"Well, Eve..."
Oscar’s voice softened, though the humor was still there, lurking beneath.
"I don’t like this... Call it paranoia, call it experience, but returning to the capital feels like lighting a bonfire in the middle of the forest and hoping no one sees the smoke."
"Maybe. But this ti, I’m not alone."
Oscar snorted.
"Ah, right. Mister Tall... Mysterious Axel Knight, now your hubby..."
She couldn’t help but laugh.
"Oscar, please... Stop teasing ."
"What? You think I’m wrong? You’re sure he’s not going to lock you in his mansion and call it love?"
Her laughter softened into a quiet sigh.
"No. Axel’s not like that."
Oscar’s cheerful voice cracked through the line. "Well, whatever you say, princess. Just rember... if anything happens, you call first."
Evelyn rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head.
"Alright, enough with the drama. Stop worrying about . Now, tell ... what’s happening with the Walters Group plan?"
"Damn, I almost forgot to tell you, Eve!"
Oscar’s voice jumped with excitent.
"Everything fell right into place, just like we predicted. Our timing couldn’t be better. If this keeps up, we’ll have them cornered before they even know what hit them."
The sheer delight in his tone made Evelyn’s doubts about Axel slide to the back of her mind.
"That sounds amazing, Oscar. Please keep it moving forward. Just update if anything seems off."
"Yes, boss," he teased playfully.
Evelyn laughed again, her lips tugging into a smile she couldn’t hold back.
"Since when did I beco your boss?"
"Since the day you married Axel Knight," Oscar shot back without missing a beat. "Face it, Eve, you’re richer than I am now. If my business crashes tomorrow, you’re legally obligated to shelter ."
Her laughter spilled through the line, soft but genuine.
"Alright, alright, enough of your sarcasm. Enough to make laugh..."
"Fine! I need to sleep now."
"Go to bed then, troublemaker," Evelyn said warmly. "We’ll talk later."
"See ya. Oh, and don’t forget to send my kiss to my nephew."
"Sure, sure..." Evelyn smiled at his antics, feeling lighter inside despite the worry thoughts now on her mind.
With Oscar, everything always felt a little less heavy, at least for a mont.
...
After finishing her call with Oscar, the day slipped by faster than Evelyn realized.
Between unpacking, adjusting everything in the new house, checking her ho office setup, and spending ti with Oliver, there wasn’t a mont to breathe.
It kept her mind distracted, which was probably a good thing.
But suddenly, night fell.
When Jimmy appeared in the doorway to announce that dinner was ready, Axel still hadn’t returned.
Evelyn glanced at the clock, her stomach sinking a little.
He had promised he’d be ho in ti.
Still, she wasn’t about to starve herself and her son because of him.
She smiled politely at Jimmy and nodded.
Dinner without Axel on their first night here felt strange.
She tried to push the thought aside as she helped Oliver cut his at, listening to him chatter about his horse, the hiking trail, his playroom, and everything except the one thing he was clearly holding back: his father.
However,
It didn’t take long.
"Mommy," Oliver finally asked, tilting his head up with those wide, innocent eyes. "Why didn’t Daddy co to dinner? Did I do sothing wrong?"
The question sliced into her chest.
Evelyn forced a smile and shook her head.
"No, sweetheart. Daddy has an important eting. He’ll co ho later. Maybe after you’re asleep."
It was a lie, and she hated herself for it.
Axel hadn’t called, hadn’t texted, hadn’t sent even the shortest ssage since he’d walked out that afternoon.
She swallowed her irritation and disappointnt, knowing Oliver needed reassurance more than she needed the truth.
"Promise he’ll co back?"
Evelyn leaned in, kissed his forehead, and whispered.
"I promise."
She was glad that Oliver no longer pressured her about Axel, or her son might notice her worry and disappointnt.
By the ti she tucked him into bed with his favorite story, he was smiling again, and it didn’t take long before he fell into a deep sleep. Dreaming peacefully.
Evelyn lingered for a mont, brushing her son’s hair off his forehead before slipping out quietly.
But her smile faded as soon as she closed his door.
As she returned to the first floor, heading to her bedroom, Evelyn tried not to think about Axel’s promise. But it was difficult.
She kept checking her cell phone, but there was no text and no missed calls either.
Her heart tightened when she saw it was about ten.
She wanted to call him, but every ti her finger hovered over his na, she stopped herself.
What if he were in the middle of sothing important?
What if she interrupted?
Or worse, what if he ignored the call?
The thought was unbearable.
So she tried to wait.
She curled up on the sofa, watching a movie she barely paid attention to.
Two hours later, the credits rolled, and Axel was still nowhere in sight.
She feels like a hurricane of frustration raging in her heart.
’Seriously, Axel? First night in our new ho, and you break your own promise.’
By midnight, exhaustion overwheld her. She had unpacked, entertained Oliver, and maintained her composure, all while waiting for a man who hadn’t even bothered to tell her if he was alive. Her patience was utterly worn out.
She decided enough was enough. She’d sleep without him.
But as she was climbing onto the bed, a faint sound from outside caught her attention.
Evelyn’s head whipped toward the door. Her heart raced before she could move.
The door creaked open.
And there he was.
Axel filled the doorway, tall and commanding even in silence, with an apologetic smile curving his lips.
His presence alone made her heart erupt with a mix of chaos, rage, and relief.
She wanted to scold him, to shout about broken promises, worry, silence, and selfishness.
The words sat heavy on her tongue.
But suddenly...
She couldn’t help but notice sothing unusual burst in along with Axel. But this one is invisible.
It was an unusual scent, but she rembered that kind of scent from when she had given birth. When her son was hurt, she sensed that it ca from Axel.
It was the sharp tallic scent of blood as her eyes confird it.
Whose Blood? His?
Her heart clenched.
There was a reddish stain on his sleeve.
Reviews
All reviews (0)