Alexander Knight was still staring at her. Coldly. As if her existence alone disturbed the air he breathed.
Evelyn’s fingers tightened unconsciously around Axel’s hand.
Axel immediately noticed, his eyes flicking to her pale knuckles.
He turned back toward his grandfather and Uncle Erick. "Thank you, Uncle..." he said sincerely. "I appreciate your acceptance." His voice held a calm confidence, but the protective edge beneath it was unmistakable.
Then Axel looked straight at his father.
"Father," he began in a calm tone, but his eyes showed his anger, "I am not asking for your approval. But I will not let you hurt my wife’s feelings."
Evelyn’s breath caught.
Alexander frowned, staring at Axel.
"I hope," Axel continued, his gaze never wavering, "...you will not say anything that will harm her again."
The room froze.
Alexander stiffened, his lips pressing into a hard line, clearly displeased but unable to retaliate under the watchful eyes of his own father.
Evelyn felt a rush of conflicting emotions: worry, relief, gratitude, and a warmth spreading through her chest.
Axel’s words echoed in her mind. He is not asking for approval, but refusing to let anyone hurt her.
In that moment, she felt her grip loosen on his hand only because she realized she had begun clinging to him too tightly.
She looked at him, and he turned his head slightly, giving her a reassuring smile. It was small, brief, but enough to calm her racing heart.
Andrew nods, slightly satisfied. "Good. Now that the matter is clear, let us not turn this into more drama."
Eleanor gently patted Evelyn’s knee. "Now, I can officially say welcome to the Knight family, dear..." she whispered softly.
It makes Evelyn feel even more at ease. "Thank you, Grandma..."
Conversation slowly resumed around the living room.
The tension lessened.
Not fully, but enough for Evelyn to feel she was not drowning in it anymore.
Even though her father-in-law, Alexander, still looked at her as if she were an unwelcome shadow.
But she had Axel.
She had Amanda, Andrew, and Eleanor.
She had Erick and his family.
She had people in this house who had accepted her... no questions asked.
Evelyn softly exhaled, a gentle smile on her lips.
The living room’s atmosphere had settled, replacing earlier tension with a warmer feeling.
However, her smile gradually faded as Axel unexpectedly surprised her with an announcement he boldly shared, catching her off guard.
"Evelyn and I have a four-year-old son..." Axel paused when he felt Evelyn’s hand tighten around his.
He turned to her with a reassuring smile and gently squeezed her hand.
Then he continued, looking at his father: "His name is Oliver Taylor Knight." His tone carried no hesitation.
Although his grandparents and mother already knew, Axel wanted Alexander and Erick to hear it from him directly. Oliver deserved to be acknowledged.
"Oh my God, Axel... why did you hide it from us?" Erick protested, sounding more delighted than offended. His eyes were shining with excitement. "Congratulations again, Axel. Evelyn... congratulations."
The almost silent room instantly burst into soft laughter and broad smiles.
Even Eleanor and Andrew clapped with joy, and Amanda smiled with excitement, her eyes glowing.
Only Alexander remained silent. His posture stiffened slightly, yet his expression had changed. The gloom that had shadowed his face earlier had softened. Surprise flickered in his eyes, and there was even a brief spark of something that looked like restrained joy.
He tried not to look at Axel and Evelyn. Instead, he turned toward Amanda as if silently interrogating her. Amanda simply patted his arm, clearly telling him they would discuss it later.
Evelyn noticed everything. The shift in Alexander’s demeanor eased the tightness in her chest.


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