112 Breaking News!
The capital city didn’t exactly help Evelyn rx. 1
For one, it was loud, busy, and full of people who seemed to think trafficws were optional.
And to make things worse, on her very first day here, her husband hade home injured.
Not just a paper–cut or a bruise.
No.
She had seen enough to know that the wound was quite deep; luckily, it didn’t puncture any of his vital organs or veins.
What made it even more strange was that the wound was clean, and the puncture area looked like a knife puncture.
So it must be a knife wound-
Someone had stabbed her husband!
And the fact that Axel brushed it off like it was nothing only made her curiosity deepen.
She wasn’t stupid. She knew he didn’t just identally bump into a sharp object.
He’d fought with someone, probably won, too, because he was still walking and breathing.
But she didn’t push him for answers.
Axel wasn’t the kind to open up when pressed, and she wasn’t about to make herself look like a nosy wife, no matter how badly she
wanted to force the truth out of him.
So, she waited.
Waited for him to be honest with her, on his own.
And now, sitting in her home office with a cup of coffee, Evelyn thought the day might finally be calm.
The morning sun painted the desk in a warm glow, herptop was open, her to–do list was long, and she was ready to bury herself in
work.
Until the news hit her screen.
Her eyes caught the headline shing across the trending feed:
[Axel Knight, <i>the </i>CEO of Apex Holding, admits he is married.]
She blinked.
The following line was worse.
[<i>The </i><i>country’s </i><i>most </i><i>sought</i>–after bachelor is <i>already </i><i>married</i>!]
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112 Breaking News!
“What…?”
Evelyn scrolled down with disbelief.
Her mind nked for a full five seconds before she let out a strangledugh.
“No way. No way…”
But there it was, sshed across every mainstream news site,plete with his name, his photo, and his statement.
Evelyn froze.
The part that got her wasn’t the headline. It was the fact that Axel had promised her that he wouldn’t announce their marriage until she
was ready. 2
Yet here it was.
Her hand trembled as she clicked on the article. When she saw the source, her stomach dropped.
<i>Apex </i><i>Holding </i><i>Official </i><i>Website</i>.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Oh. My. God.”
Her hand shot to her mouth, stifling a gasp.
“He actually did it! He announced it… publicly?! Why so sudden? Why didn’t he tell me anything?”
Countless questions tumbled through her mind.
When he left that morning, he hadn’t said a single word about this. Not even a hint. He kissed her goodbye, shed that devastating
smile of his, and said, <i>“</i><i>See </i>you at dinner.”
And now<i>, </i>the whole country knew he was already married. Even though he didn’t give a name, it’s still something that makes her heart
race.
Evelyn rubbed her temple.
“Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable.”
She didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
Maybe it was a mistake–a misunderstanding–a trigger–happy secretary, perhaps?
She grabbed her phone, ready to call him, but just as she unlocked it, the screen lit up with an iing call.
Aunty Martha.
Evelyn hesitated. If she picked up now, she’d be stuck talking about it.
“I’ll call her backter,” she muttered as she looked at the call, which finally ended without her answering.
Barely three seconds passed before the phone lit up again.
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112 Breaking News!
Ste<i>. </i>
“Oh, perfect,” she muttered. “Now the family reunion begins.”
She still didn’t want to answer it.
The phone buzzed again.
Oscar.
She let out a groan, tossing the phone onto her desk.
“You people, please… Give me five minutes of peace. Huh!?”
Realizing she’d get no quiet otherwise, she switched to herptop, opened the messaging app, and started typing.
“Hi, Mr. Knight, <i>did </i><i>you </i>somehow <i>give </i><i>the </i><i>wrong </i><i>instructions </i>to <i>your </i><i>secretary </i>to <i>upload </i><i>that </i><i>announcement</i>?”
She hit ‘<i>Send</i>‘ before she could overthink it.
Then she waited.
Her foot tapped against the floor. Her heart drummed faster than it should’ve.
The truth was… she was happy.
She hated admitting it, but knowing Axel had publicly dered he was married made her chest feel warm. 3
This announcement makes it clear that he no longer wants gossip writers to specte about him having a secret lover, dating a top
model, or being engaged to a movie star.
It marks the first time he has publicly shared details about his private life.
Still, why now? And why didn’t he talk with her first?
She turned her eyes back to theptop screen, rereading the statement he’d posted.
[Official Statement from Apex Holding]
From the Office of Axel Knight, CEO.
<i>To </i><i>our </i>shareholders, partners, and the general public:
I <i>would </i>like to take <i>a </i>moment to address recent spection and rumors regarding my private life.
Yes, I <i>am </i>married.
My wife <i>is </i><i>neither </i><i>a </i>celebrity <i>nor </i>a public <i>figure</i>. She is <i>not </i>involved in <i>my </i>business or professional responsibilities.
<i>Our </i><i>marriage </i><i>is </i><i>a </i><i>personal </i><i>matter</i><i>, </i><i>and </i><i>it </i>will <i>remain </i>that way.
I <i>ask </i><i>the </i><i>media</i>, <i>online </i>tforms, <i>and </i>individuals to <i>respect </i><i>this </i><i>boundary</i>.
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112 Breaking News!
Please do not attempt to pursue<i>, </i>question, or <i>publish </i>information about <i>my </i><i>wife</i>.
Any attempts to photograph<i>, </i>expose, or <i>publish </i>material <i>about </i><i>her </i><i>will </i><i>be </i><i>regarded </i><i>as </i><i>a </i><i>vition </i><i>of </i><i>privacy</i>, <i>and </i>Apex Holding, as well as I,
will not hesitate to pursue legal action.
My professional life and my personal <i>life </i><i>are </i><i>separate</i><i>. </i><i>This </i><i>will </i><i>be </i>respected <i>going </i><i>forward</i>.
Thank you for your understanding.
Axel Knight
CEO, Apex Holding 3
Evelyn reread every word, this time more slowly.
She wasn’t sure whether to smile or panic.
On one hand, the message was protective; he was shielding her from the media, keeping her private life safe.
On the other hand, it sounded almost like a warning to anyone who dared to approach her.
Like he was drawing a line in the sand.
“Did someone try to mess around with him?” she murmured. “Or with me?”
She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, eyes glued to the screen.
The more she read the statement, the less it felt like a random PR move. This was deliberate. Precise. Timed.
And the timing couldn’t be a coincidence.
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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.