"Why do you always let him go without saying something?" he asks me as I wet the cloth under the running tap.

"Because that'll cause more chaos." He rolls his eyes.

"Plus, if I didn't stop you, you'd be on the cover of someone tabloid for beating him up."

"Won't be the first time." he scoffs and I glare at him.

I wipe the blood off his hand and apply ointment to his bruised knuckles. He hisses in pain.

"Shit. Sorry." I mumble, applying it more gently. But it's kind of hard to concentrate when you're standing in between Axton McKay's legs. I can feel his gaze on me and it burns, but in a good way, if that makes sense.

"There you go, try not to get into any more fights," I tell him, looking up to him, but he's already watching me. With a smirk on his face.

"Not making any promises." He winks at me and I try my very best to not smile.

"Now, let's get back to the party." I tell him, about to move away from him, but he grabs my hands, pulling me closer to him.

I look down at the counter, because if I kept looking at him, I'd one, smile, and two fall in love with him, even more.

"Look at me." He mumbles but I ignore him. His index finger meets my chin, making me look at him.

"You're nothing that he said you were, so stop thinking you are." he says and I'm shocked because how does he always know when I'm hurt?

"You hear me?" he asks and I hum in response as he moves a strand of hair from my face.

"Axton!" Eleanor calls out from the halls of the house.

"We're in here!" I yell and Axton frowns. Idiot.

"Oh God, Axton what is wrong with you! Your hand is bruised!" she says as she examines his hand.

"Am I dead? No." He says pulling his hand away from her and walking out the room.

"He is one crazy child." she mumbles and I laugh as I put the ointment back into the draw.

"Sophia, honey, you're not any of those things, don't let Xavier get to you okay?" she says pulling me into a hug.

"I know, I just wished he had kept his mouth shut." I tell her and she frowns.

"Sophia!" I hear Amyra's voice.

"In here Myra."

"See you outside." Eleanor smiles at me and I nod.

"Well, are you filing a bloody report on the asshole or not?" she storms into the bathroom.

"Maybe tomorrow." I mumble, grabbing her and walking out the room.

"Remember the first time we searched people kissing in your room?" she asks and I burst out laughing.

"Yes, and I kept telling you to lower the volume before someone heard." I laugh.

"What about the time I brought over a tampon and Sebastian thought it was drugs so he told your mom to get the cops for us." I start laughing even harder, eventually loosing control of my breath.

"He was so convinced it was drugs!" I barely say through my laugh.

"Ah, seven year-olds." Myra says and I chuckle as we walk back into the very cold backyard.

"There she is!" I hear my aunt's voice.

"Hi!" I run to her, wrapping my arms around her.

"Hello darling," she says pulling me into her embrace.

"I'm so close to kicking your father's ass." she tells me and I laugh.

"But I heard Axton took care of that." she smirks and I really hope it isn't because she still thinks she'll have to attend our wedding.

"He did." I chuckle, passing my hands over my shoulders, it's fricking freezing.

"Soph, I am so proud of you! You're doing so good with your career." she tells me and it's honestly exactly what I needed to hear.

"You've become the strong, independent woman I knew you would be." I feel a warm fabric rest on my shoulders, but from the scent I can tell it belongs to Axton.

"Axton!" my aunt smiles at him.

"Nice to see you again." he tells her.

"We haven't talked in ages!" she says and he nods.

"I'd love to stay but I have to help Sebastian with something." He explains.

"Thank you for not letting me freeze to death." I tell him.

"Mhm." walks away.

"Is he really engaged to a model?" My aunt asks and I nod.

"I don't see a ring though."

"Florida sure didn't change you huh?"

"Not one bit." she says passing me a glass of champagne.

I look at her and shake my head, declining.

"You're not really pregnant right?" she says, holding a 'are you serious' look.

"No. But your sister thinks so." She rolls her eyes.

"You're covering up for Shyla aren't you?" she asks, downing her glass and taking mines.

"How'd you know?"

"I can practically see the bump." she says looking at Shyla. She's right.

"Oh my God, you can!" I gasp.

"But on to more important things, have you told the father?" I snap my head back to her and she's serious.

"I'm not-"

"Kimberly!" she smiles. Oh.

Axton's phone vibrates in the pocket of his suit jacket. I ignore it because I'm not going to snoop.

But then it vibrates again.

And again.

And again,

And again...

And again.

What the hell?

I pull his phone out, to see twenty-seven messages. From his bank.

Confirmation of payment to Harley's Early care childhood School. Payment made by: Axton McKay. To: Ameila Carter (student)

Why is Axton making payments to a school? For one student?

"Uh, excuse me." I excuse myself, walking away from my aunt and mom. Doing myself a favour, avoiding all their bickering.

Why is he paying for one student?

No.

No. No. No.

Does he have a child?

No way.

I brush past the crowd, making my way up to Sebastian's office.

"Soph, you alright?" Jace asks me and I nod, rushing up the stairs, walking down the halls filled of bad and good memories.

I don't even bother knocking, I just walk in.

"Nah, they don't care about that data, just stick with the listings." I hear Axton's voice. Both boys snap their heads in my direction.

"Soph, you okay?"

"Yeah, walk in why don't you." Sebastian mumbles.

"Leave." I tell Sebastian.

"Last time I checked this was my office." He says, frustrating me even more.

"Last time I checked I kicked your ass off that balcony three years ago. Wanna take a trip down memory lane? Literally?" I ask him and he gets up walking to the door.

"I'll be at your funeral Axton, see you in hell." he winks at Axton, who's standing, clueless.

"Are you-"

"Why are you paying for Ameila Carter's education?" I ask him and his eyes widen. He has really nice eyes.

Crap.

Focus.

"How do you know about her?" he asks and now I feel guilty.

"You phone was blowing up-"

"Oh, so you went through my phone?"

"Not because I wanted to!"

"But you still did!"

"You're the one paying for someone's education-" The door opens and Jace walks in.

"I don't care about, I just need Axton to verify his pin for the bank, there was a glitch in their systems." Crap.

He hands Axton the phone.

"The pin is 050227. It's alright." he talks into the phone.

Fifth day, second month, twenty-seventh.

My birthday.

"Leave Jace."

"Way ahead of you!" he says walking out the room.

"Your pin is my birthday?" I ask him.

"The fucking safety code for my empire is your birthday." he scoffs and I widen my eyes.

"About Ameila." he says.

"Is she your child?" I ask him, hoping he says no.

"What the fuck? No." Thank you Lord.

"Then?" I ask him.

"Just drop it."

"Just tell me!"

"No!"

"Axton!"

"She's my fucking sister." Huh?