The Billionaires Revenge. [Needs Edit. Complete]

Chapter Fifteen

IMPORTANT: Hey. I'm trying something different. I want to know your opinion. Do you want me to write shorter chapters or longer chapters with longer update times?

Axel. I have no idea what has caused him to act the way he has, but it's almost as if I've met a completely different person. He's not the cold callous business man I met in my office, nor is he the passionate and seductive man I had met in the bedroom. It seemed that he had the idea of cutting work today in order to spend time with Athena. I still don't feel comfortable with him being around my daughter unsupervised as of yet, so I stayed home too.

I know the guards are watching him with untamed dislike and my mother has been scowling out a window every now and then. All in all, Axel doesn't seemed too phased by it. If anything, he's more concerned with trying to please Athena.

I laugh to myself and shake my head as I watch them. It's sweet in an awkward kind of way. They're in the back yard, while I sit on the chair on the porch watching them. Athena is quite content with him as they sit around a small table, having a tea party. Athena is currently serving tea to her three favorite soft toys as Axel watches her with unrestrained awe.

"How are you cuddles? I hope you enjoy tea. Tea is made by my daddy!" Athena turned to her Axel and beamed brightly at him. She looked back at her teddy Cuddles and laughed lightly, "Why thank you! I think he's a great daddy too!" She giggled and then moved onto the next teddy. 

"It's lovely to see you sugarplum!" She exclaimed happily.

I looked at Axel with the urge to laugh. He sat awkwardly on the ground, being too big for the chairs. His shoulders were hunched as he tried to look smaller and fit in with the small teddies and little girl. He looked extremely uncomfortable in his suit from last night and I pursed my lips. Maybe he'd feel more comfortable if he were to change? A shower maybe? I hadn't even thought about that. I watched as Athena finally got to Axel. She gave him a smile, I knew what that meant, I'm sure that it would go right over Axel's head, but I knew what it was.

She adored him.

That was what the smile meant. She saw him as her father, her real father, the one that she had always wanted. I felt my heart melt and my breath hitched at the interaction. I had only seen her give that smile to me. A small part of me felt a little jealous, but the majority of my instincts told me to take her and run. Not because of our weird and brief history. No. It was the fear that he wouldn't stick around, I knew for a fact that nothing in this human world could keep me from my baby. I knew that I was never going to leave her, but I don't know about him. I couldn't guarantee that he would stick around. I chewed my bottom lip. I couldn't control his actions and what he was going to do, it was a free world, I couldn't allow her to get attached. I know that I had said I'd deal with it if it were to happen, but at the same time, seeing how enamored she was already I don't know if she'd be able to handle losing him. I don't know if I could handle her losing him. I don't want to lose him.

I reeled back and clasped a hand over my mouth. How was that even a relevant thought? I didn't even like him that much. Sure I had emotions built up after all the years pining for him. However, my pining was for a man that didn't exist, it was for the ideal man that I knew he wasn't. There was no such thing as the perfect guy. I knew that this thought was true though, I didn't want to lose him. I enjoyed the small reprieve from fighting that we had been. I liked it when he smiled and there was nothing more attractive when you saw a man getting along with a child, especially when it was my baby. It was incredibly sexy. Don't ask me how, I don't quite understand it myself.

I turned my head at the sound of a person landing in the chair next to me. I smiled at Alice and turned my attention back to my daughter. They were currently eating an imaginary mud cake. To Axel's credit he was either really interested in what Athena had to say or he was really good at acting. 

"They get along really well." Alice remarked.

I nodded and watched them chewing my lip. I could feel Alice staring, her eyes burning a hole into my head, "Spit it out," I said tersely, turning to look at her.

Alice looked nervous, "I've seen that look before Ell, you're interested in him."

I gaped at Alice and shook my head furiously, my only sign that was giving me away was that I was blushing. I cursed myself for it. I was also too quick to deny it. We both knew the signs. I just wasn't looking at getting into a relationship. I had too much on my plate. I had work and Athena. Axel needed to learn how to be a father before we could even think about this. I couldn't entertain this idea of being with Axel but I just... Watching him. Now. Here. I knew that I wanted to know more about him. I knew that I wanted to get to know this Axel. Seeing the light in his eyes made something warm in my chest swell. Pride. Love. I saw those things in Athena.

"Ennie," Alice called, Athena turned her head and looked at Alice and I like she had seen us for the first time. She grinned and ran over to us, her hair bobbing as she did so. She looked so happy. Alice smiled back at her, it was hard not to smile when Athena smiled at you. "Lunch time." 

Athena loved food. She loved to eat. 

I watched as she pounced and skipped after Alice heading to the kitchen.

I stood up and walked over to Axel, looking like he was having a difficult time in getting up. I laughed a little at his pitiful attempts and offered him a hand stifling my mirth. He playfully glared at me and I smiled innocently at him. "Having fun?" I quipped.

Axel took my hand and stood up looking at me with a grin. "She sure is something." He looked in the direction of where our daughter was and shook his head. I smiled after him and nodded.

"She really is."

Axel turned and looked at me biting my lip, "Look, Axel, about last night-"

He shook his head and held his hand up. "Don't worry about it Ellie," he took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I was an ass. I shouldn't have accused you like that and..." He paused looking flustered and frustrated. "And... And I'd like to make it up to you. Go on a date with me?"

I looked at him stunned. The words in my throat got stuck and I couldn't express them. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I-"

He shook his head and then deflated a little, "-For Athena, I want to know more about her. I want to learn more about the woman who raised her..."

I thought about it, slowly getting over the shock of his confession and nodded, "Yeah sure, lets go on a date."

AN: So. I'm sorry I haven't written for a while! I've been trying to think about where I'm going with this story and I was completely at a loss with it. I've struck inspiration! I have all the chapters up to the Epilogue planned, there are about 10 chapters left, give or take a few. Um... Please don't hate me? There will be a sequel I've decided.  

-Unedited