The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 386: Punishment?

The words landed like a bullet straight in Ethan’s mind. "That..." He let out a short breath. "That wasn’t what I expected."

Before Axel could react, Ethan continued, "Axel, I know I’m injured, but I’ll recover soon. I can still lead the—"

Axel raised his hand.

Just one quick and simple motion.

Ethan stopped instantly.

"This is an order," Axel said, his voice firm, leaving no space for negotiation.

The room’s temperature seemed to drop below freezing.

Still, Ethan met his gaze. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Are you punishing me? Because I was careless?"

Collins shifted uncomfortably. Renata’s jaw tightened.

Axel’s expression didn’t change.

"This is not a punishment," Axel said. "It is prevention." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Prevention of what?" Ethan pressed.

Axel stepped closer to the bed, his presence looming, controlled. "Of losing you."

The words were blunt. Final.

Ethan fell silent.

Axel straightened. "You’re too exposed here. Too predictable. The capital is safer and better guarded. You’ll recover there. You can return until you heal and find who sent those people to harm you."

Collins cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well," he muttered, "on the bright side, capital hospitals have better food."

Ethan shot him a look. "You’re not helping, Collins!"

"I’m trying," Collins replied. "This is my emotional support voice."

Without him knowing, Ethan huffed a laugh. Then his gaze returned to Axel, solemn again.

"I understand," Ethan said finally. "But when I’m healed..."

Axel met his eyes. "Yes. When you heal, we’ll talk about it later."

And just like that, the matter was settled. No arguments. No compromises. Only orders.

When the tension in the room finally loosened enough for Ethan to breathe without feeling like his ribs were cracking, acceptance settled in. He would return to the capital with Axel.

Temporarily exiled, medically supervised, and thoroughly grounded like a reckless teenager with a god complex. Not ideal, but survivable.

Then something tugged at the back of his mind.

Renata.

His gaze shifted to where she stood near the wall, posture straight, hands hanging beside her as if she were on alert. He gestured slightly to her, inviting her to come closer.

"Rena," he called softly. "Come here."

Renata hesitated, then walked closer, stopping beside the bed.

Ethan smiled faintly, then turned his head toward Axel. "Axel," he said, his tone steady despite the dull ache in his chest, "this is Renata. She’ll be the one fully leading X-Guard while I’m gone."

Renata stiffened almost immediately.

Collins, who had been leaning casually against a cabinet, noticed at once. His eyes widened theatrically. "Whoa. Rena, why do you look like you’re about to face a firing squad?"

She shot him a sharp glare.

"No way," Collins continued, clearly enjoying himself to tease her. "Don’t tell me you’re scared of Boss Axel?"

"I’m not," Renata snapped under her breath. She inhaled slowly, then turned to Axel and bowed her head politely. "Sir, I’m Renata. I’ve been serving as X-Guard captain for the last five years."

Axel finally shifted his attention to her.

It was not a warm gaze. It wasn’t cold either. It was heavy like standing under a spotlight that saw everything and judged silently.

"Hello, Renata," Axel said calmly. "Thank you for your hard work handling X-Guard. I hope you will continue to lead the team during Ethan’s absence."

"Yes, sir," Renata replied quickly. "I will continue to lead the team."

She avoided his eyes, feeling the pressure radiating from him like a physical weight. Standing before Axel Knight felt very different from taking orders through reports and calls. This was not a man one could casually disappoint.

Axel nodded once, satisfied.

The conversation shifted briefly as Renata explained how she had found Ethan the night before, bleeding and half-conscious in the woods.

The doctor chimed in with brief medical clarifications, all of them careful and respectful.

When the explanations ended, Axel gestured toward the door.

"Doctor. Renata. Please wait outside. I need to speak with Ethan and Collins privately."

Renata nodded and left without question. The doctor followed and closed the door behind them, sealing the room in sudden silence.

Axel turned back toward Ethan.

Something had changed.

The rigid stillness in his posture relaxed slightly. His eyes, previously distant, now held a glint of something unmistakable.

Joy.

Excitement.

Ethan noticed immediately.

"Boss," Ethan said carefully, attempting a crooked smile, "you can speak my punishment now. No one can hear it."

Axel let out a short breath that almost resembled a laugh.

"I didn’t come here to punish you," he said, shaking his head lightly. He pulled a stool closer and sat down. His gaze locked onto Ethan’s face. "I came to tell you something."

Ethan swallowed.

"I found your family."

Silence slammed into the room.

It felt as if the world itself had frozen.

Ethan stared at Axel, unblinking.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

’He found my family...!?’

Family, that word had long ago lost meaning for him. He had buried it under years of blood, orders, survival, and loyalty forged in fire.

His family was X-Guard. His family was Collins, Renata, and the men who followed him without question. His family was Axel.

So how could Axel sit there and say something like that?

"Wait, Axel, you said... You found my family?" Ethan finally asked, his voice hoarse. "How? I don’t even remember their names. I don’t know which country they’re from. I don’t remember anything about them. You already know, I lost my memory."

Axel didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he smiled.

Deliberately.

Ethan impatiently continued, "My lord, Axel. Can you explain? If you make me wait another minute, I might actually fall into a coma."

Collins, who hears Ethan, can’t help but laugh.

"Wait," Ethan snapped, turning his head despite the pain in his chest. "You’re laughing. You know something."

Collins straightened proudly. "Of course I know. I’m the genius who figured it out about your family. You’re welcome."

"You knew!?" Ethan demanded. "Since when?"

"Since I connected the dots," Collins replied smugly. "Which, by the way, took me three sleepless nights, twelve deep database reviews, and was followed by a near mental breakdown—"

"Ethan," Axel cut in calmly, silencing Collins.