has always been honest and straightforward, not one for schemes,” Margaret said with a laugh, trying to smooth things over.
Maisie’s mile didn’t reach her eyes, which held a cool, assessing gaze.
When dinner proceeded to the main course, the chef explained the Flavorian Lobster Gratin to Maisie in fluent, professional Flavorian when a young, tearful voice interrupted.
From behind the carved wooden door, Nolan’s cries echoed. “Daddy! Daddy, are you in there?”
Everyone froze, while Axel’s face turned deathly pale, and a buzz rang in his ears.
Then, Louise suddenly appeared, flustered and panicked, grabbing Nolan as he tried to burst into the room. She profusely apologized. “I’m so sorry! Nolan was throwing a fit looking for his dad, and I took my eyes off him for a second…”
“Who told you to bring him here? Get out now!” Axel nearly roared.
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Little Nolan, who’d never seen Axel look so terrifying, burst into loud sobs and cried out ” Daddy” between wails.
Maisie gracefully rose and nodded slightly at Paul. “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger Senior. It seems Mr. Jaeger has family matters to attend to, so I won’t intrude further. Good evening.”
Edward Taylor’s expression was terrifyingly dark with rage. “I agreed to today’s meeting out of respect for our years of friendship, Paul.”
Paul’s lips quivered before he apologetically said, “I have failed in teaching my son.”
Margaret’s complexion was ashen as she tried to see them out, but was politely stopped by the lady of the Taylors, Amelia Hamilton.
After they left, the room was silent except for Nolan’s sniffles, while Louise shrank into a corner and dared not speak.
Paul was silent for a long time before he finally said in a low, hoarse voice, “Axel, take care of your… private affairs.”
As he got up, he instructed the butler to take Margaret home. It was clear that he wasn’t returning to the Jaeger residence tonight.
Margaret drew in a sharp breath. She wasn’t sure and dared not ask where he was headed, but he might be going to his second or third mistress.
Only Louise hid her inner excitement beneath a mask of fear. She’d always known Axel was wealthy since he casually paid her a salary of tens of thousands of dollars. But seeing his
parents, a couple often featured in local financial news, made her realize the true scale of his
fortune.
Looking at the defeated Axel, a triumphant smile flickered across her face.
