The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover (Evelyn) novel Chapter 156

Axel’s eyes softened as he looked at her, yet beneath that gentleness lurked a shadow—something complex, unreadable, and taut with tension.

He didn’t speak immediately.

Instead, his thumb traced a slow, soothing line along her jaw, as if trying to comfort her before delivering words she might not want to hear.

“I’ll tell you,” he finally said, his voice low and measured, careful not to rush.

Her stomach clenched tightly. “Axel…”

“Eve,” he interrupted softly, his tone steady but heavy with emotion left unspoken. “Last night, I overheard your conversation in your office. I’d be lying to both you and myself if I said it didn’t bother me.”

The room seemed to spin around her.

“That’s why I asked if you had a secret I didn’t know about.”

Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat. Her mind instantly replayed the image of her office door, left slightly ajar, and the call she had made to Oscar.

“Oh God. He actually heard me asking Oscar to investigate his cousin. But wait… how much did he really catch?”

A nervous laugh threatened to escape her lips, but she swallowed it down, forcing herself to remain composed.

Standing before him, she reached for his hands, holding them gently in hers. Despite her racing pulse, she managed a faint, reassuring smile.

That small smile seemed to catch Axel off guard. He lowered himself to crouch until their eyes met evenly.

“Eve…” His voice dropped, a tremor of uncertainty slipping through. “You’re not angry? Not upset that I overheard your conversation?”

A soft chuckle escaped her. She shook her head slowly, radiating calm confidence.

Axel frowned, unconvinced. His grip on her hand tightened, his voice deepening. “Seriously?”

“Why would I be upset?” she teased lightly. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I wasn’t exactly honest with you either.”

Relief flickered across his features, a quiet breath breaking the tension hanging between them.

“Axel,” she said, meeting his gaze without hesitation, “I lied to you, too. I asked my friend to look into your cousin.”

His eyes widened slightly, surprise briefly piercing his usual composure.

Before he could respond, she went on.

“Last night… I could feel your emotions, Axel. You were angry at him, even if you tried to hide it from me. I saw your jaw clench. You looked like you wanted to punch him right then and there.”

He let out a low chuckle, lowering his gaze to their intertwined hands resting on her lap. “So you noticed that…”

“Of course,” she replied softly, smiling. “You think I wouldn’t notice? You’re not as unreadable as many believe, Axel. Maybe to others, but not to me. One look at you, and I knew your mood soured after meeting him.”

He lifted his head, amusement sparkling in his dark eyes.

“I couldn’t just stay still,” she admitted. “I wanted to understand why he bothers you so much. Maybe I could help.”

Though only partly true.

In reality, she hadn’t done it out of kindness—she needed to uncover what kind of enemy her husband was hiding.

Evelyn understood a man like Axel Knight wouldn’t survive in his world without his own network of eyes and hackers. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to wait for him to share everything.

“I doubt you’d have told me the truth,” she countered with a faint smile.

He chuckled in response.

She brushed her fingers through his hair, still damp from his earlier shower, savoring the moment.

“You hide a lot behind that calm face, Axel. Sometimes, I can’t tell where the truth ends and your secrets begin.”

He smiled faintly but remained silent.

His quiet stretched just long enough for her to sense a shift in his energy.

Evelyn’s smile faded as she noticed the change—his eyes darkened, his jaw tensing slightly.

“Axel?” she asked softly, concern threading her voice. “Did I say something wrong?”

He smiled, but the warmth didn’t reach his eyes.

Her chest tightened uneasily. Something was off. Again.

‘Why do his moods swing like a roller coaster?’ she wondered silently. ‘Is he on his period? Wait… but he’s a man.’ She shook her head, dismissing the absurd thought with a small, private smile.

“Axel,” she said again, voice firmer this time, “something’s bothering you. What is it?”

“Eve,” Axel responded quietly, “who’s your friend that’s been investigating Maxime? Did your friend find anything?”

For the briefest moment, Evelyn’s calm facade faltered.