Chapter 71: Her Heart Fluttered at His Touch

“Do you regret it? That night when we first met?”

Evelyn’s eyes fluttered open as she rolled over to look at him, stunned.

His face remained calm and unreadable in the dim light.

Still, his eyes held an unwavering gaze, searching hers with intensity.

Her throat instantly felt dry.

Seconds later, her mind flashed back to that night.

The New Year’s Eve party.

The glittering lights, the whiskey, the reckless abandon of her first drink.

And then… him.

One night that changed everything.

One night, that left her pregnant and caused her father to kick her out of the family. And, because that night, she lost everything.

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came.

Seeing her silence, Axel’s lips twitched into a faint smile.

“So you do regret it.”

His tone was light, but there was a shadow beneath it.

Evelyn frowned.

“That’s not what I said.”

“But you hesitated.”

She grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it.

“Axel Knight, can you stop jumping to conclusions?”

Axel laughed, catching the pillow easily and tossing it back beside her.

“Fine. Then tell me. Do you regret it or not? Meeting me that night?” His teasing tone softened the weight of the question, but she could see he wanted an honest answer.

Her chest tightened as she looked at him.

“No,” she whispered finally. Her voice was quiet but firm. “I don’t regret it. Never!”

His eyebrows rose slightly at her response, noticing how genuine she was now.

“Even though your father disowned you? Even though it made your life harder?”

Evelyn exhaled, her lips curving into a small, tired smile.

“Yes. Because if it weren’t for that night… I wouldn’t have Oliver. And he’s worth everything I lost.”

Axel went still, his eyes locked on her.

For a moment, she wondered if she had said too much.

But then, his hand reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

Her heart fluttered at his touch, a gentle ripple through her being. Yet she stayed still, allowing his hand to brush her hair aside softly.

“That’s the first honest answer I’ve heard from you tonight,” he whispered.

Evelyn silently took a deep breath, feeling her cheeks flush as he finally withdrew his hand.

“Go to sleep, Axel.”

He chuckled, lying back against the pillow, now facing the ceiling.

“Fine. But just so you know, if you keep walking around in towels like earlier, I might break my promise sooner than expected.”

“Axel!” she snapped. But before she could scold him further, she flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

He laughed again, the sound rich and unguarded. It startled her how much she liked hearing it.

Evelyn switched off the bedside lamp and gently pulled the blanket up to her neck, trying to hide her blushing face. Yet beneath her embarrassment, her lips curved into a smile.

“Good night, Evelyn,” he said softly.

“Good night, Axel.”

Just when she thought he wouldn’t speak again, his voice drifted through the dark. “Can I call you just Eve?”

“Sure.”

…

The next morning.

Evelyn’s eyes flutter open when she senses that something is wrong.

Her arm was wrapped around something warm and solid. Blinking in the faint light, she froze.

Axel.

She was hugging Axel Knight!

Her entire body stiffened as if she had touched fire.

Hurriedly, she yanked her hand back like she had been burned and sat up in bed. She could feel her face turn red like a ripe tomato.

Axel, who was half-awake, cracked open one eye and caught her panic. A lazy grin spread across his lips.

“Eve, I didn’t know you liked to cuddle,” he teased, his voice sounding sleepy. “If you wanted to sleep on my side, you could’ve just said so. No need to be shy…”

Her mouth opened, ready to scold him, but the words stuck in her throat. Because, embarrassingly, it was her fault. She had rolled in her sleep and ended up in Axel’s arms.

Heat rushed to her face again.

Without a word, she tried to leave the bed, almost tripping over the blanket.

Behind her, Axel chuckled, his voice still husky. “Eve, you’re pretty when you’re embarrassed, you know.”

“Stop teasing me,” Evelyn muttered, refusing to look at him. She darted into the bathroom and closed the door a little too loudly.

Inside, she leaned against the door, pressing her palm to her burning cheek.

“Ugh… Eve, what are you doing?” she whispered to herself. “Sleep while hugging him? He might think you’ve already surrendered to his charm!”

After a few minutes, she washed her face, changed into casual clothes, and forced her tone to sound normal when she approached the bed.

Evelyn saw him continue to sleep like nothing had happened.

When she looked at the time, it was almost seven. She reminded him, “Axel, go clean up. And don’t forget, you’re flying back to the capital today. Make sure no paparazzi or gossip reporters stay in this town.”

Axel was still lying on the bed, hair messy and eyes amused as he watched her.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said smoothly. “I’ll handle it. I won’t let them sniff around here.”

Satisfied, Evelyn ignored his grin and went straight to the kitchen to start breakfast.

A little later, she heard small footsteps behind her.

Oliver had woken up, still in his pajamas, his hair sticking up in every direction. He rubbed his eyes and asked with a yawn, “Mommy, where’s Daddy?”

Evelyn’s heart softened. She leaned down, kissing his forehead. “Daddy’s in the bathroom. He’ll come join us for breakfast soon.”

Oliver’s sleepy face lit up instantly. “Yay!”

“Alright, go clean up and get changed.” I will make a delicious waffle for you.

He nods happily before returning to his bedroom.

It didn’t take long for Evelyn to finish preparing a simple breakfast for the three of them.

The healthy meal was for her and Axel, while the sweet, crunchy one was for Oliver.

Right then, Axel stepped out of the bedroom.

He no longer dressed casually; instead, he wore a crisp white slim-fit shirt with sleeves neatly folded at the cuffs, and his suit jacket draped elegantly over his arm.

The faint scent of his cologne lingered with him. He looked every bit the dashing CEO of a global empire.

For a fleeting second, Evelyn had to remind herself to breathe. And remind herself that this man was actually her husband.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep