The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover (Evelyn) novel Chapter 218

Chapter 218: You Are Not Mad?

Axel stood just a few steps behind Evelyn, his expression unreadable.

’My mother called her? And told her not to tell me?’ The thought echoed in his head, curious. He remained where he was, silently watching her, listening until she ended the call.

He saw her exhale deeply, her shoulders relaxing as she slipped her hand into her trouser pocket.

Only then did Axel clear his throat.

The soft sound startled her. Evelyn flinched slightly and spun around.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "A-Axel..." she stammered, clearly at a loss for words. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Seeing how guilty she looked, the corner of his lips curved upward.

"So," he began, his tone slow and teasing, "my wife is talking to my mother behind my back now?"

Evelyn blinked rapidly, panic flickering in her eyes. Her fingers fidgeted before clenching tightly in front of her.

"A-Axel... I can explain. Your mother—"

Axel raised one eyebrow, amusement laced with curiosity. He closed the distance between them, his tall frame towering gently over her.

"My mother," he repeated softly, "and what exactly did she say that made you look this nervous?"

Evelyn bit her lip, clearly unsure whether to laugh or cry. "She, uh... invited me to lunch. And told me not to tell you."

For a few seconds, Axel simply stared at her, unreadable.

Then, his gaze softened. He reached up to brush his thumb against her cheek.

"I’m surprised she called you," he murmured. "How did she even get your number?"

Evelyn swallowed.

"You’re not mad?" she asked cautiously. She had expected a colder tone or, at least, one of his infamous icy stares.

Instead, Axel chuckled, the sound deep and rich. He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close until their bodies touched.

"No," he said. "Just surprised." His eyes sparkled with affection. "Though I’m not sure who I should be more worried about... you or her."

Evelyn smiled faintly, relaxing a little. "Maybe both."

He chuckled, then guided her toward the sofa, keeping an arm draped over her waist as they sat.

Then, he tilted his head to look at her more closely, his smile still playful.

"Next time, Eve," he said, "warn me before my mother starts plotting secret lunches with my wife."

Evelyn sighed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I didn’t plan this, I swear. Your grandmother is the one who gave your mother my number."

"Of course she did. Grandma’s been waiting for this moment since the day I told her I was married." He sighs deeply.

"I still feel bad agreeing right away without asking you first. I’m sorry—"

Axel brushed her hand gently.

"Don’t be. But..." he added, his tone turning slightly more serious, "you can’t meet her alone. I won’t let you."

Her eyes widened. "What? Why not?"

"Because," Axel said, his lips curving into a slow smile, "between my mother and you, I’m not sure who will destroy my peace first. I need to be there to defend myself."

Evelyn couldn’t help but laugh.

"You make it sound like we’re going to war."

"Sir," Dylan greeted cautiously, glancing between Axel and Evelyn. "I, uh, brought your lunch."

Axel’s expression didn’t change. He merely nodded slowly, his stare still intimidating.

Dylan swallowed hard. "I’ll... just set it up in the private dining room."

Evelyn leaned slightly toward Axel and whispered, "See? He looks like he’s walking to his execution. Be nice."

Axel’s lips twitched, his glare softening as he replied in a low voice, "Only because you asked."

He turned to Dylan. "Arrange it there. Quickly."

"Yes, sir!" Dylan moved faster than usual, almost tripping over himself. The female staffer followed, setting the silver trays neatly on the dining table inside the adjoining room.

Then Axel offered his hand to Evelyn and led her into the room. They wait in the doorway to let Dylan prepare their lunch.

Evelyn tried not to laugh as she watched Dylan hurry through the setup, glancing nervously at Axel every few seconds.

When they were done, Dylan cleared his throat. "All ready, sir. Ma’am."

"Good," Axel said flatly.

Dylan gestured to the female staff following him before he practically sprinted for the door.

As soon as the door closed, Evelyn covered her mouth, laughing softly.

"You really do enjoy terrifying your employees, don’t you?"

He smirked, slipping a hand around her waist again. "Of course not. But, if they annoy me, of course I will..."

She shook her head, amused. "Come on, Mr. Knight. Lunch first, murder later."

He let out a deep chuckle and led her to the dining table.