You started the war

🌿✨ chapter: 9 “A Place Unlike His” ✨🌿

💚 The door clicked shut behind him.

Silence filled the room again—

But this time… it wasn’t calm.

🌿 It was tense. 🌿

💚 Axel’s gaze moved around slowly.

Books neatly arranged.

A study table by the window.

Soft light falling across the room.

💚 Everything about it was…

Organized.

Peaceful.

🔥 Controlled.

💚 Completely opposite of him.

💚 And then—

His eyes landed on her.

🌿 Skye Anderson. 🌿

💚 Standing near the table.

Arms crossed.

Expression calm—

But not welcoming.

💚 “Be quick,” she said flatly.

“I don’t have all day.”

🔥 No greeting. No hesitation.

💚 Axel raised an eyebrow slightly.

A faint smirk touching his lips.

💚 “Missed me too?”

💚 Skye didn’t react.

Didn’t smile.

🌿 “Start the project.” 🌿

💚 Straight to the point.

💚 Axel walked further inside.

Slow. Unhurried.

Like he had all the time in the world.

💚 “Relax,” he said casually.

“We just got here.”

💚 “You got here,” she corrected.

💚 A pause.

🔥 That attitude again.

💚 Axel stopped right in front of her desk.

Leaning slightly against it.

💚 “So,” he said, glancing at her notes,

“What’s the topic?”

💚 Skye picked up her notebook.

Keeping distance.

💚 “Human decision-making,” she replied.

💚 Axel let out a quiet chuckle.

🌿 “Perfect.” 🌿

💚 Skye frowned slightly.

“What’s funny?”

💚 He looked at her.

Directly.

🔥 “We’re both terrible at that.”

💚 A pause.

💚 Skye’s expression didn’t change—

But her eyes sharpened.

💚 “Speak for yourself.”

💚 Axel smirked.

🌿 “I am.” 🌿

💚 Silence again.

But this time—

It felt different.

💚 Less hostile.

More… aware.

💚 Skye moved to the table.

Opening her book.

💚 “We’ll divide the work,” she said.

“You handle research. I’ll write.”

💚 Axel didn’t move.

Didn’t sit.

💚 “No.”

💚 Skye looked up.

“What do you mean no?”

💚 He stepped closer.

Too close.

🔥 Again.

💚 “We do it together,” he said.

💚 “That’s not necessary.”

💚 “It is.”

💚 “Why?”

💚 A pause.

🌿 His gaze didn’t leave hers. 🌿

💚 “Because I said so.”

🔥 Control again.

💚 Skye exhaled sharply.

“You really don’t know how to work with people, do you?”

💚 Axel tilted his head slightly.

🌿 “I don’t work with people.” 🌿

💚 “Exactly.”

💚 A small silence followed.

💚 Then—

Skye sat down.

Opening her book again.

💚 “Fine,” she said.

“Sit.”

💚 Axel didn’t move for a second.

Then slowly—

He pulled the chair and sat across from her.

💚 Their eyes met again.

Closer now.

No distractions.

🌿 Just them. 🌿

💚 The room felt smaller suddenly.

Quieter.

Heavier.

💚 Skye looked down first.

Breaking the moment.

💚 “Start reading,” she said.

💚 Axel picked up the book—

But didn’t open it immediately.

💚 Instead—

He watched her.

🔥 Like he was trying to figure her out.

💚 And for the first time—

🌿 He wasn’t trying to control her. 🌿

💚 He was trying to understand her.

🔥 And that…

Was far more dangerous.

💚 The silence between them had just settled—

When—

🌿 Knock. Knock. 🌿

💚 Skye looked up instantly.

“Come in.”

💚 The door opened slowly.

The same servant stepped inside, holding a tray.

💚 Two glasses.

Snacks placed neatly.

💚 He placed them on the table quietly.

Respectful. Silent.

💚 Then he spoke—

🌿 “Mr. and Mrs. Anderson called. They’ll be home in one and a half hour.” 🌿

💚 His eyes shifted briefly toward Skye.

💚 Skye nodded slightly.

“I know.”

🌿 A knowing look passed between them. 🌿

💚 Like this wasn’t new.

Like this was routine.

💚 The servant gave a small nod and left the room.

The door closed again.

💚 Silence returned.

But this time—

It felt… different.

💚 Axel leaned back slightly in his chair.

Watching her.

Carefully.

💚 “You knew?” he asked.

💚 Skye picked up her pen.

Casual.

💚 “They always call.”

💚 “Before coming home?”

💚 “Yes.”

💚 A pause.

🌿 Axel’s gaze didn’t leave her. 🌿

💚 “Must be nice,” he said quietly.

💚 Skye’s hand stopped for a second.

Just a second.

💚 She looked up at him.

“Knowing when your parents are coming?”

💚 Axel didn’t answer immediately.

His jaw tightened slightly.

💚 “Knowing they’re coming,” he replied.

🌿 Silence. 🌿

💚 Something in his tone—

Wasn’t casual anymore.

💚 Skye noticed it.

💚 She didn’t push.

Didn’t question.

🌿 But she understood… a little. 🌿

💚 She slid one of the glasses toward him.

“Drink,” she said simply.

💚 Axel looked at it.

Then at her.

💚 “You offering me something?”

💚 “Don’t overthink it.”

💚 A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

🔥 “That’s new.”

💚 Skye rolled her eyes slightly.

“Just drink and start working.”

💚 Axel picked up the glass—

But instead of drinking—

💚 He leaned back again.

Still watching her.

🌿 More observant now. 🌿

💚 Because this place…

This silence…

This version of her—

🔥 Was something he hadn’t expected.

💚 And somehow—

🌿 It was getting harder to leave. 🌿.