Silver Keys

Axel has been in the room for almost an hour and Maria hadn't even noticed his presence. He glanced at the living room, the silence within it a far cry from its usual glamor. He glanced at the woman seated across from him and wondered what was going on in her mind. She was fair, with jet black hair and gray eyes that seemed almost white, giving her a very peculiar look. Anyone who gazed at her would instantly notice those gray eyes. Axel maneuvered closer to her, wanting to get her attention; she doesn't usually come to see him if it wasn't necessary or important. Although she came sometimes to just check on him, sitting down there and staring at illusory figures wasn't like her. As he got closer to her, she didn't react, she didn’t even glance up, she was so lost in thought that she could barely see him. To gain her attention, he cleared his throat. “Marina?” She looked up finally, glancing at him with a mean expression. Her brows were furrowed and her eyes shot daggers at him. “What do you want, Axel? I need a few minutes to myself.” Her tone was harsh, and she dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “Just go back to your room.” He glanced at her, a little knot tightening in his chest, she wasn't usually this disrespectful or haughty. She normally does show him bits of disregard once in a while, but she usually apologizes for it, this time around, she was really annoyed. “I just wanted to check on you. You’ve been—” “Moody? Yes, I know,” she snapped, cutting him off. “But there’s nothing you can do to help. Just leave me the hell alone, or are you saying I can't have a few moments to be moody? Look I just want you to leave me alone and leave me to my thoughts. It's not like you can magically wave your hand and solve my problems.” She chuckled. “Even if you did, I am sure you will only make things worse.” He glanced at her just staring blankly at the harshness that spewed out from.her mouth. He bit back a stern reply and remained gentle. “You said you wanted to talk to me,” he reminded her gently. Marina jerked up, feeling suddenly alive, she had indeed come here for a purpose before her entire thoughts were drowned in the sorrows of her situation. She fished out a piece of paper from the brown bag lying beside her and turned to Axel in annoyance. “Where’s all this money gone, Axel?” she demanded, her voice rising with anger. “This is a significant sum, and it’s my money. I deserve to know.” Axel took a moment, his eyes scanning the figures. “It was for a good cause,” he replied, trying to maintain his composure. She leaned closer, her gray eyes flashing with frustration. “For a good cause, that is the only explanation I get?” She demanded, slamming the paper on the table. “Hey, calm down.” Axel said and he immediately realized his mistake, he just told an angry person to calm down, they sure as hell wouldn't. “Calm down?” She said, “Can you see the numbers I am looking at? You don't leave here all day, you are always here, always in this stupid room. What the hell are you using all this for?” She yelled. Axel hesitated, feeling the weight of the past three years pressing down on him. “I spent it on something… something good, trust me.” he stammered, trying to explain, but he could see Marina’s disbelief etched on her features. Marina’s recollection of their shared history cut through the tension, though Axel knew she wouldn’t articulate it as he felt it. Three years ago, she had used her family's wealth and resources to build her fashion empire from scratch. Her years of hard work paid off when the company became a multi-billion-dollar investment. It was more than a company to her at the moment, it was her little empire, her very own legacy she can pass down to the next generation. But with great power comes great evil eyes, as her brother and cousin eyed her success and wanted it for themselves. Their opportunity opened up when she married Axel, a man she’d fallen in love with, although he was crippled. That seemed right now to be the biggest mistake she ever made. They could have still loved each other if they didn't make it official, now all that love has been turned to nothing but pain. In the eyes of the business world, Axel’s perceived failures had been weaponized against Marina, who had found herself ousted from her own company, battling in boardrooms against the very family she once thought she could trust. Although she didn't hold Axel accountable for her family's greed, his inability to be a partner, his persistent withdrawal into a world of solitude, had only deepened her resentment. Since their marriage, Axel had been nothing but a shadow of the man he once was—isolated in his pain while she fought for her legacy. Yet he spent so much money and wouldn't even give up what he was spending the money on. “Don’t act like you’re doing me any favors,” Marina snapped, breaking Axel from his thoughts. “You’ve spent all this time doing nothing, costing me more than I can afford while you hide away in your little world. I didn’t even want to come visit you, but I knew you were diverting my money into other things.” Axel felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he listened to her accusations. They stung, sharper than any wound he had sustained in battle. “I’ve been trying to recover,” he said defensively, “to be strong again. You know I was—” “Was? You mean you “are” weak,” she interrupted. “That’s all you’ve ever been. I thought we were a team, but now it feels like I’m carrying the weight of everything on my own. You’re a crippled man with no ambitions, Axel. You’re nothing but a liability.” Her words struck him like a blow to the heart, and it made him remember the day everything changed for him. In the past he’d been the best warlord in the country, the continent even. He wasn't known by most people physically, but his reputation was unparalleled and his abilities were even scarier when he was at war. It was what he was best at, yet, he lost it all. Much like how his dear wife was losing her wealth now, he lost his legs to betrayal. He barely survived, barely won and the cost were him interred on a chair for life. Axel’s thoughts spiraled back to Marina, who was glaring at him with sadness and anger in her eyes. He sensed her hesitation now, a fleeting moment of doubt as she looked at his legs, still hidden beneath the blanket draped over his lap. But she shook her head, her resolve hardening. “Tell me what you did with my money, or I swear, I will file for divorce. I’m done with this charade.” Her voice was steady, but Axel could hear the tremor beneath it, the fear that the life she had built might come crashing down. Axel’s heart raced at the mention of divorce. The idea of losing her sent a shockwave through him. “Marina, please…” He reached out, desperate to connect. “I can fix this. I can be more than you think I am.” “Can you?” she shot back, her skepticism clear. “You’ve been hiding away for years. I need someone in my corner, Axel. Someone who can fight alongside me, not just someone who sits in a chair and does nothing.” His throat tightened. “You don’t understand the depths of what I’ve been through.” He struggled to keep his voice steady. “I’m not the man I used to be, but I’m trying. I want to be your partner again.” Marina crossed her arms, her expression softening for the briefest moment before hardening again. “You want to be my partner? Then prove it! I can’t keep playing this game where I pretend everything is okay while my life is falling apart.” She looked at him with a shake of her head. “They took everything,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “My entire life’s worth of work. They took it from me. And all you could do was sit and watch!” She trembled. He felt the anger boil within him at her words, yet deep down, he knew she was right. Axel had retreated into himself for so long, convinced that his wounds were too deep to heal, but her fierce words struck a chord. He couldn't let her fight this battle alone anymore. “Then let me help you. I can do more than you think,” he said, a sudden determination igniting within him. “I may have been broken, but all I need is time, just give me time.” Marina’s eyes narrowed. “Do you? Then why haven’t you done anything yet? Why should I trust you?” “Because I love you, Marina,” he replied, his voice steady. “I’ve spent too long being a shadow, but I want to be your light. I want to fight back against your uncle and Victor, and I’ll do whatever it takes.” Marina’s gaze softened momentarily, but then she shook her head. “Love doesn’t pay the bills, Axel. It doesn’t protect me from the vultures circling around my empire. If you want to prove yourself, you need to show me you’re willing to fight for what’s ours. You can’t hide anymore.” Axel nodded, feeling the gravity of her words. “You’re right. I’ve been hiding, and it’s time to step back into the light. I will do the best I can, I promise you. But I need your trust.” Her expression wavered a bit and she glared at him. “No. All I want from you is an explanation of this, what have you been doing with my money. What have you been doing here? Do you know what I have heard?” “I understand, you are upset, just, please listen to me.” he replied, trying to calm her down. “I am not upset,” she shook her head. “When my dog mistakenly eats chocolate, I am upset. When I stub my toe, I am upset, when my favorite soccer team loses, I am upset,” she said. “Axel, but when my husband is using my funds for something he won't tell me about and there are rumore flying around, I am beyond f*****g upset. I am very f*****g furious.” Axel remained silent, watching her as she paced around the room, not finding the right words to say.