Axel’s posture changed in an instant.
The warmth that had surrounded him all evening vanished, replaced by sharp tension that made the air between them feel even chillier.
Evelyn felt it imdiately. The shift in him was like watching the sky darken before a storm.
She turned to him, her brows slowly drawing together. "Axel," she whispered. "Who...?"
He didn’t respond, but his jaw clenched as the black car stopped, its headlights casting a bright white light across the driveway and blinding them.
"Eve, wait for in the car," he said finally, his tone calm but leaving no room for argunt.
Then, he opened the car door for her and guided her inside.
Before closing it, he paused. Even in the dim light, he noticed the worry reflected in her eyes.
"Don’t worry. It won’t take long," he said, his voice sounding gentle.
"I’m not worried. Please take your ti, Axel." She smiles.
He gave a short nod, his face unreadable, and shut the door.
The mont the car door closed, Evelyn exhaled slowly, her eyes fixed on the mysterious car that had stopped not far from theirs.
Sothing about the car made her uneasy. The way Axel’s expression had hardened told her this was not a friendly visit.
At first, she thought it might be Axel’s father. That would have explained his sudden coldness.
But when the driver’s door opened, it was not Alexander Knight who stepped out.
A younger man erged, tall and lean, dressed sharply in a white shirt paired with his sleek suit jacket.
Even in the dim light, Evelyn could see that he was younger than Axel, maybe by a few years. His features were sharp, confident, and strangely familiar.
’That man, maybe his cousin?’ She wonders.
Evelyn frowned, trying to recall where she had seen him before.
However, despite her efforts, her mind stubbornly refused to cooperate. It was like trying to grasp smoke.
Sohow, she feels her nerves buzz.
To distract herself, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through the latest headlines.
Her na still appeared in the news, though no longer on the front page. The dia frenzy had begun to cool, but it still haunted her digital shadow.
She sighed.
The last thing she needed was more attention, especially with Oliver’s birthday coming up.
She suddenly thought of Oscar. He had been in the city for a few days now, keeping a low profile. She hadn’t heard from him since yesterday, and that small silence made her uneasy.
"Is he alright?" she murmured as she typed out a quick ssage.
"Oscar, how are you doing?"
It didn’t take long for her screen to light up with a reply.
"Barely surviving. I’m staying ho, ordering food, trying not to die of boredom. Why are you texting at this hour?" From: Oscar
Evelyn let out a quiet laugh of relief. He was fine... typical Oscar, sarcastic even in text form.
She had already told him to move to Axel’s hotel for safety, but he had refused, insisting he was fine at a friend’s beach house.
"I think it’s ti to remove the news about . I’ve had enough attention for a lifeti."
She sent another text. Then in a minute, he replied.
"Got it, boss! I’ll add so exciting new scandal involving a supermodel to keep things lively. Don’t worry, the internet will move on quickly by morning!" From: Oscar
Evelyn couldn’t help but smile.
"You’re the best, Oscar!"
"I know. I charge extra for emotional support." From: Oscar
"You can stay one night at my house!"
"Deal!" From: Oscar
Just as she read Oscar’s last ssage, the driver’s door opened.
Axel returned, his expression unreadable. He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine without a word.
"Are you done talking with...?" she began softly.
"My cousin," he said. His voice was calm, but short, making it clear he did not want to talk about it.
Evelyn understood imdiately. She stayed quiet, glancing out the window as the mysterious man in the yard remained standing, his eyes fixed on their car as it pulled away.
Sothing about his stare made her uneasy.
The drive started in silence. The night stretched before them, the hum of the engine filling the space where conversation should have been.
Streetlights flickered over Axel’s face, casting shadows that revealed the tension still in his jaw.
Evelyn shifted slightly, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
The silence weighed down on her chest. She could tell his mind was elsewhere, caught up in thoughts he wasn’t ready to reveal.
To create a more cheerful atmosphere, she chose to bring up sothing harmless.
"Axel, you know what?"
"Hmm? What is it?" He glanced at her briefly before turning back to look at the road ahead.
"Grandma Eleanor asked what kind of wedding gift I wanted," she said casually.
That caught his attention. His grip on the wheel relaxed slightly.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What did you tell her?"
Evelyn smiled faintly.
"I told her she didn’t need to bother. I said... her blessing was more than enough, and I feel grateful for that."
Axel let out a small laugh. His eyes returned to the road, but a hint of amusent touched his voice."Hmmm...That sounds very you, Eve."
She tilted her head toward him. "Do you think I was rude? I feel bad for refusing. She seed so excited to give sothing."
He shook his head. "No, you weren’t rude at all. In fact, I am under the impression that she likes you even more for that."
"Huh? Really?" Evelyn asked, raising a skeptical brow.
"Trust ," he said, with a gentle smile. "The more you act like you don’t need anything from my family, the more she’ll want to spoil you. She might have even prepared a penthouse in the middle of the town for you..."
Evelyn laughed softly to hear that.
"Then I’ll make sure not to say that again. She might give an entire building next ti if I did." She responds.
Axel chuckled under his breath.
"Knowing you, I don’t think you would. You’d still tell her no one way or another, even when she insists."
"Maybe," she admitted, smiling.
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