They had arrived.
This is her second visit to the house, and Evelyn felt the tension just as strongly as before.
The kind of tension that made her want to turn around, sprint down the driveway, and pretend she had never been here at all.
Axel squeezed her hand gently, a silent reminder that she was not walking into this alone.
"Don’t be nervous..."
"I’m not," she lies, her heart tight in her chest.
Liam stepped out and opened the door.
Evelyn drew in a slow breath and tried to hold herself gracefully.
Still, her heart was pounding, as if it had its own thoughts and refused to cooperate.
A small crowd waited by the entrance.
So familiar faces from the funeral. So new. All of them were polite on the surface, yet their eyes scanned her with curiosity, sympathy, or quiet judgnt.
She could not tell which one was worse.
Axel stepped closer, his presence steady and warm. "We will not stay long," he murmured. "You are with ."
It helped. Not enough to calm the chaos inside her, but enough to keep her feet moving.
"Thank you, hubby," she whispered back, hoping humor would loosen the knot in her chest.
Axel’s lips curled. "You should start calling that from now on until the rest of our lives. It feels exceptional."
She gave him a narrow look. "You just want to stop calling you Axel because everyone else does?"
He leaned in slightly. "Exactly. Should I wear a na tag that says ’Only My Wife May Call Hubby...?’"
Despite her nerves, she let out a soft laugh.
"I will try. No promises. And I might slip and call you Commander Knight out of panic."
"Then I will definitely kiss you in front of everyone," he replied with a perfectly straight face.
Her eyes widened. "Do not threaten , Mr. Knight."
"Then behave," he said lightly, lifting her hand and brushing his thumb across her knuckles.
They walked toward the entrance together, she quietly practiced her breathing, getting ready to face whatever subtle judgnt or heavy silences awaited her inside, especially from Alexander Knight.
Evelyn notices the entire Axel family gathered inside the living room, except for Henry Knight and his family.
She learned from Axel that they had returned to their own ho.
Now,
All eyes turned to them the mont Axel and Evelyn entered the living room.
It was not subtle, either.
The entire room seed to pause, like soone had pressed a silent pause button.
Every gaze slid down to their intertwined hands, and Evelyn instantly felt as if she had stepped into a spotlight she never asked for. Disbelief. Shock. Confusion. A few expressions she could not even categorize.
Wonderful. Exactly what she needed.
She tried her best to avoid eting their eyes, focusing instead on the two familiar faces that grounded her: Axel’s grandparents. Andrew and Eleanor smiled at her warmly, silently encouraging her to breathe.
Then Axel suddenly halted, scanning the room as though searching for the right place to sit.
Before he could choose, Andrew raised his hand.
"Axel, Eve," he called out, waving them over. "Co and sit here with us." He gestured to the empty seats beside Eleanor.
"Yes, co here, Eve," Eleanor added, her tone warm and familiar.
Her casual fondness surprised nearly everyone in the room.
Alexander Knight’s brows rose sharply, and a few relatives exchanged looks, whispering behind their hands.
Still holding Evelyn’s hand, Axel guided her forward.
They took their seats beside Andrew and Eleanor.
Evelyn tried not to shrink under the curious, probing stares. She reminded herself that she had survived the funeral; she could survive this, too.
Once everyone settled, Andrew cleared his throat.
The room suddenly beca silent.
"I asked all of you to gather here," Andrew began, his deep voice carrying authority, "because there is sothing I must announce regarding Axel and Evelyn."
Evelyn felt her breath catch. Axel squeezed her hand gently.
"They are married," Andrew continued with a warm smile. "Legally married. Eleanor and I have known about their relationship for quite so ti. Amanda is aware as well."
A ripple went through the room like a silent shockwave. The tension thickened noticeably.
Alexander looked as if soone had just handed him a bowl of vinegar to drink.
Amanda, however, smiled at her son and daughter-in-law, her eyes soft and welcoming.
Erick Knight, Andrew’s youngest son, sat frozen for a mont before he slowly blinked in surprise.
His wife was no better, and their two daughters looked as though they had just discovered a major family plot twist.
They had all read the dia headlines about Axel Knight’s wife being Evelyn Walters, but seeing her sitting here now and their grandfather announcing it made it real.
Andrew took a breath, scanning the room with steady eyes.
Then, he continued his words, "So, from today onward, I hope all of you will stop speaking negatively about Evelyn. She is part of our family now." His calm tone carried a weight that left no room for argunt.
He turned to Alexander, fixing him with a firm stare. "And you, Alex. Stop your hatred toward Evelyn. She’s Nothing Like His Father! The past between you and William Walter has nothing to do with her or Axel."
Alexander inhaled sharply. "But Father—"
Andrew raised his hand, stopping him before he could speak further.
"Enough! Stop your stubbornness," he said, voice sharpened with a sharp warning. "Look at Amanda. She is the one who had every reason to react as you do, yet she does not. She loves Evelyn. That is what matters."
The silence that followed was thick, nearly suffocating. Alexander clenched his jaw but said nothing more.
Erick finally stepped in, clearing his throat. To break the heavy tension in the room, "Father, you do not have to worry about my family and ." He shifted his gaze to Axel and Evelyn, offering a warm smile. "Congratulations, Axel. And Evelyn... welco to the family."
"Yes, welco, Evelyn," Erick’s wife added sincerely.
"Welco, Sister Evelyn...." his daughters chid in cheerfully, waving at her.
Their sincerity softened Evelyn’s anxiety, warming her chest. She returned their smiles. "Thank you... truly."
But her relief vanished when her gaze accidentally drifted to Alexander.
Reviews
All reviews (0)