Bargain Wedding

It's In My Wallet

Axel found a box on her bed. Picking it up after slinging her satchel bag to her right shoulder, she grabbed it on her way out. Jona had already left for work and Axel was also ready for college. As she stepped closer to her motorbike, she saw an orange Bugatti Chiron standing on the porch with a huge bow ribbon attached to the bonnet, and a card placed over it.

Trudging towards it, she picked it up to read it.

I hope you like this one. You seriously were no help yesterday.

Jona

Axel was enveloped in anger from head to toe when she opened the box that she'd grabbed from the room. As expected, there was a key to the car along with a black credit card.

"What does he think he is doing? I am not for sale," she crumpled the note in her fist and chucked it on the ground.

It fell on Jussy's step, who was lurking around. "What's wrong? Didn't you like it?" She teased.

Axel was trembling with vexation, turning red. She didn't want to say anything. She has been controlling herself since the day she arrived here.

"What's the matter, sister-in-law? I swear if Jona-San spoiled me like that," Jussy pointed at the car. "I would do anything for him."

That's exactly what Axel didn't want to hear. She sauntered towards Jussy with such fury in her eyes. At that point, the older female debated if she should have kept her mouth shut or pulled her steps back, looking at the deathly glare. She majorly flinched when Axel grabbed her palm and held it out, slamming the box there. "You can have it if you like it so much."

Immediately turning around, she straddled her bike, without worrying about her helmet. She kick-started the engine and disappeared after a loud throttle.

Jussy watched her leave before she dialed Jona's number.

"Hello," the man answered.

"Jona-San... Sorry if I am disturbing you," She spoke in an urgent tone.

"What is it?" Jona asked as he scrolled through his laptop screen.

"It's, it's Axel."

Jona's hands suddenly stopped working on hearing Axel's name. "What about her? Is she alright?" He stood from his CEO chair.

"I just saw Axel get angry for some reason. She was looking at the car and threw the box away in which I found a black card with car keys. Before I could ask her what was wrong, she was already gone," Jussy explained with a worrisome tone, feigning innocence.

Jona sighed as he caressed his forehead with his index and middle finger, almost forgetting he had to respond on call.

"You there, Jona-San?"

"It's alright. You give those keys to Obaasan. I will talk to you later. Thank you for telling me."

☘

Axel was rehearsing her dance routine and Minhaj was not cooperating. He was chaotic. Not only was he not concentrating, but he was also bugging others.

When Axel had it, she promenaded towards Minhaj and pushed him, causing the man to stumble on a skater and fall to the ground.

"What the f**k, Axel? What is wrong with you?" Minhaj chided.

"Will you f*****g behave? I don't have time or energy to deal with your nonsense today," Axel reeled off as she leaned down to the floor and glared into Minhaj's eyes.

The boy cowered with his hands in surrender. "Relax! I was just poking at fun," he attempted to lighten up and reason with Axel.

"Well, do it on your own time," she spat as he pushed him further down and got up from the floor.

"Geez! Did Mommy not give you milk today?" Minhaj muttered from behind and Axel heard it.

The speed with which she surged forward, Minhaj was not the slightest bit ready as his back hit the hard floor again, and he screamed in pain after receiving a square punch on his face with a loud thud.

Everyone ran to collect Axel before any more damage could be done and the entire dance group had to pay the price. "Don't you ever take my mother's name from that mouth? YOU HEAR ME?!" She screamed in deathly gravel.

Minhaj sat up and hissed, touching his lip which was oozing out some blood. "Are you angry because you don't like me or is it that you like me too much?" Minhaj spoke with a smirk, breathing sharply.

Axel kept glaring at him, huffing loudly as her heart felt it would drop to her stomach. Shivering with anger, she closed her fists tightly and left the room while Minhaj kept laughing with a mocking wince.

"I know Aoki," he muttered to himself, looking in the direction where Axel had disappeared.

☘

Axel had a photoshoot scheduled for the next few hours, but she wasn't up for it. Her fist hurt like hell, and she was far too disturbed in her head. The photo would go out for marketing and publicity of the final dance event. She proposed the next day for the shoot and left the university.

Not knowing what to do, but definitely knowing one thing, not wanting to go back to Jona's house, she called Tetsuo. The older cousin didn't answer the call, and she received a text in return.

I am in the states. Let me come back and then we can have a beer.

She didn't want to give answers to her parents or see her father, but she had no option. Dejectedly, she tramped towards the bike and started the engine to go back to her own home with a faint heart.

She rode on the friendly, familiar road and already felt better with just her bike and her thought-free mind. Her home and Jona's home were at equal distances from her university. Riding for almost 15 minutes, she was welcomed by the guards.

"Madam Aoki! Welcome home!" The head attendant chirped as he sauntered towards Axel, who in turn hugged the man.

"It is good to be back," She sighed in bliss as they both walked inside.

"Where is Master Jona? Isn't he coming?" The man looked behind, but Axel put a stop to everyone's hope when she found herself in the living room where everyone sat.

"Jona isn't coming!" She spoke loudly, which bent everyone's attention towards her.

Her mother ran and hugged her immediately. "How is my girl?" She asked as she broke the hug and cupped Axel's face.

"I am good, mom. How have you been?" Axel asked her as she walked her back to sit on the couch and herself settled on the floor, keeping her head in her mother's lap.

"I am good, honey, but it seems like you have forgotten us in just a few days. No calls, no texts, huh?" Her mother complained, pinching her cheeks.

"It was just too much adjustment. There was a reception and stuff. But I will not go back now. I will stay here," she declared with a pout. Although she was serious, it came off as a joke to her mother, to whom she was still a pampered child.

"How is Jona with you?" The mother asked, threading Axel's hair with her fingers.

"He is okay," Axel replied in an uninterested tone, but her face lit up when Cloudy collided with her legs and tried to climb up in her lap.

"Aww, my Cloudy... Come here," Axel picked her furry friend, and an unlimited attack of kisses and licks made her fall to the ground. She missed her white, fluffy dog so much.

☘

Jona found that Axel never made it back home, and it was almost seven in the evening. He was pacing in the room with trepidation. He had texted and called her twice but didn't get any response. Heaving a sigh, he walked into the closet and returned all dressed in black trousers along with a white shirt paired with shiny black shoes.

Just as he reached the small elevator to go down the basement, he was interrupted by his stepmother. However, without paying any heed, he kept walking. "Where are you going, Jona?" The voice tried to stop him from behind.

"I won't be back for dinner. Please eat up, Mother," He answered without turning to look at her.

A minute later, she saw him leaving in his Audi e-Tron.

When Jona reached Axel's house, he was stopped at the gate. He scrolled down his window and guards immediately recognized him, letting him in quickly. He thanked them with a smile and his eyes fell on the bike which was parked right outside the gate on the porch, after which, he sighed in relief.

Giving his keys to the guard for parking, he went inside and towards the living room.

"Jona! Finally, you made it! " Mrs. Aoki walked towards him.

He bowed and greeted her and Axel turned to look behind at the clamor to find smartly dressed Jona standing there, talking to her mother, but Jona's silent eyes were on her, even if he was conversing with her mother.

She usually saw Jona in either a suit or his sleeping robe, once. Only once because she always made sure to pretend to be asleep when Jona came into the room at night.

Jona was a sharp dresser and Axel had to admit the suave man's style and fashion taste.

"Dinner will be ready sometime. Let's eat together," Mrs. Aoki excitedly announced and excused herself hastily, giving a little privacy to the couple.

Jona walked around the couch and took a seat right opposite Axel, who kept her gaze fixed on the mobile phone. Jona was staring at her was no secret. Axel could feel it and see him in her peripheral view. As on cue, Jona spoke when Axel looked at him. "What's wrong?" He asked with a teasing and endearing smile playing on his lips.

If Jona had asked her the same question a few hours ago, Axel would have charged at him, but now that her anger had subsided, she didn't want to spoil her mood again. The same thing applied to Jona. He would never dare to flash a smile on angry Axel, but he knew that his girl was pacified now.

"Nothing," Axel replied, averting her gaze back at the phone.

"She speaks!" Jona remarked as he wiggled his eyebrows and leaned back on the couch. Axel glared at him and the man pressed his lips to prevent himself from chuckling.

"I was getting worried, Axel," he spoke shortly. "You should have at least returned my calls." His tone was as delicate as ever, even some more, yet there was an authoritative edge in his voice.

"Why? Why would you be worried about me?" Axel snapped, instigated by the authority.

"Because you are an adorable human and I don't want anything bad happening to you."

Axel was taken aback by the answer. She was expecting Jona to say that she was his wife, that he cared about her, and some other jibber-jabber like that. But how would she fight him now? Why did Jona have to say that and end the fight before it could start?

☘

"Mom, I don't like this Axel. She is just too spoiled for my liking." Jussy was nagging her mother. "You know Jona bought her a brand-new Bugatti, and she just threw it away."

Jussy was scared of Axel after the interaction she had this morning. She'd made a point to never cross Axel when she was alone with her.

"Come on, daughter! You don't even know her yet. Get to know her first, then you can hate her all you want," Hana replied with a chuckle.

"Lohan!" She called, but her voice trailed off. The man was busy with his phone. "Lohan!"

"What?" Lohan retorted.

"Will you be serious for a moment here? We need to think of something before Axel wraps Jona around her pinky entirely."

"Huh? How would she wrap Jona-San around his finger? Jona is not that small ma," Lohan snickered, at which, his mother and sister facepalmed.

"What will happen to him?" The lady spoke to herself, rubbing her forehead with two fingers.

"I am doing this all for you two. You should stop being dumb for once in your life and be thankful. I don't want you to end up with just crumbs. Otherwise, all those years, all the planning and hard work accounts for nothing," she grabbed Lohan's hand and dragged him to sit with them. "And I can already see a change in Jona. He never talked back to me about anything, but now, he is defending that girl who had set foot in this house just this week. This can escalate quickly. We need to think of a solution, and soon."

☘

"How is work, Jona?" Mr. Aoki asked as they sat together over the dinner table.

"It's been good. Coco is helping with the hospital project. I hope we get it finalized soon. It is a big one," Jona replied to Axel's father.

Axel was still not talking to her father. She could have been a free bird, but her father put her inside the cage with no rift. It had just been three days since her wedding, and she was already thinking about divorce.

"Honey! Where is your wedding ring?" Mrs. Aoki exclaimed all of a sudden. It was only when she spotted the ring on Jona's finger, but not on her daughter's, that she realized that Axel had no ring on since the time she arrived home.

"It's in my wallet," Axel replied in a hushed voice.

"What? No, no, no. You can't do that. Wear it," Mrs. Aoki showed her dismay over her stubborn daughter's response, thinking it was another one of her childish tantrums.

"Do you want me to leave the food and go wear it now?" Axel snarked dissonantly, grinding over the words.

"No, it's alright. You can wear it later," Jona interposed.

Axel stuffed her mouth with food hurriedly, making her cheeks bulge. Jona kept glancing at her because to him, she looked adorable.

A head popped up from beneath the table. It was Cloudy's. He was standing on the chair and Axel pulled him up in her lap.

Giving a few bites of bread and meat to him, which he ate as she stared at the dog. Cloudy was a picky eater. Axel got so lost in him that she forgot Jona was there, too. "My Cloudy is sho needy today," she talked to him in a baby voice while the canine just jumped on her lap and enthusiastically licked her face, making Axel giggle.

Soon, the realization that Jona was staring at her dawned on her. She got up after gulping down the unchewed food, and everyone watched her walk upstairs towards her room, carrying Cloudy in her hands.

Mrs. Aoki knew by then that Axel had had some spat with her husband. "Did she do something, Jona?" She asked.

"No, mom. She didn't. If you don't mind, I will go to talk to her," Jona told Mrs. Aoki, wiping his hands with the napkin.

The woman nodded fondly in an approving manner at her son-in-law.

After a minute, Jona knocked lightly on a door.

"It's open!" Axel hollered, assuming it must be her mother.

Jona slowly opened the door and recced the room. It was big, not as big as his, but more than enough space for two people to live luxuriously. The walls were off-white, and there was a big picture frame of Axel hung on the wall opposite her bed. It seemed to be a dancing pose. Axel looked alluring in it.

There was a guitar placed in one corner, and a shelf in the other corner had many books. Even though most of her stuff was shifted to her new house, there were still just enough things around for one to occupy themselves.

Just when Jona ambled towards the bed, Cloudy jumped away from Axel's lap and ran out of the room, as if he knew that he would third wheel if he didn't. "Such a playful and adorable dog," Jona mused.

Axel just nodded in agreement.

"Why didn't he come to our wedding?" Jona continued.

"He doesn't like large gatherings and new people," Axel's reply was brief, but Jona had to continue talking.

"Do you play?" He asked Axel, pointing his gaze towards the guitar.

"No, it plays itself," Axel replied blatantly.

Jona let a breathy chuckle out. "Are you perhaps in a mood to play right now?" He asked as he sat a little too near to Axel, whose heartbeat suddenly picked pace.

Axel would have denied the request, but she needed an excuse to walk away from Jona. She walked over to the guitar and settled on a chair nearby. Diligently taking it out of its cover and cradling it across her shoulder, she started to play.

Just as her fingers struck the chords on the guitar strings, they did to Jona's heart collectively.

I look at you all

See the lover that's sleeping

While my guitar gently weeps

Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know why nobody told you

How to unfold your love

I don't know how someone controlled you

They bought and sold you

Jona knew why Axel chose this song. The girl didn't say anything before this, but the song was conveying to Jona what she really felt, and what she had gone through. The melody and Axel's voice made him want to tear up, which he couldn't. So, he sucked it up, completely fazed by the slenderness of the brunette's talent. His heart was crying though, even if his eyes couldn't. How should I tell you that I love you? Every day, more than ever.

He made a mental note that they had to take the guitar with them back home.

"You are really good. I mean it," Jona praised her once she finished playing. "Why didn't you bring the guitar home?"

"I didn't want to disturb you. Or anyone else there," Axel replied, putting back the guitar in its case.

"Nonsense. Such a melody can never be disturbing, especially when it's coming from you. You are taking it with us," Jona declared and got up from bed. "Shall we go back now or do you want to stay here tonight?" He asked her circumspectively, trying to read her eyes.

"I will stay the night," Axel replied, without looking at Jona, as always.

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow. We will talk then." He said softly to Axel as he stood to leave, but her reply made him pause for a moment.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"As you wish," Jona was quick to add. "We will do anything you want," he replied with one nod as he blinked his eyes, synched with that nod before he left the room.

"Anything I want? Isn't it ironic Jona?" Axel mumbled as tears started to roll out of her eyes onto her hurtful face.