CHAPTER 26: ARE YOU KIDDING RIGHT?

"I read you’re about to get married?"

Axel smirked at her question, his eyes shining with amusement. "Evelyn, now I have discovered your hobby... asking absurd questions."

"What? Absurd? I’m not!" Evelyn blurted out, flustered. "I clearly read it on the internet this morning."

A faint smile curved his lips, the kind that said he already knew. Of course, she’d seen it; she always seemed to catch him in the news.

"Well, Evelyn... It’s true," he said smoothly. "I’m getting married soon."

Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes told a different story; sharp, filled with disbelief.

’Unbelievable. Really unbelievable.’ Evelyn could only vent her frustration internally. ’How could this man ask me to register our marriage when he was marrying someone else? He’s insane. Such a player!’

"You’re a player, Mr. Knight," she shot back, her voice filled with sarcasm. "No wonder you don’t love me, you already have another woman lined up, don’t you?"

The amusement drained from Axel’s face. When he spoke again, his voice was no longer teasing; it was cold and sharp, "Evelyn Taylor," he said steadily, "The woman I plan to marry is you. Nobody else."

Evelyn froze, his words striking her like a sudden bolt of lightning.

Before she could say something, Axel continued, "And, can you stop reading gossip headlines? That news was false." his gaze locked on hers, uncompromising.

Her brows wrinkled, her lips twitching as if to argue. She wanted to tell him she didn’t read trash gossip, that she’d only stumbled across the article by accident this morning.

But, of course, the words caught in her throat. She was shocked to hear that the woman he wanted to marry was her.

Axel didn’t give her the chance to say more. He rose from his seat with calmness, walked to the corner of the room, and returned carrying a travel bag.

"I sent someone to your café earlier," he said casually, "Ms. Martha helped prepare your things. I hope you can find anything you need..."

He set the bag down in front of her and casually sank back into his seat, as if he had just brought groceries rather than hijacked her life.

Evelyn blinked to see the bag. For a moment, she just stared, too caught up in the whirlwind of the past few hours to process something so simple.

Then she unzipped it, and her breath caught. Her clothes. Her toiletries. Her phone. Her wallet, ID. Everything neatly folded, tucked inside with care.

Her heart tightened. When Oliver had been rushed into surgery, she hadn’t thought to bring a single thing with her. Her brain had shut down, running only in panic.

But somehow, Axel had remembered what she couldn’t.

"Thank you, Axel..." Her voice was soft, the words more fragile than she intended.

He gave her nothing more than a nod, watching her quietly.

"I really needed this," she added quickly, almost babbling to fill the silence. "My phone, my ID card. I was going to use them to register Oliver..."

"There’s no need," Axel interrupted her, conveying the certainty of decisions already settled.

"Dylan already handled Oliver’s registration. What I need now is your ID card, so I can arrange to register our marriage."

Her heart tightened. There it was again, that word "Marriage"; he said it so casually, like asking for her signature on a business deal, as if her whole future wasn’t trembling inside that single syllable.

Evelyn’s cheeks flushed as her fingers clenched the card in her hand. It wasn’t that she wanted to refuse. She couldn’t even deny it anymore; she had already accepted it.

Deep down, she knew this was inevitable. Axel Knight wasn’t a man who asked twice. He made a decision, and the world adjusted around him.

But still...

Hearing him say it out loud made her pulse race so hard she swore he could hear it.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, she held out the card. Her hand brushed his as he took it, and the contact sent a spark up her arm.

Axel studied the ID card for a moment before looking back at her.

Evelyn feels her heart hammer in her chest. Give him her ID card... It means there’s no turning back now. Her status and her world are about to undergo a significant change. And it will last forever.

Her gaze dropped, cheeks burning, and she let out a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the weight pressing on her chest.

"You know... most people would ask nicely, maybe propose with flowers and a ring. But you just skip all the steps and go straight to registration," she said to break the awkward silence.

Axel’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Evelyn, are you seriously wanting all of those?" He asked. There’s no surprise. No falter or hesitation in his gaze. As if he’s asking that casually.

Evelyn didn’t give him an answer; she just smiled, clutching the bag on her lap. She wished she could leave that place, return to Oliver’s ward.

"Why waste time on things that don’t matter? Flowers wilt. Rings can be lost. What matters is the paper that binds you to me."

Her heart pounded against her ribs. The way he said ’Bind you to me’ should have terrified her, but instead, it only made her breath catch.

"Now, you make it sound like a real business contract," she chuckled softly. However, her lips twitched at the corners despite her best effort to look unaffected.

Axel tilted his head slightly.

"Here you go again, making me the villain here." He laughed when he saw her face turn somewhat pale.

He casually adds, "No worries, Evelyn, I would never murder you. Besides, there’s no charming villain, right? I’m not one of them..."

"Are you kidding, right?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes, I’m kidding about the villain. But, if you really demand a romantic proposal. I will grant it to you."

His words silenced her for a second. Then, she hurriedly shook her head to refuse.

"No need. I’m just teasing you, Axel. To be honest, I don’t need those, either. And you are damn right... Flowers wilt. Rings can be lost." She smiles.

"Good! But if you change your mind someday, just let me know..."

’There won’t be someday, Axel... There won’t be...’