No Second Time: The Billionaire Craves Me Forever

"Did you see the Judith Sinclair post?" a colleague whispered near Alethea in the office, but she didn't catch a word, as her mind was already elsewhere.

"An online pregnancy announcement after one night with Axel Jones? She's literally gone crazy," another voice replied, making a few heads in the office subtly turn at the mention of their boss's name.

"Not just that," someone added. "She posted another video last night claiming the boss wants her to abort the baby. She must really want attention."

Alethea kept her gaze fixed on her computer screen as the words finally filtered in.

"Maybe she's being paid to ruin his image. How can someone turn something private into public even if she is pregnant?"

"She probably just wants money," another voice concluded.

Alethea was still half-listening when a notification suddenly appeared on her screen: "CEO wants to see you."

Her fingers instantly paused, and for a moment, the entire office noise faded. Without looking up, she stood, smoothing her dress, and walked away before anyone could question her.

Reaching the silent executive floor, she knocked once at Axel Jones' glass door.

"Come in," his voice came steady, familiar with authority.

Alethea entered swiftly.

Axel didn't look up immediately, as he was going through documents on his desk.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Alethea muttered, and only then did he lift his gaze.

"Sit," he instructed calmly.

Alethea obeyed, and a beat of silence passed before he spoke again.

"I saw your salary advance request," he uttered.

Alethea swallowed before responding. "Sir, I know it's sudden, but my daughter's surgery is scheduled for this week and I just need a little more time to arrange-"

"I'll cover it all," he suddenly cut her off before she could land completely.

Alethea stared, stunned into silence, her mind becoming blank for a second. "Sir?" she managed.

"Both surgery and recovery bills. Everything..." Axel added as he watched her reaction. Then he reached forward and placed a document on the desk between them.

Alethea still looked puzzled, but the moment her eyes met the document heading, her breathing caught.

"Marriage arrangement?" she asked slowly, looking up at him.

"It's a temporary arrangement between us. It's only going to last a year," Axel stated calmly, as if it wasn't a big deal.

Instantly, Alethea's heart started to beat faster in something closer to alarm. "I don't understand, sir," she managed.

Axel's gaze narrowed slightly. "Judith's situation created unnecessary attention. The board is unstable. Investors are asking questions I don't intend to answer," he said simply, while still observing her. "A stable marriage removes speculation."

Alethea stared at him, devastated. "So I'm the solution?" she questioned.

Axel's gaze stayed on her for a moment longer than necessary before responding. "You're discreet. You don't draw attention. You're exactly who I need," he paused. "I know you're a single mother, and I also know you need the money. You can check the document right here. I need a response before you leave."

With this, uneasiness settled in Alethea's chest as she looked down at the file. For her daughter's sake, she opened the seal with shaky hands. On the second page, there was a summary of the whole contract terms, and she read it in silence.

"I can't do this, sir," she muttered the moment she finished reading.

Axel studied her for a long moment while still evaluating. "Your daughter's surgery is in forty-eight hours," he reminded.

Alethea's chest tightened at the realisation of the bitter truth. Yet, she remained silent.

With a measured movement, Axel leaned back in his chair. "You're not even being asked for love. And not even loyalty," he said calmly.

Alethea looked at him, as if he just gibbered. "Then what am I being asked for, sir?" she asked.

"Presence. Only presence. After one year, you go back to your life," he muttered.

Right in that moment, a notification flashed on Alethea's phone. Without even looking, no one needed to tell her it was a payment reminder message from the hospital.

Closing her eyes, her daughter's face flashed in her mind, and she couldn't stop thinking about her tiny figure lying weakly on the hospital bed.

Exhaling slowly, she opened her eyes and reached forward to pick a pen from his desk.

Before she finished signing all the pages, another notification came buzzing from her phone. She checked it only to realise he had sent a hundred thousand dollars to her account.

"You should head to the hospital any chance you get. You only have a week to move in with me. Mind you, your daughter keeps living with your aunt once she's better," he declared, before she could utter a word.

~

It had been a week since Alethea's daughter's condition stabilized, a week since she signed a contract marriage that still didn't feel real no matter how many times she thought about it.

Somehow, Judith Sinclair's scandal only seemed to grow worse. Every day brought a new headline with a new video revealing a new accusation.

"Mommy?" Alethea looked down immediately, responding to her daughter's call.

"Yes baby," she muttered, seated on the couch in her aunt's living room.

"When will you come see me again?" Elora asked as she sat comfortably on her lap, her fingers wrapped around hers.

The question tightened something painfully inside Alethea's chest, and she forced a smile while brushing her hair gently. "I'll come whenever I can, baby," she finally replied.

Elora looked up at her seriously. "I'll behave for Great-Aunt Lexi," she murmured.

From across the room, the old Lexi in her 60s chuckled softly while folding laundry. "That's right. And you'll keep eating properly too," she added.

"I will. The doctor said I need food to become stronger," Elora chimed, with a bright smile.

This time Alethea also laughed quietly, but the guilt of leaving her daughter never still left her chest.

After leaving her aunt's house, she resumed office only to be welcomed by Axel's call.

"Good morning sir," she greeted upon reaching his desk.

"Morning. You can sit," Axel responded, his gaze now directed toward her.

Alethea obeyed quietly, ready to listen.

"You'll move into my penthouse today. There'll be a private civil registration this evening as marriage evidence," he added calmly.

Alethea looked up slowly, in amusement. "It's happening so fast," she mumbled.

Axel held her gaze a little longer than usual. "You signed the contract a week before," he reminded swiftly.

~

After the day's activities at the court, she followed closely behind Axel as he approached his penthouse elevator. Upon entering the living room, a staff member stepped forward and greeted them with a respectful bow.

"Is her room ready?" Axel asked curtly.

"Yes, Mr. Jones," the house help replied.

"That will be all. I'll take it from here," he said, dismissing the woman.

Alethea hesitated before following Axel, who began heading down the hallway in silence. When he finally stopped in front of a massive door, he didn't open it immediately. Instead, he turned back toward her with an unreadable expression.

"Your room is connected to mine," he declared, his gaze locking onto hers. "This door leads to both."

Alethea's eyes widened as she looked at the door, realizing the private arrangement she had agreed to now felt much more intimate.

The following morning, Alethea carefully stepped out of her room. Last night, she feared she had to share a demarcated room with her boss, until she discovered the main door actually led to a small, private hallway with two separate room doors inside. The doors were close, but they were still separate.

To her surprise, she found Axel already seated at the dining table, with a coffee beside him as he scrolled through an iPad.

"You're awake early. It's Saturday," he said without looking up.

Alethea sat carefully across from him. "I couldn't sleep much," she muttered.

"That'll change with time," he said simply.

With breakfast already arranged across the table, Alethea picked at her food quietly before speaking again. "The Judith situation is still getting worse online," she muttered.

Axel finally looked up at her. "It will completely pass after you finally play your part by also making a video," he said flatly.

"What if she's really preg..."

"It's definitely not my child, if she is pregnant," he interrupted, the certainty in his voice startling Alethea enough that an unexpected chuckle slipped from her mouth.

Axel's brows furrowed slightly. "Did you just laugh at me?" he questioned.

Alethea looked serious immediately. "I didn't mean to. There's just something absurd about a man confidently denying pregnancy after sleeping with someone once," she admitted honestly.

Axel's brows only arched more.

"As a single mother, I don't think I can support that level of irresponsibility," she added.

For the first time since the contract arrangement, Axel looked mildly caught off guard by her words. But then, his expression flattened again. "I used protection," he said plainly. "And Judith is many things, but carelessness isn't one of them. She's literally set up by my aunt."

Alethea blinked, astonished. That wasn't the response she was expecting.

"If she's pregnant, then someone else should be worried. Not me," he continued calmly, and leaned back slightly in his chair.

Alethea couldn't help but release another chuckle at his words.

Axel stared at her for a second longer than necessary, with an unreadable gaze, and strangely enough, that made the laughter die in her throat almost instantly.

The rest of the breakfast was silent. When they were done, Axel made her record a live video protesting against all of Judith's claims. In the video, Alethea had requested a pregnancy test first, and then, if she's positive, they'd wait till she delivers for the DNA test. And if eventually it was all a lie, she'd be sued for defamation.

With nothing less to occupy her after the video, she requested permission to go visit her daughter, and surprisingly Axel granted it.

~

By Monday morning, the internet had chosen a new target, with Alethea's face frequently appearing beside Axel Jones'.

"The secretary turned CEO's wife overnight."

"Judith Sinclair gets replaced by a secretary who becomes a wife."

Alethea stared at the headlines on her phone inside the backseat of Axel's car and immediately locked the screen again. Beside her, Axel remained focused on his tablet as if the world outside the tinted windows didn't even exist.

One thing she noticed about him, he'd always stay calm no matter how worsened the situation is.

A few minutes later, the car halted in front of his main company. The moment she stepped in alongside him, silence spread through the lobby, as almost every eye focused on them.

The silence was the worst kind, and Alethea could instantly feel it. Her steps almost slowed, but Axel continued walking beside her, swiftly matching her pace.

Upon reaching the executive floor, one of the senior executives greeted Axel quickly.

"Good morning, Mr. Jones," he said, and then his eyes shifted toward Alethea in uncertainty.

"She's my wife, Drill," Axel spoke, breaking the brief silence.

As the words landed, the executive looked briefly startled before correcting himself. "Good morning, Mrs. Jones."

Alethea forced a polite nod, and couldn't help but wish to disappear on the spot.

~

By evening time, she returned to the penthouse mentally drained. People who previously ignored her every day of her working life had watched her carefully at the office, and at lunchtime, she was the centre of attention.

After freshening up, she came out for dinner and still found Axel there already seated.

"How's your daughter now," Axel muttered the moment she settled.

"Uh... she's fine. We spoke back in the room," she replied.

Axel only gave a nod, and then took a bite from the chips in front of him.

Alethea hesitated before speaking again, as she stared at him. "People at the office were staring too much today," she finally said.

"They'll stop eventually. You care too much about what people think," Axel replied flatly, grabbing the glass of water in front of him.

The statement irritated Alethea immediately. "That's easy for someone like you to say," she abruptly snapped.

Axel's brows lifted slightly. "You think public opinion affects me less?"

"You're used to it," she responded.

A beat of silence passed between them, and then he spoke again. "You think anyone gets used to being watched?" he added flatly.

Alethea's lips only pressed into a thin line, as she forcefully focused on her meal. He won.

"How about you move into the executive floors? That way you'd be a little protected from any staff's eyes," he suddenly suggested, making her head snap towards him.

"Isn't that too much?" she asked, stunned.

"Too much for my wife?" he answered curtly.

Alethea only cleared her throat, and before she could focus on her meal to avoid the awkward situation again, he passed another information: "You'll be coming to Paris with me next month."

"Paris?" she repeated, puzzled.

"I have to close a major business deal."

"Do I really need to tag along?" she murmured, frowning slightly.

"Yes. People know you're part of my business even before you became my media wife," he stated firmly, and with this, he focused back on his meal.

~

Another weekend approached fast, and Alethea took it as an opportunity to check on her daughter again. She's become stronger like she promised, and she really looked healthy.

"You look tired," Lexi said quietly, as Elora placed her head on her mother's lap.

Alethea forced a smile. "I'm fine, aunt."

Lexi studied her carefully before speaking again. "Does he treat you well?" she asked.

The question felt more complicated than it should have in Alethea's ears. Axel never mistreated her or even crossed his boundaries. But somehow, living around him constantly still felt dangerous.

"Yes. He's... been respectful," she finally answered.

Lexi nodded slowly, but her eyes remained thoughtful. She's known her niece for years. She knows there's something more to the answer she just gave her.

Within weeks, it became known to the public that Judith wasn't actually pregnant, through the help of Alethea's live video reveal, which went viral. She had responded with a video saying she lost the baby, and right there, the world knew her accusations were only founded on lies.

Axel's reputation was still gradually getting replenished, but one thing he knew was that his old, wicked aunt, Juliana, wouldn't back off so soon. And fortunately for him, his contract with Alethea was still going smoothly.

~

During a private meeting in Paris, he and Alethea sat opposite one of his business partners, as they awaited her contract approval terms.

"You will have to have sex with me tonight before I sign the papers, Mr. Jones," Gabrielle Vonch shamelessly said in a steady tone, with her gaze solely on Axel.

"That can't possibly happen," Alethea suddenly chuckled, shocking both Axel and Gabrielle.

Axel couldn't help but study her face, as he pondered the main reason behind her objection.

"Oops... your wife doesn't seem to be the understanding type," Gabrielle muttered, leaning back against her chair. "Guess I have to leave both of you to make a decision. These are the keys to your lodge and mine," she added, sliding two cards across the table.

"My room is next door to yours. You only have tonight to get what you want," she concluded, and rose.

The moment it was just Axel and Alethea left, his gaze turned sharply to her. "I need you in the room," he muttered and also stood.

The moment he entered the hotel room, he roughly removed his tie from his neck, followed by his black blazer, in the same manner.

Left in his incompletely buttoned white shirt, he turned to face Alethea, who had been standing right behind him in silence.

"Just tell me one thing, Alethea, why did you respond before I could? You know how important this contract is!" he snapped, his eyes locked onto her face as they stood a few metres apart.

"And why would you care if I sleep with Gabrielle?" he continued.

Alethea found herself lost in thought, searching for the right answers to his complicated questions. Why did she suddenly care? She was only his wife by contract.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Axel's impatient voice suddenly cut through. "Stop wasting my precious time, Alethea," he snapped.

"I...I was only being watchful as your media wife, sir. It's my job to ensure that what happened with Judith doesn't repeat itself," she managed to find the right excuse.

Axel raised an eyebrow, his expression tinged with sarcasm. "Oh, I see," he drawled, and suddenly bridged the gap between them without warning. His arms sliding to her waist, he pulled her against his rigid body.

The sudden pull caught Alethea by surprise, and her pulse raced at how close they stood. "What are you up to, sir? We're not in public," she breathed in a voice barely above a whisper.

Axel smirked briefly as he realized that she was back to really addressing him formally. "Were you truly just doing your job as my contractual wife? Or it was something more?" he said casually.

Alethea blinked in astonishment as she struggled to justify his words. "I can't be jealous sir," she replied, dazed.

For a moment, their eyes only locked in silence. Then, Axel's voice broke the brief stillness. "You should probably rest. I'll go now to seal the deal," he said, and with this, he headed for the door.

~

"I was thinking you care less about your business anymore, and maybe your new wife is now the only thing in your head," Gabrielle muttered the moment Axel stepped into the lodge.

"I thought you knew me so well," Axel murmured as he approached her. "I never joke with business, and nothing can stop me from getting whatever I want."

A sly smile appeared on Gabrielle's face as she stared at him mischievously. "Well, as you can see, I'm all ready for you," she said seductively and got out of the bed.

As Axel took in the sight of her transparent bathrobe that barely covered her butt, he couldn't help but feel a sense of annoyance at her blatant attempt to seduce him once more.

"I'm sure you should be clearly aware I don't do any woman twice," he said, stopping in front of her.

"Of course... I know. But that could change with just me, don't you think?" Gabrielle purred, winking at him.

Axel smirked as he stared down at her face. "I can only finger you, and that's it."

Gabrielle frowned lightly, before smirking slowly. "Let's see if you're just as strong enough to only do that," she bemoaned, and closed the little space between them.

With her boobs pressing softly against Axel's chest, her voice took on a more intimate tone.

"Just one more time. I just need to feel you just one more time, and I assure you, every current and future business deal with me will forever be sealed," she whispered and got rid of her bathrobe.

Axel slightly rolled his eyes in disgust as he stood still.

"Start already, Axel Jones," Gabrielle whispered again, and this time, she hugged him tightly to herself. "Just one more time," she repeated.

With her protruding nipples now pressing harder against Axel's chest, a wave of discomfort began to wash over him. Just then, he slowly pushed her off.

Under normal circumstances, he would have already walked out. But the contract sitting on the table behind him was worth too much to lose over principle.

"You should lie flat on your back with your legs wide apart. Keep your eyes tightly shut, and don't you dare open them until I order you to," he commanded.

"Yes, Daddy," she said softly, immediately climbing onto the bed, with her body relaxing as she spread her legs apart and closed her eyes.

As her familiar, exposed pussy faced Axel, he shut his eyes briefly before finally stripping off his belt and leaning over her.

"Your way is always different," Gabrielle complimented with a hard smile the moment he finished tying her hands above her head.

Axel remained silent as he loosened the cuffs of his shirt slowly. Moving to her lower parts, he deeply shoved four of his fingers into her loose cunt without warning.

"Oh my God, that's new and unexpected," she gasped, her body arching off the mattress.

"Just shut the fuck up and let me finger you in peace, Gab!!!" Axel snapped in annoyance.

"Alright," Gabrielle replied with an eyeroll, before shutting her eyes again.

Just then, at a very fast pace, Axel began thrusting in and out of her, his four fingers coming in contact with every deep corner of her walls.

"Oh my God... that's it Axel... yes... I've really missed this... you're so good... oh my God... damn! Yes..." her moans filled the room as he fingered her nonstop.

But then, a hard knock suddenly interrupted the moment.

"Ignore it. It can't be important," Gabrielle groaned in irritation as her eyes flashed open.

Axel made to continue, but then the knock came harder. Instantly, he wiped his fingers on her flesh, standing straight. "I don't want a distraction," he said.

"Fuck!" Gabrielle cursed, before wrapping herself up in a bedsheet and then heading for the door.

When she opened the door, her brows arched in surprise as she took in the figure. "Bitch, I only want to borrow your husband for tonight," she spat with an eyeroll.

Alethea knew she shouldn't be interrupting them, but she had no choice. Not after what she was told over the phone. "I need to see him now," she demanded, trying hard to compose herself and not break down.

Right then, Axel appeared behind her. "Step aside, Gab," he demanded upon seeing Alethea's red eyes.

"Just forget the damn contract," Gabrielle seethed, moving back, and the moment Axel stepped out, she locked her door from inside.

Alethea instantly felt bad at the outcome, but that was currently the least of her problems.

"You don't look good," Axel said the moment they stepped back into their lodge.

And just as Alethea turned to face him, she broke into uncontrollable tears.