"It’s fine. I already bought this entire place. I’m the lawful Landlord now."
Evelyn froze.
For a split second, she thought she had misheard him.
Then panic surged through her veins. "You’re kidding, right?" she asked, chasing after him.
He paused just long enough to glance back at her, his expression still the same, icy calm.
"Do I look like I’m kidding?"
Her chest tightened as fury and disbelief mixed into one.
"Axel! This is my life, not one of your business deals. Why the hell are you wasting money to buy this entire place?"
But his gaze softened, and his voice dropped to a low, almost intimate tone. "Exactly. And that’s why I’ll never let anyone touch your life. You are the one who asked me to keep you hidden from those people outside... Did you forget?"
Evelyn stopped just a few steps from him.
Her lashes fluttered, lips parting slightly, as if a dozen words lined up in her head, but then all betrayed her, vanishing before they reached her tongue.
For a beat, neither of them spoke.
They just stared.
Axel’s sharp gaze locked onto hers, unyielding, and Evelyn, stubborn to the bone, refused to look away.
The air grew thick around them, a silent duel sparking in the hallway, right before the elevator.
Then,
"DING!"
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open, breaking the tension in the most awkward way possible.
Still, neither Evelyn nor Axel flinched. They kept staring at each other like a couple in a K-Drama when the episode ended.
Inside the elevator, Dylan stood frozen, briefcase in hand, eyes wide with sheer panic.
’Damn it. Why the hell now of all times?’ Dylan cursed inwardly. His gaze darted between them, calculating his odds of survival. Slim to none.
The only thing louder than his pounding heart was his desperate prayer that the elevator doors would close and swallow him whole before anyone noticed.
No such luck.
Axel finally shifted his eyes to Dylan.
The poor man instantly stiffened like a soldier caught in the wrong trench. "B-Boss..." he stammered, his voice cracking. Then he turned his gaze to Evelyn. He smiled to break the awkwardness, "La-Lady Boss..."
Evelyn’s eyebrows rose. Gradually, almost dramatically, she turned her head toward Dylan, her eyes narrowing.
Dylan gulped. ’Oh no. Oh hell no. I’ve been drafted into this war.’
"Out," Axel commanded smoothly.
"Y-Yes, Boss!" Dylan bolted, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hurried out of the elevator and pressed himself against the wall, silently apologizing to the universe for every mistake that had led him here.
The elevator doors stayed open.
Axel stepped inside. He didn’t look back. He didn’t need to. His entire posture said, "Follow me."
Evelyn stayed rooted to the spot. Her eyes narrowed in pure defiance. "I’m not going anywhere with you, Axel!"
Finally, Axel turned, his gaze calm, "Evelyn, you can either walk into this elevator like a civilized person..." His lips curved into a smirk. "...or I can carry you in. Your choice."
She gasped. "You wouldn’t dare."
He smiles. The kind of smile that makes her heart flutter once more. "Oh, I would." His tone is casual. "Or worse..."
Dylan, still glued to the wall, whispered under his breath, ’Oh, I’ve definitely seen worse...’
Evelyn silently let out a deep sigh as she briefly turned to look at her house door. She actually didn’t want to follow him now, leaving Oliver alone in the apartment.
Sensing her worry, Axel looks at Dylan and says, "Go, accompany my son. He’s alone..." then turns to Evelyn, urging her to step into the elevator.
"Yes, sir," Dylan said and hurried toward the door.
"We won’t be long, Evelyn. And you don’t need to worry about Oliver, Dylan will stay with him," Axel said as she finally entered the elevator.
And just like that, the doors slid shut, swallowing them into round two of their private war.
"Where are we going?" Evelyn asked casually, though the sharp edge in her voice betrayed her reluctance to follow him.
"Can you drive?"
She froze, utterly speechless. Unbelievable! She asked a question, and he answered with another one. And his question sounds so silly, it almost made her laugh.
Turning toward him, she tilted her head back slightly, forced to look up at his towering frame.
"What kind of question is that? Why on earth would you think I can’t drive?"
"Ah, so you can." His lips curved faintly. "Good."
Not wanting to waste her breath arguing with him again, Evelyn exhaled and shifted her gaze toward the elevator doors. Only then did she realize they were heading down to the basement parking lot.
Her brow arched. "We’re going outside? As in... driving?"
Axel didn’t answer.
"Axel, can I at least grab my phone first? I need..."
The sharp "ding" of the elevator stopped her.
The doors slid open, and without a glance back, Axel stepped out.
"Follow me."
Evelyn cursed under her breath but trailed after him. Her steps faltered abruptly when her eyes landed on the gleaming, brand-new SUV parked right in front of them, wrapped with a massive red ribbon.
’My God! Did he just buy me a car?’
An incredulous laugh bubbled in her chest as she moved to stand beside him.
"Axel, I know you’re rich and can buy cars the way other people buy candy, but I can’t accept something this expensive. And the way I live now, I don’t need a car."
His brow furrowed. "I didn’t buy it for you, Evelyn." He paused, his deep voice calm. "It’s for our son, Oliver."
Her entire face flushed hot.
’God, if You truly exist, please... Please... teleport me out of here right now. Anywhere. Just not here.’
She’d embarrassed herself by assuming it was for her. But hold on... If it wasn’t for her, then... why Oliver?
"Axel," she said carefully, trying to keep her voice steady, "you do know Oliver can’t drive, right?"
"I know." His expression didn’t shift an inch. "But you can... Drive for him."
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. This man was going to drive her insane.
’Isn’t that basically the same as giving it to me?’
Evelyn inhales deeply before exhaling, glaring at the shiny SUV as if it were her newest enemy.
She tries to calm her emotions. Because she knew arguing with Axel would only go in circles, and worse—he’d win.