"You should tell about this from the beginning," Axel said coldly. "How sure are you that it was Maxi and not anyone else?"
"Very. He stayed for about thirty minutes before leaving. No one else ca or went during that ti." Collins answered.
Axel leaned back, the answer clicking into place.
Of course, Maxi.
The one person who had been trying to pry into his personal life for months, and he’s the only one who saw him bring Evelyn to their grandparents’ house.
"So we’ve found who’s the leak," Axel said quietly.
"Although I can’t prove it, logic suggests that the only person who t your father this morning would be the one who told him about the marriage. And that’s Maxi."
For a few monts, only the sound of the car engine filled the air.
Then Axel said calmly, "Collins, make Maxi busy today."
"Busy?" Collins repeated.
"I don’t care how. Just make sure the news is about him, not . If the dia wants a headline, give them one. Sothing that will keep them off Evelyn’s na and ."
A low laugh ca through the phone.
"Oh, that’s going to be fun. Don’t worry, Boss. By lunchti, everyone will be talking about Maxi instead of you. Maybe a little story about his gambling debts? Or the influencer he’s been secretly sponsoring? Or nurous actresses who had fallen to his charm?"
"Do whatever you want, and have fun while you’re at it," Axel replied. "Just make sure he regrets waking up this morning."
Collins chuckled. "Understood, sir."
Axel said nothing more as he hung up the phone.
He stared out the tinted window, watching the skyscrapers slide past.
But his mind never leaves his cousin, Maxi. His cousin had crossed the line, and this ti, he ant to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
However,
Not long after, his thoughts were distracted when Liam suddenly spoke.
"Sir... you look like you’re about to ruin soone’s life," Liam said while glancing at him briefly through the mirror.
"Just teaching a relative to mind his own business," Axel replied coolly.
Liam snorted. "Remind never to gossip about you, Boss."
Axel’s lips twitched slightly.
"You already have. You’re just lucky Evelyn and my son like you."
"Then I’ll stay lucky," Liam laughed, feeling better, even though he could no longer guard his lady boss.
The conversation ended as they approached the office building.
Liam slowed the car and parked smoothly near the private entrance.
Axel checked his phone once more, ready to step out, his mind still busy plotting what to do about Maxi.
But before he could reach the car handle, his phone buzzed again.
He glanced at the caller ID, expecting Collins’ follow-up. Instead, the na flashing across the screen froze him.
"Mother."
The faint satisfaction that had been growing in him vanished instantly, replaced by an uneasy weight.
His mother rarely called this early unless sothing was wrong.
Axel exhaled slowly, his expression hardening. He opened the door and stepped out of the car, the cool air brushing against his face.
He approached the special elevator and responded to the call. "Mother," he said, his tone softer now but still steady.
"Axel," ca Amanda Reed’s calm yet slightly strained voice. "I saw the news this morning. You and Evelyn Walters...?"
Of course, she had. The footage from the charity dinner was everywhere. And probably his father had already told her about his relationship with Evelyn.
Axel rubbed the bridge of his nose, bracing himself.
"Mother, don’t believe everything you see on television."
"I’m not calling to scold you," she said softly. "I just want to know if it’s true, she is your wife?"
Axel hesitated, then replied quietly, "Yes. It’s true."
There was silence on the line for a few monts, then Amanda sighed. "You really chose her."
"I did," he said simply.
"Then, my son," her voice dropped, laced with sothing he couldn’t quite na, "be ready. Your father will not let this go easily."
Axel’s eyes grew distant as he watched the city through the glass wall. At the sa ti, the elevator rapidly ascended to the top floor.
"Let him try," he said softly. "He’s already too late."
"Axel, you—"
"Mother, I’m sorry, but I need to attend my morning eting now. I’ll call you later." And with that, he ended the call.
...
Evelyn had barely finished her second cup of coffee when her peaceful morning was shattered. Again.
The internet was on fire.
The sa picture of her and Axel from last night’s charity event had been reposted hundreds of tis across every social dia platform imaginable. X. Instagram. TikTok.
Even gossip sites that usually didn’t care about charity events were suddenly "analyzing" her body language beside Axel Knight, zooming in on every tiny gesture as if they were decoding a cri scene.
She sighed and set her phone face down on the kitchen counter.
’Heaven! They make it sound like we were caught eloping, not sitting at the sa table.’
Oliver, her three-year-old, was too busy with his donut to notice his mother’s irritation.
Evelyn smiled softly at the sight of her little boy, his hair sticking out in all directions just like Axel’s in the morning.
She sat beside him and ruffled his hair. "Do you want more?"
He grinned, nodding, "Yes. Please..."
"Alright, that’s the last one. You can’t eat anymore since we’ll be having lunch in just a few hours," Evelyn said, while adding one more blueberry donut to his plate and pouring more milk into his almost empty glass.
"I know, Mom." His eyes blink as he looks back at her. His mouth keeps busy chewing as he says, "I also need to prepare my morning class, Mom. Jimmy said... ’My teacher will arrive in thirty minutes.’"
"Alright, you still have ti to rest before that." Evelyn kissed his forehead and glanced at Jimmy in the corner. "Be good with your class. Mommy also needs to work upstairs..."
After talking with Jimmy for a while, Evelyn left the dining room.
She climbed the stairs to her ho office on the second floor.
The large windows filled the room with soft daylight.
Her laptop sat neatly on the desk, waiting for her.
But just as she was about to power it on, her phone began to ring.
An unknown number flashed on the screen.
Her smile faded instantly.
She didn’t need to check twice. She knew that number by heart. Her father. William Walter’s phone number.
Her finger hovered over the phone for a mont, but she quickly pressed "ignore."
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