Evelyn’s eyes immediately lifted to him. He is no longer wearing his suit, and his short sleeves are rolled to his elbows.
The light revealed his slightly messy hair and, more importantly, his eyes. They were red, darker than usual, carrying exhaustion she could not ignore.
Concern replaced her earlier relaxation.
"Axel," she said softly, sitting up straighter as she studied his face. "Did you smoke?" She paused, then added carefully, "And... are you drunk?"
Her voice held worry more than accusation, already sensing that his night had been far from ordinary.
Axel let out a long sigh and lowered himself onto the single sofa on her side. He deliberately kept his distance, knowing too well how much Evelyn disliked the smell of smoke clinging to him.
His shoulders slumped, exhaustion finally catching up as the quiet of the house settled around them.
He looked at her with apologetic eyes. "Sorry," he said softly. "I rushed back to see you and forgot to take a shower first."
Evelyn did not answer right away.
Her gaze lingered as he loosened his tie and began unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time, stopping at the fourth.
A glimpse of his chest showed beneath the fabric, but instead of teasing him as she usually would, she frowned.
She lifted her eyes to his face and studied him carefully. The fatigue was obvious now, etched into his features. "Axel," she said quietly, "are you okay?"
"I’m fine," he replied with a faint smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
She rose from the sofa immediately and stood in front of him, her hand tight beside her.
"Please don’t lie to me. I can tell you’re troubled." Her tone softened, but her eyes sharpened. "Did the meeting not go well?"
Axel chuckled and reached for her hand, tugging her down onto his lap before she could protest. He leaned in and gently rubbed her lips with his thumb, clearly trying to distract her. Instead, her brows knitted together, and her annoyance grew.
"Axel Knight!"
The moment she called his full name, his playful expression vanished. He knew that tone. Teasing was no longer an option.
"Relax," he said calmly, holding her waist as if she might bolt. "Nothing serious happened."
She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Did someone bully you outside?"
He burst out laughing.
"Bully me?" He shook his head, amused. "No one has that kind of courage." He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear, his touch gentle. "You’re worrying too much."
Evelyn sighed and poked his chest lightly. "Then why did you look like a tragic hero when you walked in? You scared me. You looked like you just lost a million-dollar contract."
"That’s because I did," he replied smoothly.
Her eyes widened. "What?"
Axel grinned, enjoying her reaction a little too much. "Just kidding."
She slapped his shoulder without hesitation. "Axel!"
He laughed again, but the sound faded quickly. "Alright," he admitted, his voice lowering. "It wasn’t a pleasant meeting. Someone forced me to tell him the old story that should stay in the past..."
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