Chapter 113: You Planned This?
The announcement was posted less than an hour after Axel left the house.
Evelyn smiled faintly as she muttered, "You’re planning something, aren’t you, Axel? Why? Why do you hide something from me?"
Sigh!
She tried to distract herself by checking emails, but her gaze kept drifting back to the phone sitting quietly beside her coffee cup.
Ten minutes.
No reply.
Twenty minutes.
Still nothing.
She sighs deeply as she tosses her pen on the desk.
"Oh, come on, Axel... You literally run a billion-dollar company but can’t answer one tiny message from your wife?"
As if on cue, her phone buzzed.
Evelyn’s heart skipped.
She snatched it up, expecting a text, but was surprised when she saw the screen.
Incoming Call: Axel Knight.
Finally, she exhaled and slid her thumb across the screen.
"Axel..." Evelyn began, but his low, velvety voice interrupted her.
"Mrs. Knight," he said softly, the way he always did when he wanted her to melt. "I’m sorry. I just saw your text. I was in my morning meeting."
The warmth in his tone made it hard to stay mad or worry. Still, she tried to sound composed.
"I’m sorry to disturb you, Axel. You should’ve told me you were in a meeting. Alright, you can call later..."
"It’s finished," he replied before she ended the call.
Then, before she could say something, he added, "And about your text...no, that wasn’t a mistake. I planned to announce it today."
Evelyn blinked.
"You... planned this?"
"Hm..."
She frowned at his firm but casual no-word reply.
"Wait. Didn’t you say you’d only announce it when I was ready? Or at least tell me before you do?"
"I did," he admitted, and she could almost hear the faint smile in his voice. "But after what happened last night, I decided it was time."
Her frown softened. "You mean...?"
"You were worried, weren’t you?" He chuckled lightly.
Evelyn hesitated, her voice softening. "A little. You didn’t mention my name, but... I still feel like everyone somehow knows it’s me. Like they’re all whispering behind screens, wondering who the mysterious Mrs. Knight is."
"Let them wonder," Axel said, his voice low and reassuring. "No one will bother you. Not a single reporter, not a rumor. If they try, I’ll handle it."
His confidence carried through the line like a steady heartbeat, quieting the noise inside her head.
Evelyn couldn’t help but smile.
"You really have a way of saying things that make people trust you completely."
"That’s part of my charm," he teased softly.
She laughs. "I can’t argue with that."
He went quiet for a second, and when he spoke again, his tone gentled further.
"You sound worried, Eve. Don’t be. Just relax. Enjoy your day... And I’ll come home early tonight."
Her heart warmed at the sound of that promise.
"You’d better keep it this time," she said playfully, her voice filled with affection.
"I will," he murmured. "I owe my wife a proper dinner."
She laughed lightly, warmth spreading through her chest.
"Alright then, Mr. Knight. I won’t keep you any longer. You have an empire to run, and I have emails to answer."
"Work hard," he said, his tone affectionate, teasing. "And stay out of trouble, Mrs. Knight."
"I make no promises," she replied with a grin.
Their laughter blended along the line, the sound gentle and filled with affection.
When the call ended, Evelyn leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly.
Her lips curled into a gentle smile, like spring blooming after a long, cold winter.
She picked up her coffee cup, taking slow sips while she gazed out the window.
The view of the beautiful mountain outside seemed a little less cold today.
And somehow, she could feel her heart was a little less guarded.
She was falling for him, deeper than she’d planned, faster than she’d admit.
And the worst part? She didn’t mind the feeling at all.
So she let her heart take its course. And now, without any hesitation, she tells herself how she can’t wait to see him tonight.
Evelyn smiled at the thought, ready to finally focus on her work until her phone started ringing again.
She sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Who is it this time?"
Stella.
Of course.
Evelyn picked up the call and braced herself. "Before you start yelling, I had nothing to do with the announcement."
Too late.
"Damn, sister Eve... You’re trending everywhere!" Stella’s voice burst through the speaker, brimming with dramatic energy.
"Do you have any idea how close I came to spitting out my coffee? Brother-in-law suddenly declares he’s married, and you didn’t even tell me?!"
Evelyn winced, holding back a laugh. "Good morning to you, too, Stella."
"Don’t ’good morning’ me, sis... I nearly had a heart attack!"
Stella huffed, though Evelyn could hear the smile in her voice.
"You’ve officially broken the internet, sis. Half the nation is mourning, the other half’s stalking your husband’s LinkedIn. And another still tries to find you..."
"Lovely," Evelyn muttered. "Just what I needed to hear now."
"Anyway," Stella continued, her tone softening. "I’m actually happy for you. He didn’t say your name, but everyone was starting to make guesses about it. The way he defended you? So classy. So... CEO-ish."
Evelyn chuckled. "That’s one way to describe it."
Then Stella’s voice dropped, more serious. "Speaking of classy... guess what happened at home?"
"Oh no," Evelyn sighed. "What now?"
"Dad lost his cool..." A bitter tone sounded from the other end.
Evelyn froze, fearing that William might harm Stella or Alicia, which would lead her to think the worst possible scenario.
"What do you mean by he lost his cool?"
"He slapped me." Stella’s voice was flat, but Evelyn could hear the tremor underneath. "He blames me because I failed to get Lewis Harrison’s signature, and he is just furious..."
Evelyn gripped her phone tightly. "He hit you?"
"Don’t worry, it wasn’t that hard," Stella said quickly, trying to lighten the dire situation. "I think he’s just panicking. And, well... I also told him..." she trailed off, a mischievous tone sneaking in.
"Told him what?" Evelyn asked.
"That I know about Lana," Stella said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "The great William Walters and his golden mistress."
Evelyn’s jaw tightened, but she smiled faintly. "I see."