68 He is My Best Friend


    68 He is My Best Friend


    Oliver nods at his father’s warning, then takes the fork and stabs a slice of meat, taking his time <i>to </i>eat it after it cools down. 1


    Everyone waited. Curious. Nervously.


    Evelyn crossed her arms, Liam looked nervous, and Axel stood tall, bracing for judgment.


    Oliver chewed. His little face scrunched. Then, suddenly, he grinned. “Oh, Daddy… It’s yummy. I like it…” 1


    Axel exhaled in relief, as if he had just won a billion–dor tender.


    Evelyn blinked, clearly surprised. She suspected the steak was too salty.


    “Really?” She asked.


    Oliver nodded enthusiastically. “Daddy’s steak is the best! Better than the chefs!”


    Liam’s jaw dropped.


    Evelyn shook her head, muttering, “Unbelievable.”


    Axel smirked triumphantly, leaning back with his arms crossed. “Of course it is. I told you. I can cook.” He nced at Evelyn.


    Liam leaned toward Evelyn, whispering, “Should we tell him Oliver just likes anything his dad makes?” 2


    Evelyn smirked. “Let him have his victory.”


    Oliver reached for another bite, his mouth full as he dered, “Daddy, you’re the best chef ever!”


    Axel’s smile widened, and pride shed through his gaze. He can’t believe how happy he is now that he can impress his three–year–old.


    This feeling was worth more than any business deal. 1


    Then Axel turned his gaze toward Evelyn and asked, “Do you want me to make one for you, too?”


    Evelyn shook her head with a small smile. “No need. You have to rest, Axel. I’ll cook now. Do you want dinner?”


    He nodded immediately without a second thought. “Yes, please.”


    “How about you, Liam? Want dinner with us?” Evelyn asked.


    “No,dy boss. I will excuse myself now.” Liam shook his head, then nced at Axel. “Boss, I’ll return to my ce. Goodnight, young


    master.” He winked at Oliver before walking quickly toward the door. He didn’t want to spoil his boss’s moment with his family.


    Oliver, too busy stuffing his mouth with another bite of steak, could only nod and give a little wave with his fork.


    Evelyn chuckled softly before turning her attention to the kitchen. She worked fast, her hands moving with practiced ease.


    A Caesar sd for herself, a steaming te of aglio olio spaghetti for Axel, and another sirloin steak for him, because she knew men like


    him ate like wolves.


    Within twenty minutes, the food was ted and ready.


    15:12


    714


    68 He is My Best Friend


    Oliver padded back to his bedroom after finishing his first steak, leaving the two adults at the dining table.


    They sat across from each other in the warm light, an odd sense of awkwardness settling between them.


    For a while, only the sound of clinking cutlery filled the air. Axel cut into his steak with precision, finishing it almost too quickly, while


    Evelyn savored each bite of her sd.


    “About Oscar,” Axel suddenly spoke, breaking the quiet. His voice was calm, but there was a faint edge to it. “I might have been rude,


    talking to him without your permission.”


    Evelyn blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to bring up that topic so soon.


    She already knew the whole story from Oscar’s side: Oliver had answered first, and Axel had stepped in afterward. If anything, it was


    Oscar’s fault for being his usual self: loud, dramatic, and utterly shameless.


    She could easily imagine Axel’s irritation. Oscar talked without punctuation, cursed every third word, and had the annoying ability to


    turn every conversation into chaos.


    “It’s fine. I understand what happened earlier,” she replied casually, stabbing her fork into a lettuce.


    She thought that would end the discussion when she saw Axel pushing aside his empty te. But his following words nearly made her


    choke.


    “Why did you put a love emoticon after his name? Is he your ex–boyfriend?” He asked casually. 1


    Evelyn froze. Her fork ttered against the te as she looked at him. She could see his gaze was sharp, filled with something beyond


    anger, somethingplicated that she couldn’t describe in words.


    “No,” she said quickly. “Of course, he’s not my ex. He’s… my best friend.”


    She had no intention of telling Axel the whole story, exining that Oscar was a notorious hacker who had practically saved her life.


    Without Oscar, she wouldn’t have survived thesest few years. He had given her a way to earn money under an alias, helping her rise as


    one of the most sought–after data analysts in the country. Certainly unusual data.


    Her clients included politicians, business magnates, and influential figures. But she had always drawn a hard line: never the Walters


    Group, never Apex Holdings, Axel’spany.


    Her chest loosened slightly when she noticed Axel’s expression soften. The suspicion in his eyes faded, reced with his usual calm


    mask. She feels relieved.


    However, just as she began stacking her te to clean the table, Axel asked again, “What about my name? What did you save it as?”


    Evelyn almost burst outughing, Jealous. He was actually jealous.


    “Axel Knight… Why do you ask? Would you like me to add an emoticon to your name as well? Which one? A heart? A crown? Or maybe a


    grumpy face?<i>” </i>She asked yfully, trying to lighten the mood. 1


    But his expression remained cold, and her yful mood vanished instantly. She let out a heavy sigh, muttering under her breath, ‘Great. I


    killed his mood again.‘


    15:12


    68 He is My Best Friend


    “Axel, go wash up first and rest. You look tired. I’ll clean the kitchen,” she said firmly, trying to distract him.


    “It’s fine. I’ll help you with the dishes,” he replied, already reaching for the dishes.


    She shot him a sharp re that made even a man like Axel Knight pause mid–motion.


    “Can you please just leave it to me?” she insisted, her voice gentler this time.


    When he didn’t move, she softened further. “I appreciate you cooking for Oliver. Really. But let me do this. <i>Go </i>y with him in his room


    before he sleeps. He’ll like that more than seeing you in the kitchen.”


    Axel studied her for a moment, his eyes unreadable. Then he finally nodded, setting the tes back down. Without another word, he left


    the dining area.


    Evelyn exhaled in relief and allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. For all his power and stubbornness, Axel had just obeyed her like a


    scolded schoolboy.


    Shaking her head, she gathered the dishes and turned toward the sink.


    The clinking of tes and the faint scent of garlic from the pasta lingered in the air as she began cleaning up, her heart still quietly


    amused.


    The great Axel Knight, billionaire and feared tycoon, had actually sulked over a heart emoji. And somehow, that thought made her smile


    even wider.


    66


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    Creators‘ Thoughts


    Sara Lili


    <strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.