The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover - Chapter 216

Chapter 216: The Call
“You’re overthinking,” Oscar said calmly. “You’re smart, kind, and terrifying when you’re angry…what’s not to like?”

“That’s not helping,” she muttered, but a small laugh escaped her.

“Alright, here’s my advice,” Oscar said. “Don’t panic. Don’t meet her until you talk to Axel. Just send a polite message back. Something like, ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t meet you right now.’ Keep it simple.”

Evelyn nodded slowly.

“You’re right. I should ask Axel first.”

“Exactly. Let him handle it. He’s her son. He probably knows what this is about.”

“Thanks, Oscar. I owe you one.”

Evelyn sighed in relief.

“You owe me sleep,” he grumbled. “And coffee. Lots of coffee.”

“I’ll send you a lifetime supply,” she said with a tired smile.

“I keep that promise,” he teased. “Anyway, I’m glad you called. And hey… don’t worry too much, okay? If Mrs. Knight wanted to scold you, she’d probably schedule it through a lawyer.”

“Not helping!”

He laughed. “Goodnight, Boss. Or… good afternoon, your time.”

“Goodnight, Oscar. And thank you.”

After she ended the call, Evelyn sat quietly for a while, staring at her phone.

Now that she knew it really was Amanda Knight, her heart pounded harder.

She hesitated for a moment before typing a short reply.

“Mrs. Knight, thank you so much for your kind invitation. I truly appreciate it. Unfortunately, I am currently busy and unable to meet at the moment. Would it be possible to talk over the phone instead?”

She read the message a few more times to ensure she sounded polite.

Her finger hovered over the send button.

But before she could press ‘Send’, a soft knock sounded at the office door.

She lifted her head from her cellphone to glance at the door. ‘Who could that be now?’

“Yes, come in.”

Her heart was still racing from earlier; the text, the unanswered questions, the thought of Amanda Knight on the other side of her phone screen.

And a slight possibility crossed her mind that the one who came was her mother-in-law.

But instead of her mother-in-law, it was Ryan, her driver, standing at the door with a calm expression and a large paper bag in his hands.

Evelyn was slightly relieved.

“Ma’am,” Ryan said politely, giving her a slight nod before approaching her. “These are your shoes from home. Laura sent them.”

“Already?”

“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Knight called ahead.”

She couldn’t help but smile, impressed by how fast everything was handled.

“Thank you, Ryan. Please thank Laura, too. She’s always so thoughtful.”

Ryan smiled faintly, looking both proud and nervous. “Yes, ma’am. Will that be all?”

“Wait.” Evelyn tilted her head, curiosity flashing in her eyes. “Ryan, when did you call Axel? Why does he show up at my father’s house just in time?”

Ryan froze. His smile faltered instantly. “Ma’am, actually… I didn’t call him.”

Evelyn’s brows arched. “You didn’t? But why does he appear there?”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“No, ma’am. It was Lisa. She texted Liam the moment you told me to head to the Walters Estate.”

Looking at Evelyn suddenly in a trance, Ryan’s throat worked nervously as he added quickly, “We just thought, you know… Mr. Knight would want to know. I hope you can understand, ma’am.”

Evelyn finally laughed, shaking her head.

“Ryan, relax. I’m not mad.”

His eyes widened slightly. “You’re… not?”

“Of course not,” she said warmly. “You and Lisa did the right thing. Honestly, I should be the one thanking you. I didn’t even think my father would pull something like that…”

Ryan’s shoulders loosened, and relief flashed in his gaze.

“Ah, thank God. I thought I was going to lose my job before lunch.”

Evelyn chuckled softly. “Not today, Ryan. You’re safe.”

“Thank you, Ma’am. Because I just got my car polished this morning, and I’d hate to drive away jobless in a shiny car,” he said with a relieved smile.

Her laughter filled the room, light, genuine, the kind of sound that softened the heavy air around her.

“You’re quite funny. Alright, go on, Ryan. Take a break before Axel finds more work for you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He bowed slightly before leaving, clearly relieved.

Once he was gone, Evelyn sat for a while, still smiling.

She slipped on her sneakers, stretching her legs, and finally stood to make herself a latte.

The rich smell of coffee slowly calmed her nerves until her phone vibrated again on the coffee table.

Her heart sank as she remembered she hadn’t replied yet to her mother-in-law’s text.

Hurriedly, she returned to the seating area.

When she saw the call coming from Amanda Knight’s phone number, her palms began to sweat instantly.

“Oh no…” Evelyn whispered under her breath. “How could I forget?”

She stared at the phone as if it were a bomb. Maybe if she didn’t touch it, it would stop ringing.

But the vibration continued, steady, patient, relentless.

Taking a deep breath, she took the phone. Then walked to the glass wall and finally swiped to answer.

“Hello?”

“Evelyn, dear?” The gentle yet assured voice carried a touch of elegance.

Evelyn froze.

After a few more seconds, she finally managed to say something: “Mrs. Knight?” Her voice is soft, polite, and, unfortunately, still slightly trembling.

A light chuckle came from the other end.

“Oh, please don’t call me that. You are Mrs. Knight, too, remember? Just call me Amanda, and I hope you don’t mind if I call you Evelyn or Eve…”

Evelyn blinked, staring out at the city below, trying to process what she’d just heard.

“Yes, please, just call me Eve,” she silently swallowed before continuing, “so… you know about me?”

“Of course I do,” Amanda said warmly. “Axel told me everything. You have no idea how happy I am to finally talk to you.”

Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat.

“He… told you?”

“Yes. Though not as much as I’d like. But that’s how Axel has been since he was young. He is always a bit secretive when it comes to personal matters. I could imagine he would even be more secretive when it is about you.”

“That sounds like him.” Evelyn couldn’t help but smile, as if she were speaking with Amanda directly.

After chatting with Amanda for a moment, she felt her nervousness fade away, as there was no hint of displeasure in Amanda’s tone. Instead, she felt relaxed and welcomed.