Evelyn was sitting on the bed too fast, and the blanket slipped slightly from her shoulder.
"My uncle, Finley?" she repeated, disbelief lacing her voice.
Axel nodded, his jaw tightening as he set the towel aside. "Yes."
Evelyn frowned, all traces of her drowsiness gone. "Why would he want to et you? And why now?"
He walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hands and holding them.
His eyes lingered on their hands before lifting to et her gaze.
"Did you forget I have business with him?" he asked calmly.
The tension Evelyn saw earlier is gone, Axel’s eyes no longer look red, and of course, he now slls good after taking a shower, which is enough to make her calm, and her worry slowly subsides.
"I know," she said softly, looking into his eyes, "But earlier, you seed as if he had just scolded you."
"That’s the problem," he said calmly. "He didn’t talk about business but us."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, a confused look in them. "Huh? Why does he call you only? Why not , too?"
Axel softly held her hand to steady her before speaking again.
"He called after reading the news about you," Axel said quietly. "He wanted to understand if it’s true that we have Oliver before marriage? Why I had been hiding you, and why I only recently made a public announcent about our marriage."
Evelyn gasped softly. The weight behind his tense expression finally made sense. The somber look on his face when he ca ho was not because of business alone. It was family. Her family.
"So... Uncle Finley scolded you?" she asked, her voice cautious.
Axel shrugged, forcing a smile, "He did."
Despite Axel’s attempt to lighten the mood, guilt washed over Evelyn. This was never supposed to happen. Her uncle had no reason to scold Axel. If anyone deserved it, it was her.
"I’m sorry," she said quietly, her fingers tightening around his. "This isn’t your fault. What did you tell him?"
Axel paused for a mont before answering. "Don’t say sorry, Eve. Ugh, well, I told him the truth."
Her brows furrowed, heart pounding. "What truth?"
"You know we can’t hide anything from him, right?"
She nods.
"I told him we ended up sleeping together on New Year’s Eve."
Evelyn froze.
’My goodness, Axel Knight. You told him that night, too?’ She clenched her jaw, desperately trying not to interrupt him. Besides, she can’t bla him... If her uncle wanted to investigate, he would have found the truth.
"I told him that because of the dispute with your family, you didn’t dare tell your father about the pregnancy, and also hid it from ," Axel continued calmly. "And that William Walters eventually disowned you."
Her chest tightened to rember those terrible tis in her life.
"I also told him you didn’t dare co to . Instead, you disappeared from everyone."
Axel inhaled slowly before continuing, his voice steady but heavy. He explained how he had sensed sothing was wrong back then, how he had searched for her relentlessly but failed. Months later, fate brought them together again in Willowcrest. And how everything that followed felt inevitable. Marriage. Oliver. Ho.
Evelyn listened in silence, her eyes growing warm. Hearing everything again from his perspective stirred emotions she did not expect. There was sorrow, yes, but also relief. Gratitude. Love.
She had been alone for so long, fighting battles quietly, convinced she had to endure everything by herself. And yet, here was Axel, who had never stopped searching for her, even when she vanished without a trace.
Her heart softened completely.
He ant everything to her now, not just as a husband, not just as Oliver’s father, but as the man who found her when she was lost and decided to marry her without hesitation.
Before she could speak, Axel pulled her into his arms. His embrace tightened, firm and reassuring, as if he needed to feel his warmth as much as she did.
"Your uncle did scold ," he murmured against her hair. "But he also thanked . He said he was grateful I found you. That we’re a happy little family now."
Evelyn smiled, resting her cheek against his chest. The tension in her heart eased slightly.
"He even praised ," Axel added, his tone shifting. "Especially after he learned how I handled the people who dared to slander you."
He did not finish the sentence.
Evelyn pushed him away lightly, just enough to look at him.
Their eyes t.
"Why?" Axel frowned. "Why are you looking angry again?"
"No, no," she said quickly, "I’m not angry. I’m just... curious."
"Curious about what?" he asked cautiously.
"Well," she hesitated, then continued casually, "the dia situation. The netizens. And Natalie Martinez..."
She stopped herself too late.
Axel’s expression sharpened instantly. His hand landed on her shoulder, firm but not forceful. He stared at her, eyes intense.
"You know it was her?"
Evelyn ntally vents her frustration. ’Smooth, Evelyn. Very smooth.’
She smiled innocently. "So I was right? It was Natalie?"
"Yes," Axel answered slowly. "But how do you know?"
She exhaled, "Geez, Axel. It’s obvious. The news about Oliver and vanished overnight, replaced by Natalie Martinez’s scandal. Every dia outlet switched focus. Netizens too. Their gossip shifted instantly. Anyone with a brain could figure out that you punish her..."
Axel stared at her for a mont before breaking into a smile. He reached out and pinched her nose gently.
"My wife is indeed smart," he said proudly. "That’s why I married you quickly. I was afraid soone else might steal you from ."
She laughed, "You’re ridiculous."
"And honest," he added with a grin.
"Alright," she said, settling back against the pillows. "Let’s sleep."
Axel lay down beside her and pulled her into his arms. Evelyn did not resist. The warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his breathing lulled her into a state of comfort. Her exhaustion finally caught up with her.
Her eyes closed easily and quickly that night.
But just before sleep fully claid her, her thoughts drifted to Saturday. To the Morgan family. To the family gathering that awaited her.
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