Chapter 9

Emerson POV:

The in-flight entertainment screen was a tiny window into the world I'd left behind. A news report flashed across it: "Scandal erupts at Flynn Tower: Alicia Shaffer's studio launch disrupted by angry protestors."

My heart, which I thought had turned to ice, gave a small, inexplicable flutter. I leaned closer, my gaze fixed on the grainy footage. The protestors were familiar faces. My team. My loyal, brilliant team.

I frowned, a wave of confusion washing over me. Why were they protesting Alicia? I had assumed they would be angry at me for "abandoning" them, for letting their studio be stolen.

Then, one of them, a tech-savvy intern I had personally mentored, pulled out his phone and started a live broadcast. His voice, clear and resonant, cut through the noise.

"We are the original team of ThrillSeeker Media!" he declared, his eyes blazing with righteous anger. "And we are here to expose the truth! This woman, Alicia Shaffer, is a fraud! She stole our work! She stole Emerson Boone's work!"

The screen then showed a montage. Photos of me, in various states of focus and determination, working late nights, brainstorming ideas, my face smudged with dirt after a long shoot. There I was, covered in mud from a mountain biking trail, then meticulously editing footage, my brow furrowed in concentration. My life. My passion. My effort.

A raw, unexpected emotion tightened my throat. They remembered. They cared. Even after everything, they were fighting for me. My eyes burned, a warmth spreading through my chest.

On the live broadcast, Alicia's face contorted in a mask of pure fury. She lunged at the intern, trying to snatch his phone, her carefully constructed facade crumbling.

"Axel! Do something!" she shrieked, clutching his arm. "Arrest them! Sue them! They're ruining everything!"

Axel. His gaze was fixed on the screen, not on Alicia. His eyes, dark and intense, were locked on my image. He saw me, in those photos, vibrant and alive, immersed in my craft. He saw the passion, the dedication. The reality.

He saw my work. The thought, small and fragile, formed in my mind. He saw me.

He remembered my pleas, my desperate cries to save the studio, to save my team. He remembered dismissing it as a "hobby," an "indulgence." The cruel irony of his words now hung heavy in the air.

Alicia was still crying, her makeup streaking down her face, a grotesque caricature of a victim. But Axel wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the screen. At me.

Then, with a visible effort, he pulled himself away from the intoxicating pull of my image. He took a deep breath, straightened his tie, and stepped forward, facing the cameras. The CEO. The magnate. The master of damage control.

"I apologize for this unfortunate disruption," he announced, his voice calm and authoritative, cutting through the chaos. "I assure you, we will investigate these allegations thoroughly. Justice will be served." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "The ribbon-cutting ceremony is postponed indefinitely."

A collective gasp. Alicia stared at him, aghast.

One of his security guards approached him. "Sir, how do you want us to handle the protestors?"

Axel rubbed his temples, a flicker of exhaustion crossing his face. He thought of my photos, my earnest face. He thought of the desperate plea in my eyes.

"Don't hurt them," he commanded, his voice low. "Just... contain them. And make sure they get paid for their signs. Offer to buy their pictures. Politely."

Alicia, her face a mask of disbelief, stomped her foot. "Axel! How can you? They're attacking me! They're accusing me!" She followed him into the car, still fuming.

"They're lying, Axel! She put them up to this! Emerson is trying to ruin me!" she wailed, clutching his arm. "She just won't let me be happy! She's so jealous!"

Axel sighed, a pained expression on his face. Her shrill voice grated on him. He had always found it... charming. Now, it was just grating.

He thought of me. My quiet, determined focus when I worked. My easy laughter with my team. I never bothered him when he was working. Never interrupted his calls. Never demanded his attention.

Alicia, sensing a shift, a dangerous distance, suddenly stopped her theatrics. Her eyes widened, a flicker of panic in their depths.

"Axel?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What's wrong? Are you... still mad at me?" She tried her old trick, a fragile, pitiful pout.

He turned to her, his eyes cold and distant. "Don't, Alicia," he said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "Just... don't."