The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover (Evelyn and Axel) novel Chapter 402

Chapter 402: Return

’Did Axel punish him?’ Evelyn wondered anxiously. ’Did he send Ryan here and forbid him from returning to his post because of the accident?’

Her heart clenched at the idea.

She rose from her seat, her movements slow.

"Ryan," she asked gently, "did Axel punish you? Is that why you’re here instead of the Valley?"

Ryan stiffened instantly, his spine straightening as though he had just been addressed by a superior officer. His eyes widened for a brief second before he shook his head.

"Ma’am, Master Axel did not punish me," he replied quickly. Too quickly to cause Evelyn to be suspicious about it.

Evelyn studied his face, her gaze soft but searching.

"Then why do you look like you’re asking for forgiveness?" she asked quietly.

Ryan hesitated. His jaw tightened, and after a moment, he lowered his head. "Because I failed to protect you once."

Her heart clenched. She was surprised to hear his words.

"No," Evelyn exhaled softly, stepping closer to him. Her voice grew firm, unwavering. "You protected me with your life. And I won’t ever forget that."

Ryan lifted his head. His eyes were faintly red, the emotions he had been suppressing finally slipping through the cracks.

In that moment, Evelyn understood. This was not about orders or discipline. It was about loyalty. About guilt. About a man who blamed himself for something that was never his fault.

Her expression softened completely.

"Alright," she said gently. "I understand what you’re trying to say. But, Ryan... you don’t need to worry anymore. I will talk to your boss about this—"

"What does my wife want to talk to me about?" Axel’s voice cut in smoothly from behind them.

Evelyn turned around at once and saw him walking toward her, a warm, familiar smile on his face. Ethan was nowhere in sight.

Her lips curved into a relieved smile. "Are you done?"

"Yes," Axel replied easily. He reached out and took her hand, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles.

Then he continued. "We can go home now. Ethan needs to rest. He wouldn’t let us leave until the doctor gave him painkillers."

Evelyn nodded, concern flickering across her face. "I noticed earlier. He tried to hide it, but he was clearly in pain."

"Well, that guy is stubborn," Axel said with a faint chuckle. "Now he is finally asleep."

They walked out of the living room together, heading toward the main door.

But just before they reached it, Evelyn slowed her steps and tugged gently on Axel’s hand.

"Axel, there’s something I need to tell you." She said softly.

Axel stopped. He glanced around instinctively, but the hallway was empty. Lisa and Ryan were nowhere in sight now. It was just the two of them.

A knowing smile tugged at his lips. "Yes," he said lightly. "This is my property. I’m sorry if I didn’t tell you sooner. Not because I didn’t want to... but because I never found the right time."

His apologetic expression was enough to make Evelyn blink, momentarily speechless.

That... wasn’t what she meant to ask.

Still, she didn’t interrupt him. She allowed him to continue while stifling a smile.

"The Farm is where we grow our own food," Axel continued calmly. "Everything we consume in the Valley comes from here. They even distribute to a few of my restaurants and hotels in this city."

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