"Don't you look energetic and ready for this conference !" a manly voice ridiculed in a playful manner and Axel's head shot to the door. There stood one of his best friends, Aiden Collins. They studied together for years and both were interested in business and finance. Yet the thing that they won't acknowledge loudly is the hidden competition between them. When he checked lastly, Axel was steps ahead of Aiden. He is now a CEO while Aiden is still working for his father. Not to forget that Axel is married while Aiden is the second richest bachelor after Mitchell of course.

"You are late Aiden." Axel pointed teasingly trying to show his friend who is more in control and more professional

"You have company too." Aiden's eyes drifted to Sophia who stood and offered the stranger a small polite smile

"You already know Sophia." Axel introduced again even though he knew that Aiden knew her perfectly. He helped him doing a background check on Sophia before the marriage. What He couldn't just allow a stranger in his house without making sure that she is harmless.

"Yeah, of course and who can forget Sophia." Aiden teased but Axel felt an irritated feeling growing inside him. Aiden's eyes were still studying Sophia, every inch of her and that made the latter a bit uncomfortable. She diverted her eyes away and started to shift her weight from one leg to the other.

"Sophia, this is Aiden Collins, one of my best friends and the future heir of the Collins'companies." Axel introduced after clearing his throat loudly owning a challenging smirk from Aiden. That little gesture triggered Axel deep down and he knew that it means trouble.

"Sophia, how are you?" Aiden saluted offering his hand and Sophia grudgingly offered hers back. Yet what shocked her was Aiden's next move. After shamelessly eyeing her up and down, Aiden took her smaller hand and brought it to his lips leaving a chaste kiss on it.

"Fine thank you." She mumbled rapidly pulled her hand hiding it like a kid behind her back. She felt one set of eyes studying her and turning around to Axel she confirmed that. His eyes were moving from Aiden to her now blushing face to her hidden hand.

"Let's start this conference." Axel announced trying to avoid the sudden need to yell at Aiden. He cannot just threaten a best friend of his because of a small gesture. More than that why would he when Sophia is just his forced unwanted wife?

"Is Sophia joining us because I truly don't mind." Aiden unashamedly winked at Sophia ignoring the hardening features of Axel and Sophia's reddening cheeks

"Sophia is new assistance. She will join all conferences." Axel said emphasizing certain words as his hand swung and hugged Sophia's shoulders bring her closer to him

"You are lucky and Sophia if you ever need another spot you can always call me. I am becoming a CEO too in a month." Aiden dared again and Sophia felt lost. The man , in front of her, was flirting shamelessly with her and Axel's grip on her was actually turning hurtful.

"Mr. Collins..." she started to deny his offer

"Oh, please call me Aiden." he replied with a smirk

"I prefer to stay professional. I will continue on calling you Mr.Collins and I am perfectly fine with my current job but thanks for the offer." Sophia replied trying to keep a hard face and a strong strict tone.

"The offer will always stand." Aiden promised again and Axel did really want to shout at him to shut up. Clearly, gem was not feeling comfortable at all. For goodness's sake, he himself was feeling tense. The slight moment of relief was when Gem denied Aiden and his stupid offer. Why would she even want to work with Aiden and leave him?

"Stop flirting with my wife and get your company's proposals ready." Axel order shocking Aiden, Sophia and even himself. Why did he refer to her suddenly as his wife? Didn't he used to hate her for being so? If Liza hears him, she would have killed him and gem. That will be one sad story...Imagine the newspaper titles "An EX killing a millionaire and his wife." " A Wild EX and a dead couple."

"So you are done with Liza?" Aiden asked removing his eyes off Sophia's figure and landing himself on a black leather chair

"How is that your business again?" Axel tensed letting go of Sophia and strolled to his own chair. Sophia ,being silent and observant, caught Axel's eyes twitching and knew the clear answer to Aiden's question...Axel would do that when he tenses and wants to hide an important answer. A yes would have been easy to say. Yet Sophia became sure that somehow, Axel is still undone with his Liza. She was now sure that the man who keeps on holding her near is nothing but another woman's lost lover.

"Stop your games and lets get to business. shall we?" Sophia asked in a professional tone trying to deny the pang of pain that attacked her heart. Her sudden seriousness owned her two different reactions both making her uncomfortable. Axel surprised eyes connected with hers while all she wanted was to escape him and Aiden's smirk made her shiver.

"Bossy aren't we?" the latter teased and she ignored him walking to the spare chair in front of him

"Mr.Collins, I would really appreciate it if you keep our discours civil and business related." Sophia replied hating his impulsive manners.

"Call me Aiden and I will." he dared

"Aiden, one more words and you will be thrown out of here." Axel roared getting tired of his best friend

" After doing the background check up, I told you that I liked her. You didn't care then so why are you suddenly defending her?" Aiden questioned daring his friend to utter anything

"I am here you know? So stop talking about me like I am a piece of furniture. I am here and I Mr.Collins do not appreciate your ways or flirty manners. If you are going to continue on with such behavior then I must excuse myself from this conference." Sophia announced as she stood up " And Axel is defending me as a friend. So stop questioning him." she continued even though the word friend brought another pang of pain to her heart...Does this mean that she is falling for a Liza's lost lover? She is way better than this. What happened to her? She shook her head trying to clear her mind and her eyes connected with those of Aiden. The latter man had chocolaty brown hair with warm big brown eyes. They were full of mischief. His smirk looked playful not dangerous but still it made her shiver.

"Okay, Okay I promise that I will try to keep my flirty manners under control. Yet, you must know Sophia that you have a life to live. You are still young and have a lot to experence. Even though you are married to an idiot who does not see your true colors, it does not mean that you have to wait for him to fall in love with you or even divorce you. We live for once and once only" Aiden confessed offering her a small meaningful smile

"Sophia, you are excused from this conference." Axel said in a low dangerous tone throwing his friend a death glare. What was Aiden doing? Why was he trying to push his gem away from him? Does he want to be thrown out of the office? Does he have a death wish of some kind?

"Okay, I will be in my old office and nice to meet you Mr.Collins. Thanks for your advice too." Sophia thanked and walked her way out of the office while Aiden's words echoed in her mind. How the hell can a stranger influence her thoughts so badly? Should she consider his words and to hell with the contract, Axel and the baby clause? Could she truly live freely again like a regular twenty four years old girl?

"What the hell man?" Axel roared as the door closed behind his wife. He saw how her brows frowned. She even gave a small unintentional nod to Aiden while he was talking to her. What if she turns wild? Go out and party? Come late? Get a boyfriend? Axel tensed and he felt like punching Aiden once, twice or thrice...How are those words going to influence his goody two shoes?

"I just told her the truth. I also told you before that she is my type. She is actually very cute. You are just blinded." Aiden simply said as if Gem was not taken and married already. Was his best friend always this audacious ? and Axel knew that gem was cute. He couldn't hide it sometimes and even attacked her lips with hungry kisses.

"Stay away from her ." Axel warned owning a defying smirk from Aiden "I swear Aiden if you don't then forget about my company helping yours" Axel continued to threaten as he closed the Collins'file

"Is she that important to you?" Aiden asked teasingly while dark clouds of anger started to form over his best friend's head.

"She is." Axel confessed after a minute of pure silence

"Then let go of Liza and try to get your wife's love. Any guy can steal Sophia's heart since you are not marking it as yours." Aiden explained

"That's my business and no one will dare come close to a married woman." Axel defended

"Do you see her wearing a ring? because I don't." Aiden question mischievously

"We didn't get rings when we got married. We just signed a damned contract. My mother though gave her a family necklace." Axel answered even though he knew Aiden was full aware of such information

"Then imagine Sophia in a club or a bar. Short black dress that barely covers half her thighs." Aiden suggested getting a death glare from Axel

"Aiden, don't blame me if you end up with a black nasty eye." Axel threatened as his hands turned to fists and his knuckles white as snow. He didn't want Aiden to imagine anything about Gem. She was too pure, too perfect to be in a bar of a club half dressed...Yet there was that night, that black dress, the kiss...

"I promise you it will make sense in the end just do as I say." Aiden promised " Now a man comes near her. Offer her a drink and they start talking." Aiden continued even though he saw Axel's figure becoming rigid. He knew that his best friend didn't care about Sophia before but something seemed to change. Aiden truly liked Sophia's physical traits since the start but following Axel's rules he avoided her . Yet seeing her now, her big emerald eyes and short black hair, he again questioned how his best friend can be so blind? Then to his surprise Axel started to get closer to his wife, hug her, stand up for her. Clearly his best friend is having a change of heart but his old feeling to Liza are still tying him down. Maybe he needs a push? That's when a mischievous idea popped in Aiden's mind. He will flirt with Sophia and jealousy will be Axel's wake up call but turned out his friend is way more stubborn than expected

"Sophia does not drink!" Axel defended pointing a finger at his friend as if to intimidate him but Aiden just nodded

"He bought a coke okay?" Aiden corrected " That man didn't see a ring on her finger so he didn't question her relation quo. Since you are already in a relation, Sophia can assume that she is free to do so too. As easy as that she will be out of your life for good." Aiden explained seeing his best friend frowning

"Sophia won't go to a bar alone and even without a ring, she honors her father's wish too much to do so" Axel defended again

"What if she falls in love? Love is stronger than old contracts." Aiden dared again

"Love is stupid." Axel commented remembering what Liza did to him

"Not all love stories are stupid or end up like yours and Liza." Aiden tried to argue

"One more word about my life Aiden and you will be escorted by the security out of my office." Axel threatened and Aiden finally nodded defeated "Let see the contracts now." Axel ordered and Aiden just shook his head not being able to believe how stubborn and hardheaded can his friend be.