The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover (Evelyn) novel Chapter 153

Evelyn stood frozen in place.

Axel’s voice echoed softly in her mind, “Eve, is there a secret you’re keeping from me?”

For a fleeting moment, she was paralyzed, unable to move. Her fingers twitched subtly beneath the blanket, betraying the sudden wave of anxiety that crept up her spine.

She lifted her eyes to meet his steady gaze, forcing her face into a calm, unreadable mask.

“That’s… quite the question to wake up to,” she replied cautiously.

He watched her intently, the early morning light casting a gentle glow across his features. He looked so composed, so calm.

Evelyn drew in a quiet breath, masking her unease behind a faint, practiced smile. “No, Axel. I don’t have any secrets.”

It was a lie. She despised how easily the words slipped from her lips. But after years of living in survival mode, this had become second nature.

What choice did she have? If he ever uncovered the truth—that she ran a covert network, gathering classified information for clients who never asked questions—everything she had painstakingly built would unravel.

Not only would her own safety be at risk, but Oliver’s as well. And, of course, Oscar’s too.

Still, she forced herself to hold his gaze, just as she always did when she needed to gain the upper hand in a negotiation.

But Axel didn’t look convinced.

She sat up and asked softly, “Why the sudden question?” Folding her hands tightly in her lap to steady the slight tremor. “You sound like you’re interrogating me. Should I be worried?”

Axel settled back against the headboard, a slow half-smile curling his lips. “Should you be?”

Her heart skipped a nervous beat, but she kept her tone steady. “You tell me.”

There was a pause.

Brief.

But heavy enough to shift the atmosphere between them.

Evelyn exhaled, shaking her head as if to dismiss the tension.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been listening to Liam’s ridiculous theories again,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “He probably told you I have a secret twin in another city, or that I’m hiding a secret lover behind your back.”

Axel chuckled softly, though a sharpness lingered in his eyes. “You could probably pull it off.”

“Please,” she muttered, trying to sound dismissive. “If I had a secret life, I wouldn’t be wasting my nights arguing with you over who gets the left side of the bed.”

His smile grew genuine this time, and the tightness in the room eased just a bit.

Evelyn exhaled slowly, relief tucked behind her calm exterior.

“Axel,” she said quietly after a moment, “why are you suddenly suspicious of me? Don’t you trust me?”

His gaze softened, but not enough to soothe her. There was something lingering in his eyes—not distrust, but a curious unease.

“I do trust you,” he replied. “But sometimes, when someone is too perfect at hiding things, you start to wonder what they’re hiding even from themselves.”

A cold shiver ran through her stomach. He wasn’t talking about her hacking directly, but the way he said it made her wonder if he somehow sensed she wasn’t being completely honest.

Then a sharper, more dangerous thought struck her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Axel… did you investigate me?”

He didn’t answer immediately. His silence spoke volumes.

Her pulse quickened. “You did,” she whispered. “You had someone look into my past.”

Evelyn smiled faintly, still propped against the headboard. “Already?”

“I promised Oliver my fluffy pancakes for breakfast.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Ah, bribery through breakfast.”

He grinned. “Works every time.”

As he disappeared into the bathroom, Evelyn leaned back into the pillows, closing her eyes briefly. The sound of running water echoed softly from behind the door.

She allowed herself a slow breath. Her heart was still racing.

Axel’s words echoed again in her mind: “Do you have a secret I don’t know?”

If he ever uncovered the truth, she wasn’t sure what would become of them.

Her phone buzzed quietly on the bedside table, breaking her from her thoughts.

Reaching for it, she welcomed the distraction from her restless mind.

But the moment she saw the name on the screen, her pulse quickened again.

Oscar.

She opened the message.

“Got something, boss. Be careful with this one. The name Maxime Knight popped up in a private database I hacked. Sending you the file.” From: Oscar.

Evelyn’s heart raced as she glanced toward the bathroom door, then shifted her attention back to her phone.

She tapped the file open, bracing herself for what she might find.