The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 311: Baseless Suspicious!

Evelyn’s eyes immediately lifted to him. He is no longer wearing his suit, and his short sleeves are rolled to his elbows.

The light revealed his slightly messy hair and, more importantly, his eyes. They were red, darker than usual, carrying exhaustion she could not ignore.

Concern replaced her earlier relaxation.

"Axel," she said softly, sitting up straighter as she studied his face. "Did you smoke?" She paused, then added carefully, "And... are you drunk?"

Her voice held worry more than accusation, already sensing that his night had been far from ordinary.

Axel let out a long sigh and lowered himself onto the single sofa on her side. He deliberately kept his distance, knowing too well how much Evelyn disliked the smell of smoke clinging to him.

His shoulders slumped, exhaustion finally catching up as the quiet of the house settled around them.

He looked at her with apologetic eyes. "Sorry," he said softly. "I rushed back to see you and forgot to take a shower first."

Evelyn did not answer right away.

Her gaze lingered as he loosened his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time, stopping at the fourth. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

A glimpse of his chest showed beneath the fabric, but instead of teasing him as she usually would, she frowned.

She lifted her eyes to his face and studied him carefully. The fatigue was obvious now, etched into his features. "Axel," she said quietly, "are you okay?"

"I’m fine," he replied with a faint smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

She rose from the sofa immediately and stood in front of him, her hand tight beside her.

"Please don’t lie to me. I can tell you’re troubled." Her tone softened, but her eyes sharpened. "Did the meeting not go well?"

Axel chuckled and reached for her hand, tugging her down onto his lap before she could protest. He leaned in and gently rubbed her lips with his thumb, clearly trying to distract her. Instead, her brows knitted together, and her annoyance grew.

"Axel Knight!"

The moment she called his full name, his playful expression vanished. He knew that tone. Teasing was no longer an option.

"Relax," he said calmly, holding her waist as if she might bolt. "Nothing serious happened."

She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Did someone bully you outside?"

He burst out laughing.

"Bully me?" He shook his head, amused. "No one has that kind of courage." He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear, his touch gentle. "You’re worrying too much."

Evelyn sighed and poked his chest lightly. "Then why did you look like a tragic hero when you walked in? You scared me. You looked like you just lost a million-dollar contract."

"That’s because I did," he replied smoothly.

Her eyes widened. "What?"

Axel grinned, enjoying her reaction a little too much. "Just kidding."

She slapped his shoulder without hesitation. "Axel!"

He laughed again, but the sound faded quickly. "Alright," he admitted, his voice lowering. "It wasn’t a pleasant meeting. Someone forced me to tell him the old story that should stay in the past..."

Evelyn tensed slightly, her face becoming more serious.

"Is it dangerous? Who is that person? Can you tell me? Maybe I can help lighten your worry."

His gaze softened at her words. "That’s why I came home smelling like smoke instead of strategy," he said quietly. "I needed to see you."

Her irritation melted away. She rested her forehead against his. "Next time, come home sooner. Even million-dollar disasters can wait."

Axel smiled and pulled her closer, his voice low and obedient. "Yes, Mrs. Knight. I’ll obey."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, though the corner of her lips lifted without her realizing it.

"Alright. Go wash first," she said lightly. "I’m starting to feel nauseous from that tobacco smell."

Her attempt to tease him only resulted in the opposite of what she expected. Axel stiffened, panic flashing across his face as if she had said something far more serious.

He stood up at once and carefully helped her to her feet, hovering beside her like she might fall if he blinked.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "I’ll wash fast. You go ahead to bed. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done."

Before she could protest or add another word, he was already gone, disappearing behind the door with surprising speed.

Evelyn laughed softly, shaking her head. She turned off the television, grabbed her phone, and made her way back to the bedroom.

She switched on only the bedside lamp before slipping under the soft blanket, waiting for Axel to return.

He did not take long.

The bathroom door opened, and Axel walked in wearing black pajama pants, his upper body bare as usual.

His hair was still damp, strands clinging to his forehead as he rubbed it dry with a white towel.

Water droplets traced down his neck, catching the soft light from the lamp.

Evelyn stared at him unblinkingly, her gaze slow and thoughtful.

Axel noticed immediately.

He lowered the towel slightly and met her eyes as he stood at the foot of the bed. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, amused. "As if you want to pry into my mind."

She sat up and leaned back against the headboard, her eyes still fixed on him, sharp and curious. "Axel," she said calmly, "who did you meet tonight?"

His hand froze mid-motion.

The towel stopped moving, and for a split second, the playful warmth in his expression vanished.

Darkness crept back into his gaze, heavy and familiar. He quickly masked it with a faint smile, but she caught it anyway.

The silence stretched.

After a moment, Evelyn exhaled and softened her expression. "Alright," she said gently. "If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. You don’t have to. But if you do, you can do it whenever you’re ready."

She lay back down, turning onto her side and adjusting the pillow beneath her head. Just as she closed her eyes, ready to let the question go, his voice stopped her.

"Your uncle," Axel said quietly. "Finley Morgan."

Her eyes flew open.