CHAPTER 16: DON’T INSULT ME!

Axel halted.

His hand rested on the door handle, his back straight, but he didn’t turn yet.

The silence was so intense it felt almost suffocating.

She could feel the weight of his expectation pressing against her chest like a physical force.

Axel was waiting. This man was probably thinking she was about to argue again, ready to throw herself into another round of back-and-forth sparring with him.

Honestly? She thought so, too. Except this time, she surprised him. Hell, she surprised herself.

"I need to borrow your phone," she said softly.

That got him to turn. Slowly. Too slow. His brows arched, faintly suspicious, faintly curious, like she’d just asked him for the nuclear codes.

"Why?"

His voice was smooth, cold, that low rumble she hated for being so annoyingly magnetic.

She forced a small breath out, fumbling for words.

"I need to call Aunt Martha. She’s... she’s been helping me. She’ll panic if I don’t tell her about Oliver’s condition."

Silence again.

With his gaze, his silence wasn’t just quiet; it felt sharp and frightening, like a knife pointed at her heart. He could slice her open with nothing more than a look, and right now, he was dissecting her with his.

Now, she understands why people fear Axel Knight.

She tried once more, desperation creeping in. "Ugh, Axel, I’m not trying to get your phone number. I left mine at the café. I didn’t bring anything, not even my wallet. Just me and Oliver. Aunt Martha will be worried sick if I don’t call."

For a flicker of a second, something shifted in his eyes. Reluctance. Cold calculation. As if handing her his phone was a classified transaction that required risk assessments and legal counsel.

’Geez, does he really think I’d save his number? I won’t! I won’t keep your number, Axel Knight!’

Her sarcasm was screaming inside her head, but her face remained perfectly neutral outside.

And then, traitorously, her stomach twisted. Not from nerves, but from a thought so dangerous she wanted to slap it out of herself:

’What if we end up married? Just for Oliver’s sake? Nope. No. Delete. Abort mission. That thought was not allowed. Not even in your thoughts, Eve!’

"Axel, forget it," she muttered, clenching her hands tight as she turned toward the small bedroom for the patient’s family to rest, in the corner.

"I’ll find a way to contact her." She added.

Evelyn understood his reluctance. He was the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the country.

And, he is the nation’s golden bachelor. Of course, giving his phone to someone probably felt like handing out a loaded weapon.

’Don’t put too much hope in him, Evelyn. Even though he just ordered you to move to the capital... It was because Oliver is his son!’

Evelyn tried to steady herself with that reminder, taking one step... two steps... toward the bedroom.

"Wait." His voice sounds sharp and commanding.

She froze and turned.

He was watching her again, his gaze steady, unreadable.

Then, finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Sleek, black, expensive, the kind of phone that probably had more security layers than the Pentagon.

He held it out to her, but not before locking eyes with her again. That silent warning in his gaze was impossible to miss. Clear as day, it said: ’Don’t even think about snooping. Just make the damn call.’

Evelyn swallowed and accepted the phone carefully, like it might bite her fingers.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Her hands trembled slightly as she dialed Martha’s number. Her heart pounded against her ribs, with every ring tightening the twist inside her chest.

The line connected, and a shaky, weak voice came through.

"Aunt Martha?" Evelyn’s voice cracked as relief flooded her mind. "It’s me. Don’t panic, Aunt... I’m at the hospital with Oliver. He fainted earlier, but the doctor already took care of him. He’s in surgery now."

She squeezed the phone tighter, hearing the muffled sobs on the other end.

"Yes, I’m fine. No, you don’t need to rush here. I’ll explain later, I promise."

Her throat burned, her eyes prickling, but she forced a smile into her voice, as if Martha could hear it.

"Aunty, trust me, Oliver will be alright. We will return soon. Yes, yes, that’s all that matters. Alright, Aunty, I’ll call again when he wakes up."

She hung up, taking a deep breath and staring at the phone in her hand. It felt weirdly heavy, like it was more than just a device, like it could turn her world upside down.

Axel extended his palm, silent and expectant.

She gave it back. Their fingers brushed, and for the briefest second, she wondered if he could feel how badly hers were trembling.

But Axel just slipped the phone into his pocket, his face unreadable, voice sharp as usual.

"Change." The single word was a command, not a suggestion.

Then he turned, opening the door.

This time, she didn’t stop him.

But her heart wouldn’t stop pounding, not from fear, but from the bone-deep realization that her so-called peaceful life was over.

Because Axel Knight—cold, infuriating, unshakably dominant Axel—had just walked into her life and Oliver.

...

The door clicked shut behind him.

Axel leaned against the wall for a moment, staring at his phone in his hand.

His thumb hovered briefly over the screen before he dialed a number.

It rang once. Twice. A calm voice answered on the third ring.

"Sir."

"Dig into everything," Axel ordered without pause. "Evelyn Taylor. She has been living in Willowcrest town since leaving the Walters’ estate. How she’s lived, who she’s relied on. I want every record, every step. And her son, Oliver Taylor. I need his medical files, where he was born, I need everything."

There was a pause on the other end.

"Yes, sir. And the father’s...?"

"Don’t insult me!" Axel’s voice became sharp. "He’s mine. Confirm the details anyway. Discretion. Immediate results."

"Yes, sir." The line disconnected.

Axel slid the phone back into his pocket, exhaling quietly.

For a man who rarely allowed anything to pierce his composure, Axel could feel this moment felt like balancing on the edge of a blade. Evelyn, who had been missing for years, believed she could hide her son from him, gradually driving him insane.