Their eyes t, and the intensity of Axel’s gaze made Evelyn’s heart skip a beat.
She clasped her hands tightly on her lap, forcing herself to remain steady as she waited for the truth she desperately wanted to know.
Axel exhaled slowly, the sound heavy with reluctance. "Your father," he began at last, his voice stripped of its usual ease, "and my parents used to be best friends."
Evelyn froze, genuine shock rippling across her face.
"...Best friends?" she repeated, struggling to reconcile the image with everything she knew.
Axel nodded once, his gaze distant. "In their youth," he clarified quietly. "They were inseparable. They trusted each other more than anyone else."
The truth alone felt surreal. The idea of William Walter laughing alongside Alexander and Amanda Knight seed almost impossible to imagine, given the bitterness that now defined their relationship.
"But then," Axel continued, his tone darkening further, "sothing happened that destroyed everything between them."
Evelyn’s mind imdiately leapt to the most obvious explanation.
"Was it business?" she asked with quiet certainty, recalling her father’s relentless ambition.
Axel let out a faint, humorless chuckle before shaking his head. "No. It had nothing to do with money or power."
Evelyn frowned, confusion deepening.
Axel’s eyes hardened.
"It was related to my mother."
Evelyn’s eyes widened instantly, surprise and a bit of disbelief. For a split second, her thoughts spiraled wildly through possibilities, each more dramatic than the last.
Then a thought ford, ridiculous yet strangely logical given the information Axel had just told her.
’Oh, my god...’ she whispered internally, struggling to suppress the amusent rising unexpectedly within her.
A slow grin began forming on her lips despite herself, the absurdity of her own imagination refusing to remain contained.
Axel noticed imdiately. "What?" he asked suspiciously, clearly wary of that dangerously curious expression.
Evelyn bit her lip, fighting laughter. "This is going to sound insane," she warned cautiously.
His brow rose, "Try ."
She hesitated only briefly before surrendering to the thought that had already taken shape. "Axel," she began carefully, "...did your father steal my father’s girlfriend?"
The study fell into stunned silence before Axel’s expression cracked completely.
Confusion flashed first, then disbelief, and shortly after, he burst into helpless laughter that echoed through the room.
Evelyn blinked, startled.
"My wife..." Axel muttered between breaths. "Your imagination is honestly wast and vividly terrifying."
Evelyn laughed nervously too, unable to help herself. "Well, you said it involved Amanda!" she defended, clearly pleased by his reaction.
Axel stared into Evelyn’s eyes, his gaze steady yet unreadable. The warmth that had lingered monts ago slowly disappeared, replaced by sothing heavier.
His voice, when it ca, was calm but firm. "That is not what happened."
Evelyn frowned slightly, her brows drawing together. Curiosity flickered across her face, sharper now, more focused. She tilted her head just a little, studying him.
"Then what?" She asked.
Axel’s amusent vanished completely. The faint smile faded from his lips as a shadow crossed his expression. The sudden shift sent a quiet chill through Evelyn’s chest.
For a brief mont, he said nothing. His fingers tightened around hers, almost unconsciously, as though grounding himself before opening a door long kept closed.
"While they were in college," Axel began slowly, "your father t my mother first."
Evelyn blinked, surprised by the unexpected start.
"Then my father appeared," Axel continued, his tone steady yet distant. "The three of them beca close friends. Very close. They spent years together."
He paused briefly, his eyes lowering.
"My mother and your father never dated," Axel added calmly. "They were true friends. Nothing more. My father also beca their friend. Best friends."
Evelyn listened quietly, her attention fully captured.
Axel exhaled slowly before continuing. "But one day, my father began to fall for my mother."
His grip tightened slightly.
"He confessed his feelings," Axel said, his voice quieter now. "And that was when everything started to change."
Evelyn’s eyes softened with understanding.
"Their friendship began to fade," Axel murmured.
"Why?" Evelyn asked gently, though a knowing look already ford in her eyes. The outline of the story felt familiar, almost painfully predictable.
Axel gave a faint, bitter smile.
"Because emotions are ssy," he replied quietly. "Especially when they enter a friendship that once felt simple."
He lifted his gaze again.
"My mother accepted my father," Axel said.
Evelyn nodded slowly.
"And that upset your father."
The silence between them grew thicker.
"Slowly," Axel continued, "their bond weakened. Conversations beca colder. Distance replaced closeness." His expression hardened slightly. "Friends beca strangers."
Evelyn’s confusion deepened rather than eased. The explanation sounded logical, yet sothing about it felt incomplete, as if a story were missing its final Chapter.
"If this were only about love," Evelyn said carefully, "why do they still hate each other?"
Axel’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
She continued, her voice thoughtful. "My father warned not to marry you. Your father refused our relationship. That kind of hatred doesn’t co from a simple heartbreak."
Axel remained silent.
Inside her mind, Evelyn struggled to connect the pieces. The story made sense on the surface, yet it failed to explain the depth of resentnt that had shaped both families.
’Sothing is missing,’ she thought.
"That’s what I know." Axel forced a small smile. "And from there," he said lightly, "their friendship ended. You already know the rest..."
Evelyn did not respond.
"My wife, no need to dwell on the past," Axel added gently. "Everything is fine now."
The words sounded reassuring, yet Evelyn felt no comfort. A subtle unease twisted quietly inside her chest, refusing to settle.
She lowered her gaze briefly.
Axel watched her carefully.
"Your father gleefully accepts our marriage," he continued softly. "And, my father has accepted you. This is excellence, right?"
Evelyn nodded faintly.
"Yes... It’s an excellent ending for us. Happily ever after." Her voice was calm. But her eyes were not.
Axel imdiately noticed.
He leaned in closer, his expression flickering with concern beneath his calm exterior. His fingers gently brushed her cheek, tender yet searching.
"So...then why do I feel that my wife still looks troubled?" he asked quietly.
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