The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 389: False Hope

The line connected on the first ring.

"My wife, I’m sorry... to make you wait," Axel’s voice came through, low and familiar.

"It’s fine, Axel," she replied calmly, exhaling as she rested her feet on the edge of the sofa. "Are you done with your business?"

"Not yet. I still have a few things to settle here before flying back to the capital. How’s your day, my love?"

"I’m being spoiled by my little son’s piano concert," Evelyn said proudly, a soft smile curving her lips.

"I’m incredibly envious," Axel sighed dramatically.

"Well, you can get a private concert if you bring donuts for him."

Axel laughed. "Deal. I’ll buy his favorite ones. Extra glaze."

Evelyn laughed, but the laughter faded just a little as she remembered something. Her fingers tightened around the phone.

"Oh, right, Axel... I need to ask you something."

His tone softened immediately. "What is it, darling?"

Evelyn glanced back toward the piano room, listening to Oliver’s music for a brief moment before speaking again, her voice gentle but serious. "Aunty Martha called me today. She said you asked someone to take her DNA sample. Axel...did you find something about her son?"

Silence lingered for half a heartbeat on the line before Axel’s voice finally came through the speaker.

"Yes," he said calmly. "I found him."

"Oh my God." Evelyn’s voice rose without her knowing. She pressed a hand to her chest, eyes widening. "You... you really found him?"

"Hm. But we still need to confirm it with a DNA test before telling Aunty Martha," Axel continued evenly. "I don’t want Aunty Martha to be disappointed or heartbroken if the result isn’t what we expect."

Evelyn nodded hurriedly, even though he couldn’t see her. "Yes. Yes, you’re right. It’s better to be careful. She’s waited too long for false hope."

"Well," Axel added with a light chuckle, "that was exactly my plan... I’ll tell you everything once the results are in. But my clever wife was already two steps ahead. You figured it out before I even opened my mouth."

Evelyn laughed softly.

"Mr. Knight, I’ve lived with you long enough to guess what you did. Besides..." Her voice lowered. "I feel bad... Because of my injury, I forgot about my promise to help Aunty Martha. I should have asked you sooner."

"My wife," Axel said gently, his tone warm and reassuring, "don’t say that. Aunty Martha adores you. She’ll understand. And this has nothing to do with blame. We’re doing this properly, together."

"I know," Evelyn replied, smiling faintly. Then her expression turned serious again. "Axel, where is Noah now? Is he okay? I mean, his life after being separated from his family... was it hard?"

There was no immediate answer.

Evelyn heard Axel exhale quietly on the other end of the line, slow and heavy, as if weighing his words.

"Axel?" she asked softly. "Are you still there?"

"Yes, Eve," he replied after a brief pause. "I am. I’ll explain everything when I’m home. Some things... are better said face-to-face. Right now, I need to finish up here before I fly back."

Evelyn didn’t press him. She knew that tone. "Alright. Go handle your work and come back safely. I miss you."

"I love you, Eve."

"I love you too."

The call ended, leaving the room oddly quiet.

Evelyn didn’t return to the piano room right away, even though Oliver’s gentle melody still floated through the house.

She sat there for a moment, phone resting in her hand, her thoughts tangled between hope and fear.

Finally, she opened her messaging app and typed a careful text to Aunty Martha, explaining only that the DNA sample was part of a promising lead Axel had found. She chose her words thoughtfully, leaving out the most essential truth of the whole ordeal.

For now.

After sending the message, Evelyn leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes as Oliver’s music wrapped around her once more.

...

While Evelyn slept quietly on the sofa, her breathing shallow but steady, Oliver finally finished his piano lesson.

The last note lingered sweetly in the air, and he turned on the bench with a proud little smile, ready to look for his biggest audience.

But the room felt... wrong.

His mother was not there.

Oliver blinked, his smile fading. He slid off the bench, his feet barely touching the floor, and looked around quickly. No Mommy.

After politely excusing himself from his teacher, Oliver hurried toward Laura, who immediately stood up and clapped her hands softly.

"Young master," Laura said warmly, eyes sparkling as if she had just met her idol, "when I hear you play the piano, I feel like I’m flying to the moon."

Oliver usually loved that sentence. But today, he barely heard it.

"Aunty Laura," he asked, brows knitted together, his small voice filled with worry, "where’s my mommy? Why didn’t she wait here?"

Laura’s smile hesitated before she answered gently. "Oh... earlier, Madam received a call from the master. She stepped out to take it."

Oliver’s eyes widened. "Oh. My daddy called...?"

Before Laura could explain further, Oliver was already moving. His short legs carried him out of the piano room at surprising speed, as if the floor itself were urging him forward.

"Young master..." Laura called, quickly following him.

Oliver stopped abruptly when he reached the living area.

There, on the sofa, Evelyn lay peacefully, her head resting awkwardly against the armrest. Her face looked pale, lashes resting against her cheeks as she slept.

He tiptoed closer, each step careful and quiet, as if the floor might wake her. "Mommy, why are you sleeping here...?" he whispered.

She didn’t respond.

His small face tightened with concern. Oliver leaned closer, inspecting her like a professional, ingenious little doctor.

"Why is Mommy sleeping here?" he murmured to himself. "Did she forget the bed? Or... is she in so much pain and too weak to reach the bed?"

He frowned harder. "Or... worse! Did she faint?"

That thought terrified him.

"Oh no..." Oliver gasped softly, panic bubbling up. "Mommy looks pale. This is bad. Very bad."

He raised his wrist and stared at it, as if checking an invisible watch. "I need to call Daddy immediately. Daddy will fix Mommy. He can fix anything."