The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover (Evelyn and Axel) novel Chapter 448

Chapter 448: Goodbye, and Forgive Me

"Why did you do that to me, Joseph?"

The question landed between them like a heavy stone.

Joseph’s body visibly stiffened. His shoulders, which had already been tense since he entered the office, seemed to lock even tighter. His eyes flickered with guilt almost immediately. His lips parted slightly as if he wanted to speak, to explain everything at once, but no words came out.

Evelyn didn’t rush him.

She simply leaned back against the sofa and waited.

The cream-colored cushions felt soft behind her back, but nothing about the moment felt comfortable.

Her arms rested on the armrest, one hand loosely folded over the other. However, the faint tightening of her fingers betrayed the storm quietly building inside her.

The silence stretched for several long seconds.

Joseph lowered his head slightly. His fingers tightened together, pressing against each other as if he needed to hold onto something.

When he finally spoke, his voice sounded unsteady. "I’m sorry, Eve... truly sorry..."

His eyes were red, as if the weight of his shame had been sitting on his chest for a very long time.

Evelyn stared at him without blinking. "Sorry for what?" she asked calmly.

Her voice was quiet, almost gentle. But her gaze was icy and intense. She acted like she didn’t understand.

Even though she already knew what Joseph had done years ago, she still wanted to hear the confession directly from him. She wanted him to say it clearly, without hiding behind excuses or silence.

Joseph hesitated.

For a moment, he looked as though he were carefully weighing something in his mind—whether to tell the truth completely or to remain silent.

Though deep inside, he already suspected that Axel had told her everything.

"Eve," Joseph finally spoke again.

This time, he no longer addressed her formally as Mrs. Knight. The familiar name slipped out naturally, as it had countless times before.

"You already know everything from Axel, right?" His eyes searched her face.

Waiting.

But Evelyn didn’t answer. She simply stared back at him with a deadpan expression that revealed nothing.

Joseph swallowed quietly.

"I know what I did to you that time was wrong," he continued slowly. "But, Eve..."

His voice trembled slightly as his eyes lifted again to meet hers.

"You should know that I did that not because I wanted to hurt you... but because I love you."

Evelyn’s hand clenched into a tight fist. The sudden pressure of her nails against her palm hurt slightly, but she welcomed the sensation. It helped her stay silent.

She didn’t interrupt him.

She wanted to hear every word.

"I wanted you to finally see me as a man, Eve," Joseph continued. "Not just as a work colleague. That’s why I planned to do that to you."

His voice became quieter. "I hoped... after that night we would be—"

Joseph stopped mid-sentence. He couldn’t continue.

Because the expression on Evelyn’s face had completely changed. Her eyes burned with fury now.

She still hadn’t spoken a single word, but the anger in her gaze was so sharp it felt like a blade pointed directly at him.

Joseph felt his chest tighten painfully. "Please forgive me, Eve," he said quietly.

That was all he could say.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

"And... I need to give you this."

He took out a white envelope and placed it on the coffee table between them. With a slow motion, he pushed it toward her.

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