The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover - Chapter 187
Chapter 187: Natalie Martinez
The blonde woman immediately countered. “Twenty-five thousand.”
“Thirty,” Axel said without hesitation.
Evelyn’s fingers tightened around his hand under the table. “Stop it. That’s too much for a painting.”
He didn’t look at her. “It’s okay. The money is for charity.”
“Charity doesn’t mean you have to throw so much money.”
“I don’t mind throwing money, or even burning it, if it means I can make you happily smile.”
She blinked, utterly speechless. “Axel, that’s not…”
The blonde’s voice rang out again. “Forty thousand!”
The crowd gasped, excitement buzzing through the air.
Axel calmly lifted his paddle. “One hundred thousand!”
Jackson blinked.
Joseph gasped.
Evelyn’s eyes widened in surprise, “You’re not serious?”
He finally looked at her, eyes glinting with amusement. “I’m very serious.”
The blonde woman hesitated this time, her lips tightening.
Joseph leaned slightly toward Evelyn and whispered, “That’s Natalie Martinez, CEO of M Clubs.”
‘Natalie Martinez?’ Evelyn silently sighs. That explains the tension in the air. The tabloids loved speculating about her… and even more about the men she pursued. ‘This woman must be one of Axel’s die-hard fans…!’
The auctioneer called out, “One hundred thousand going once… going twice…”
Evelyn held her breath, silently praying Natalie would give up.
And then… silence.
“Sold! To Mr. Axel Knight!”
Applause erupted around them.
Evelyn exhaled slowly, forcing a polite smile, though inside, she wanted to scold him. Wasting so much money on a painting she only admired briefly.
Axel leaned close, “My love, anything else you want?”
She turned to him, whispering sharply, “You just spent one hundred thousand dollars on a painting I didn’t even ask for.”
“I didn’t buy it for the painting,” he said. “I bought it because you liked it.”
Jackson, who sat beside Axel, couldn’t help but join them, “I’m starting to feel single just watching you two.”
Joseph tried not to laugh but failed miserably. “I’ll make sure to hang that painting in the Walters Group lobby, sir. It’ll remind everyone of your… generosity.”
Evelyn shot him a fierce look. “Don’t you dare, Jo! That painting will stay in my home office!”
Axel chuckled, utterly unfazed by the chaos he’d caused.
But, under the table, he squeezed her hand again, his thumb brushing her skin lightly. He feels proud to buy something for her.
…
The charity auction continued.
Filled with laughter, polite applause, and the occasional gasp when the bidding prices soared higher than anyone expected.
Evelyn had learned her lesson after the whole painting incident.
She refused to even glance at the catalog again, worried that if she so much as admired a napkin, Axel would decide to buy the entire table just to make her smile.
So, she sat back, quietly sipping her sparkling water while pretending to be fascinated by the city’s wealthiest people spending their money with reckless joy.
Jackson was next to make a move. He raised his paddle for a finely crafted antique compass from the 1800s.
“Perfect gift for my father,” he said confidently. “He collects these items…”
Evelyn chuckled softly. “Let’s just hope no one decides they want to start a compass collection tonight.”
Thankfully, no one did. Jackson won with ease, giving a smug little nod to Joseph, who applauded like a supportive sibling.
A few minutes later, Joseph himself joined the fun, bidding on a simple but elegant landscape painting. He got it for a reasonable price, and Evelyn teased him for pretending to be a serious art collector.
“Hey, it’s for the office,” he said, grinning. “Adds culture. Makes me look respectable.”
Evelyn laughed, shaking her head. “Sure, Joseph. Let’s pretend that’s why you bought it.”
By the time dessert arrived, the event had begun to wind down.
The chatter softened, the orchestra played a soothing tune, and servers started clearing empty glasses from tables.
Evelyn felt lighter now, her earlier tension easing. Axel’s bold appearance, the whispers, the teasing… all of it seemed to fade into the background as the night went on.
When the applause for the final speech faded, Axel leaned closer to her and murmured, “I’ll go home first.”
She turned to him, surprised, but quickly nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
If they left together, the media would explode with rumors by sunrise. The thought alone made her stomach twist.
Axel brushed his fingers lightly against hers under the table before standing. “See you at home, my love…” he said quietly.
She met his gaze for a brief moment, then watched as he left the ballroom.
As always, his exit drew eyes.
Guests turned, whispering as he strode through the crowd with that calm authority that made him impossible to ignore.
Flashbulbs flickered discreetly near the door, and even the MC stuttered mid-sentence.
Evelyn exhaled once he was gone. “Finally.”
Jackson smirked. “You know, every time that man walks into a room, the air changes.”
Joseph nodded in agreement. “Yeah, and when he leaves, people start breathing again.”
She chuckled. “Let’s hope they forget I was sitting beside him.”
The three of them stayed until the event officially came to a close.
They chatted politely with acquaintances, exchanged business cards, and thanked the organizers.
Evelyn managed to smile and keep her composure, even when she overheard a few curious whispers about her and Axel Knight.
But just as they were about to leave, someone stepped into her path.
“Miss Evelyn Walters, right?”
Evelyn turned and found herself face-to-face with Natalie Martinez. Up close, the woman looked stunning; long blonde hair cascading over one shoulder, her smile perfectly measured, her voice sweet.
However, there was no mistaking the irritation simmering beneath that elegant exterior.
“Yes?” Evelyn replied, confused by the sudden confrontation. She was sure this was the first time they had ever met. The Walters Group had never done business with M Clubs.
Natalie’s polite expression didn’t reach her eyes. “Can we talk? Just for a minute?”
Her tone was pleasant, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. Evelyn could tell exactly where this was going.
Joseph immediately stepped forward, his voice protective. “Eve, let me—”