The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 356: That Bitch!

Before Evelyn could say anything else, Axel spoke first, his tone light, almost like he was flirting.

"So, honey," he asked, lifting a brow, "you asked me to sit here just to thank me?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. Not just that. There’s something else I need to tell you..."

His thumb brushed over her knuckles, warm and grounding. "Then tell me more," he said gently. He tilted his head, trying to catch her eyes. "What matter is heavy enough to make my wife look so distressed?"

Evelyn released a quiet breath. Finding the right words felt harder than enduring physical pain. She could see his calm smile, but behind it flickered a trace of worry.

She tightened her grip on his hand as if afraid the courage might slip away. "Axel," she began softly, "I want you to be careful..."

In the months they had been together, she had never spoken to him with such raw concern. Never once had she looked at him as if he might disappear.

His smile faded slowly.

"I will be," he replied, voice steady. "I always am." Yet suspicion stirred in his mind. "Why does my wife suddenly speak like this?"

Evelyn lowered her gaze to their intertwined hands. For a brief moment, she just watched their fingers locked together. Then she looked up again, eyes clearer, stronger.

"Axel, I want you to answer me honestly," she asked, ignoring his question. "Tell me the truth about my accident."

The question landed between them.

Axel was surprised to hear that, but he quickly composed himself. A faint smile returned to his lips, though it no longer carried humor.

"The truth?" he repeated, slightly taken aback.

"Yes." Her voice remained calm, but firm. "Don’t try to hide anything from me. Please, I only wanted to hear the truth."

Too many thoughts raced through her mind. Oscar’s suspicions. The missing details. The uneasy feeling that had followed her since waking from surgery. What if it had never been an accident at all?

Axel rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand, a quiet gesture that usually comforted her. This time, it only deepened the tension.

"Your car accident," he said at last, "is indeed not as simple as a car accident."

Evelyn’s eyes widened. The room seemed to narrow, the air growing heavier around them.

He paused, watching the shock flicker across her face. Then he continued, voice low and steady.

"Someone orchestrated the accident."

Silence fell.

Evelyn inhaled sharply, but no words came. Her heartbeat thudded against her ribs, loud enough that she was sure Axel could feel it through their joined hands.

She tried to speak, failed, then finally whispered, "Someone... tried to kill me?"

Axel’s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching near his temple. "Yes, someone..." he said carefully. "After the accident, I asked my people to investigate, and we found that someone had hired an assassin to do it."

Evelyn swallowed hard, as if lumps were now stuck in her throat. Her mind immediately drifted to the unborn baby she had lost and to the family and friends who had worried and mourned for her since the incident.

Her eyes were sharp as she looked at him. "And you didn’t tell me?" she asked, her voice slightly shaking with anger.

Axel exhaled softly.

"You were recovering and in pain. I didn’t want to add to your fear. I want to protect your mind and heart, so I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you."

She studied his face. He looked calm, but something colder lay beneath it.

For a moment, Evelyn almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Just a few minutes ago, she had worried about gaining weight from dinner. Now she was learning someone had tried to erase her existence.

"Axel, please... if you were trying to protect me," she said softly, "you succeeded. But I don’t want to be protected in the dark anymore."

Axel’s gaze softened, the sharp edges of his expression melting away.

"I’m sorry..." he said quietly. The guilt in his eyes was so raw it made Evelyn’s anger waver for just a second.

She shook her head, forcing a small smile. "No need to say sorry, Axel," she murmured, trying to ease the weight pressing on his chest. Then her expression sharpened again. "Who is that person?"

The question dropped between them like a stone into still water.

Axel studied her face, as if measuring whether she was truly ready. "Are you seriously wanting to know?" he asked.

"Yes." Her voice was firm. "Whoever he is, I want to avenge my loss. How dare he cause the accident? How dare he take our baby away?"

The fire in her eyes flickered brighter, fierce and unrestrained.

"He killed my child," she continued, her tone trembling with fury. "Then I will take his life."

Instead of hiding everything from her, Axel’s lips curved into a small, almost relieved smile.

He finally relaxed against the sofa, as if a burden had loosened in his chest.

For days, he had feared she would see him as a monster for thinking the same way. For plotting vengeance in silence, to kill someone.

He lifted his hand and smoothed the loose strands of her hair that had fallen over her forehead, tucking them behind her ear with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the darkness of their topic.

"Her," he corrected gently. "Not him."

Evelyn blinked. "Her?" she repeated. "She?"

Axel nodded.

"She is," he confirmed quietly. Then he met her gaze, unwavering. "The one who sent the assassin is Natalie Martinez."

For a moment, Evelyn froze.

It felt as if lightning cracked straight through her spine.

Her breath hitched, her hands tightening around Axel’s.

The name echoed in her mind, ugly and sharp.

’Natalie Martinez. That woman. The one who smiled too sweetly. The one who spoke with honeyed words and eyes that never warmed. The one who had once dared to flirt with Axel...’

Evelyn’s body trembled with anger. She couldn’t stop the curse forming in her mind.

’That bitch! How dare she? How dare she send an assassin and make me lose my child?’