One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

Chase Axford made sure to drag himself to work the next morning, even though he had not initially planned to be there.

He climbed down from his Tesla and strolled into the building with all the positive energy he could muster – every iota that flowed through his veins. There was a new and different glow about him, he could feel it, he could see it, and he sure as hell wasn’t the only one.

He noticed the stares from the doormen, and even the receptionist as they greeted him. He nodded in response, not with a smile, but he was certain they could tell he was more energetic than ever before.

Chase smiled to himself and shook his head as the elevator doors opened up and he took the first step into his office corridor, tucking both hands into the pockets of his army green suit pants.

He had barely gotten to his office door when his personal assistant, Nora, ran up to him. The sight of the young female running in stiletto heels while trying to keep her glasses on her nose bridge made him cork his right brow.

“Mr Axford! Have you seen…?” She greeted when she finally got to him, holding onto her chest as she drew in quick and long breaths.

Chase groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Oh! For the love of heaven, Nora. What is it I need to see this time?” When he looked down at her, he had a frown on his face.

“Tell me everything has been taken down.”

Nora started to nod before she said anything.

“Yes, yes sir. Just as you instructed.”

“Good. I checked this morning and couldn’t find anything on it. But we have to be on the lookout, just incase anyone else decides they want to play games.”

He watched her through squinted brows and saw her nodding away. There was something else, Chase thought. He clenched his fists in his pockets.

“Yes sir. I understand, but that’s not the issue.” She pulled out her iPad without any further words, and turned the screen to Chase’s eyes.

It was video, Chase noted.

Nora clicked on the “play” icon, and Selene’s dollface filled the screen immediately.

It appeared to be a live recording of a Livestream session on Instagram. Only his ex-wife – was not her usual dolled up self.

Sure, her makeup was still plastered all over her face, and her lips were her favorite cherry red colour, but her false lashes were off and her eyes were red and swollen. Tears poured down her cheeks as she cried and mumbled words he could not hear, addressing her followers. She blew her nose into a handkerchief from time to time, before breaking down into another hilarious series of tears.

He scoffed, and shrugged his shoulders.

“You know, if I didn’t know her, I would think this is all real.”

Nora looked up at him, but she said nothing.

“I can’t believe he would do that to me, guys!” He heard Selene say, it was the first sentence he had heard since the video started to play.

“I can’t believe it. This was the reason he wanted a divorce. He was sleeping with her behind my back! I’m so…” She resumed her shrieking.

“I’m so heartbroken. I don’t know what to do!”

Chase’s scowl deepened. The longer he stared at the screen, the more his irritation brewed within him.

“Nora, I can’t look at this.” He started to push the screen off his face, but she seemed reluctant to let him go.

“This is a serious problem sir. People are starting to talk. Her fans, the Selene nation, or whatever she calls them, are scary and they really believe her and sympathize with her. I’m afraid they might start doing some crazy things.”

Chase glared at Nora. The thought of anyone hurting Mackenzie was more than enough to keep his mind at alert.

Nora heaved a sigh and stood straight. She pressed the pause icon, and tucked her iPad underneath her right arm, adjusting her glasses once more.

“I’m afraid Mackenzie isn’t safe, sir.”

“I’ve sent my security details to be on guard at all times. For now, she would not be coming to work. I have told her to remain at home with the kids until further notice.” Chase replied, in a rather stern tone. He would never take the safety of Mackenzie or his kids lightly.

Nora, once again, straightened and smiled at him.

“Congratulations, sir.”

For the first time since she had known her boss, Chase Axford’s lips spread into a broad smile. His eyes sparkled with a glint she had never seen before.

“You too, Nora.”

Chase’s eyes dropped to the iPad tucked underneath Nora’s arm. Selene’s face and her tears flashed in his mind and he let out a disgruntled sigh, a glaring sign of his mix of frustration and irritation.

“Selene’s just too dramatic for her own good. Send a word to my lawyers. I want Selene sued for defamation of character.”

He started to walk away from Nora, but she walked briskly behind him, calling out for his attention. Chase pushed his office door open and stepped into the hexagonal walls of his own space, before he turned to look at Nora.

She stopped walking and cleared her throat.

“Sir! Uhmm…I’m afraid that would cause a lot more stir. She might show it to her fans and they’ll get even more enraged. I think we should…I think we should do this more diplomatically.”

Chase sucked in a deep breath and started to speak.

“Nora…”

“Sir, in all honesty, there is nothing you can say to the public right now that would make them understand. They have decided to paint you and miss Torsney as the villains, and to them, Selene is the…” Nora sighed. It was tiresome to even think about.

“Selene is the victim who got hurt by your act. They are calling Mackenzie an adulteress, and all other sorts of names I can’t even mention. Sir, it’s…”

Chase raised his right index finger to Nora’s face, a silent request for her silence. Nora understood and stayed quiet.

He reached into his pocket for his phone and started to dial Mackenzie’s number.

The phone was answered on the first dial, and Chase’s heart soared in anticipation to hear her speak. It had only been a few hours, but he had missed her subtle voice.

“Mackenzie?”

“She isn’t here right now.”

Chase’s anticipation crashed to the ground almost immediately. His grip on his phone grew tighter as a frown formed on his face.

The voice at the other end of the line was one who knew too well enough to know how much he despised it.

What the hell was he doing with Mackenzie’s phone?

“I would love to speak to the owner of the phone.” Chase let out through gritted teeth.

The man at the end of the line chuckled, it was a bitter one.

“That’s funny, you see. Well, because of a certain someone my dearest Mackenzie cannot make use of her phone today. We cannot allow her to use her phone today, and it’s all because of you.”

Chase’s fist clenched into a tight ball. His right nostril twitched relentlessly, a visible sign of his annoyance.

“Give Mackenzie the phone, or I’m coming over.”

“You might want to ease up on the threats, rich boy. She’s not here, you can do as you please. Which reminds me, shouldn’t you be doing your best to stay far away from her at this time? You shouldn’t be calling her, don’t try to call her again.”

Chase parted his lips to speak, but the line went dead before he could utter another word.

Molten rage coursed through his veins. He dropped his hand to his side, with his fingers and palms firmly wrapped around the phone. He squeezed it, hard, threatening to shatter the phone to pieces with his bare hand.

His upper jaw grinded against the lower, fuming while his thoughts ran wild.

That silly uncle Maverick, or whatever the fuck his name was. What the fuck was he doing in the house?!

“Shit.” Chase cursed out, underneath his breath.

He needed to get Mackenzie as far away from that creep as he could.

It annoyed him how easy it was for the man to breeze in and out whenever he pleased.

There were three women in the house for heaven’s sake! Who the fuck gave him the right to come in and out whenever he pleased?!

“Sir, is everything okay?” Nora, who was still stationed in front of his table, asked him, concern etched in her gaze.

Without sparing her a glance, Chase picked up his keys and stomped past her. He merely made it to the door when he turned around to face Nora.

“Do you know any other way I could reach Mackenzie, besides through her phone?”

“I do have her home number.” Nora replied. Chase hurried to Nora, she called the number and he dialed it immediately, pacing about his office.

The dial tone graced Chase’s ears for more than thirty seconds. He continued to walk around the office, unable to stand still or keep calm. No one was answering the phone.

After three failed tries, Chase dropped the phone and looked at Nora.

“How many documents do I have to sign today? I need to get to the hospital as soon as I can.” He asked.

Without speaking, she pointed to the stack of files on his desk.

Chase’s eyes widened for a split second. He groaned and shook his head vehemently, as though everything would become a lot easier once he did. He needed to tell Mackenzie to stay away from her phone for at least that day, but he couldn’t reach her without going to her house, and going to see her at such a critical period was definitely not ideal.

Chase raked his fingers through his dark hair.

It was a relief that the kids were going to have a school free week. He could not imagine what it would have been like if they had to come out to the public at this point.

He quickly signed the documents and prepared himself to leave for the hospital to be with his father.

The surgery was a ten-hour procedure that had started in the middle of the night. He wanted to be by his father’s side when it was all over, so he made it his point of duty to leave Nora with all the necessary instructions for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, somewhere at the back of his mind, he hoped and prayed that Mackenzie had listened and stayed with the kids, just as he had asked her to.

“Sir, what are you going to do about Selene?” Nora asked, while packing up the files on his desk.

Chase scoffed.

“I’ll take care of her myself.”

His assistant narrowed her eyes on him.

“Please sir, no suing. It’s really important that you listen to me.”

Chase looked over Nora, before speaking.

“You don’t have to worry, Nora. A lawsuit would be too much of a merciful deed for what she’s doing.” He paused for a moment, before he spoke again.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

“Have you been able to track down the IP address of the one who leaked the news?”

Nora assured him that they had. And they were making arrangements to report the person to the police authorities for cyber bullying. But Chase could not trust the police with such a personal matter.

“Don’t go to the police, Nora. Just make sure you found the right person, find out why he or she did it, and if he or she was paid by anyone. Do you understand?”

Nora was not sure, but she knew better than to question his decisions. She managed a smile and nodded in agreement.

“Yes, sir.”

Chase’s lips thinned into a smile. He knew exactly what he wanted to do.