Page 346 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 11
“Does your boyfriend know you sent me soup?”
I glanced over at Jacob. He was pointing to Mr. Halifax’s picture on the board and Sophie was arguing with him.
“No,” I texted back.
He didn’t respond.
“Are you feeling better?” I texted.
“I always feel better when you send me soup.”
I smiled.
“I think I’d feel even better if you spoon fed it to me though.”
I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh. “I think you can feed yourself just fine.”
“No, I want you to do it. Come over.”
“I can’t, Axel.”
“But I need you.”
My heart raced as I stared at the text. I felt like I’d been waiting a lifetime for Axel to send me a text like this. Maybe having a fake boyfriend actually was working. But it had only been one day. I wasn’t ready to call quits on Operation Too Hot to Handle until I knew for sure that Axel really needed me. And what did he mean by he needed me? Did that even mean he liked me? I tried not to overthink it and texted him back: “I’m busy right now. Eat your soup.”
“Are you with your boyfriend?”
I looked over at Jacob again. “Yes.”
“Does he know you’re texting me?”
“No. But he wouldn’t care. We’re friends, Axel. We’ll always be friends. Jacob knows that.”
I stared at my phone, waiting for him to respond. But he didn’t.
“I’ve got it!” RJ yelled. “We need to trap him.”
Everyone grew silent.
I quickly exed out of my text thread with Axel.
“Right?” RJ said. “We can organize a trap and unmask him.”
I slowly nodded my head.
“We’ll call it Operation Trap.”
I laughed. “No. We already had an Operation Trap. That’s what led to the hole.” I pointed up at the trapdoor.
“But the name makes sense for this too. We’ll reinstate Operation Trap. All old codenames apply.” He smiled. “Baby doll.”
I groaned.
“So what’s the plan?” Liam asked. “Text the kiss thief a time and place to hookup? And we’ll all be there to beat the shit out of him?”
What?!
“No way,” RJ said. “He’ll see that coming a mile away.”
