Page 8 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

Hope’s eyes were wide. Her mouth open. She shut it again as if aware she was gaping. And then opened it again. ‘I…don’t understand, why are you telling me this?’

Axel was reminded again that what he was doing was way out of character for him, but he also knew with well-honed instincts that she was the right person. She was unknown in his world. He could be pretty certain that, unless she was an Oscar-winning actress in disguise, she wasn’t interested in pursuing him.

Oh, he’d seen the flare of awareness in her eyes, but she’d shut it down again. She hadn’t capitalised on it, as most women did.

‘I’m telling you this because I’d like to offer you the job.’

She blinked. Long lashes screening those huge blue eyes for a moment. ‘But I have a job.’

‘Look at it as a promotion.’

He could see she was struggling to understand. He helped her. ‘The fact is that until very recently I was due to be engaged to a woman and that relationship has irrevocably broken down.’

Axel had a moment of thinking of Callista with her well-honed body, surgically enhanced face and designer style. He felt not even an atom of remorse. In fact, he felt something like relief now. As if a burden was lifting. And something else, a frisson of excitement. Things in Axel’s life rarely deviated from the projected trajectory and it was like a door opening onto an unexpected vista he’d never considered before.

Hope said, ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

Axel was a little horrified by the genuine compassion in her eyes. He shook his head. ‘Don’t be. The engagement was never officially announced and she’ll have moved on by now, believe me.’

Hope looked as if she was struggling to understand. ‘But you must have felt something for her?’

‘No, I really didn’t. We were promised to each other from a young age. I liked her enough to accept that marriage arrangement, but that was before the full extent of her extracurricular activities became apparent.’

‘But obviously she was your lover?’ Hope blushed. ‘I’m sorry, that’s none of my business.’

Axel wasn’t remotely fazed by her question. ‘We had been together in the past briefly. Enough to know that we could consummate the marriage and have children.’

‘It all sounds so…soulless and clinical.’

Axel shrugged. ‘It’s how it happens in my world. It’s necessary, when there are huge fortunes and legacies to protect and nurture for the next generation. We would have subtly taken lovers on the side if we’d so wished. But after what happened, I know she can’t be trusted to be discreet.’

‘It sounds like legacy and status are more important than anything else.’

‘In my world, they are. And to that end, I have an important deal I want to secure and for that I need to appear…as settled as possible.’

She shook her head. ‘Don’t you have someone else you can call on? A…mistress-type person?’ She lifted her chin. ‘I’m not completely naive. I know how the world works.’

Axel felt his mouth twitch. ‘And yet you were just feeling sorry for me because you thought my engagement was a love story.’

Two spots of pink came into her cheeks. She folded her arms. ‘Believe me, I’m catching on fast.’

That was another reason she was perfect. She was quick and bright and light. An unnerving revelation.

‘There are women I could ask, yes, but they would see it as an opportunity to demand more.’

‘More?’

‘A relationship. Possibly even marriage.’

‘And you don’t want that.’

‘I don’t want a relationship. I will need a marriage at some point. I will have to have a wife, and heirs.’

‘You mean children.’

Axel frowned. ‘Yes, that’s another way of putting it.’ But he’d never thought about children in the sense of having them for any reason other than to inherit the Drakos legacy, as he’d done. He had, however, always vowed to do better by his children than his own parents had. At least foster a sense of unity and cohesion. He certainly wouldn’t value any child less for having a learning disability.

‘The woman I was going to marry, we were due to announce the engagement very soon, which would have coincided with the event I will be attending in a little under two weeks hosted by the man I’m interested in doing business with. He’s notoriously conservative. He values stability and family and sees that as an indicator of someone worth investing in.’