secret lover 170 Summary
Axel Knight drives his four-wheel-drive truck up a secluded mountain road to a hidden cabin, seeking a private meeting with Ethan Wright. The atmosphere is tense as Ethan arrives unexpectedly, apologizing for the sudden call and revealing he has urgent news. Inside the cabin, Ethan presents Axel with a brown envelope containing photographs that shock Axel—they show Maxime Knight, Axel’s cousin, shaking hands with ke Martinez, head of the notorious Martinez family, just two days prior.
The revtion deeply unsettles Axel, who immediately destroys the photos in the stove’s mes. Ethan exins that Maxime has been meeting with ke regrly for the past month, though the details of their dealings remain unclear. Ethan has tasked Collins with further investigation, emphasizing the danger this connection poses, not just to Maxime but to Axel and their entirework.
Axel reflects on the precarious bnce between his public persona as a respected businessman and his secret role as the true mastermind behind the powerful underground Wright Group. Unlike the Martinez family, who control the capital city’s underworld with ruthless influence, Axel has kept his operations separate from ris, protecting his family’s sanctuary. Maxime’s reckless involvement with the Martinez family threatens to expose Axel’s hidden empire and jeopardize everything.
Ethan warns that ke Martinez likely intends to use Maxime as a pawn to infiltrate the Knight family and uncover the identity of the man behind the Wright Group. Though ke is not yet aware of Axel’s role, Ethan advises caution and suggests cutting ties with Maxime and ke discreetly to prevent further danger. The chapter ends with Axel contemting the serious threat this alliance represents and the difficult decisions ahead.Continue Regr Chapter Reading Below
170 The Truth Behind Axel Knight
Axel’s four–wheel–drive truck rumbled steadily up the narrow mountain road, its tires crunching against
gravel and pine needles. The higher he went, the thicker the forest became.
Tall pines loomed over the path. Thete afternoon light filtered through the branches, streaking the road in gold and shadow.
He drove without music, without distraction. Only the steady hum of the engine and the low rhythm of his own thoughts filled the silence.
The mountain behind his house had always been his ce of solitude; no signal, no noise, no
interruptions.
Yet today, he wasn’t climbing it for peace.
When he reached the peak, a small wooden cabin appeared between the trees.
Hidden well from prying eyes, it stood quiet and unassuming, smoke curling from its chimney.
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Axel parked his truck beside it and turned off the engine. The silence that followed was thick.
Before he could even step out, the cabin door creaked open. A tall man emerged, his shadow stretching long in the afternoon sun.
“Sorry to call you here so suddenly,” the man said, his tone calm but tight.
Axel’s brow lifted slightly.
“Ethan.”
He closed the truck door behind him and walked toward him with measured steps.
“If I didn’t know you well, I would’ve thought you came for my son’s birthday. So, what brings you here? Something you want me to see?”
Ethan Wright gave a faint smile that didn’t reach his
eyes.
“Yeah, I wish I were here for the party. But you do know me well, and you’re right as always. There’s something I need you to see. Come.”
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His tone carried a dreadful urgency, one that made Axel’s instincts sharpen immediately.
Without asking further, Axel followed him inside.
Despite Ethan’s dreadful tone, the cabin air was filled with the warm, earthy aroma of pine and aged wood, rxing the atmosphere.
The soft crackle of the stove added a gentle,
Axel sat on the sofa while Ethan remained standing near the window, his hand slipping into his coat pocket.
“What is it?” Axel calmly asked, while gazing at Ethan’s pocket.
Ethan didn’t answer right away. He pulled out a brown envelope and ced it on the coffee table in front of him. “You should look for yourself.”
Axel frowned but reached for it.
The moment he opened the envelope, a small stack of photographs slid into his hands. He nced through them slowly, until one image stopped him cold.
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His jaw tensed, and the vein on his temple twitched.
“Ethan,” he said slowly, his tone hardening. “Where did you get these?”
Ethan’s calm voice carried weight. “Nevalis City.”
Axel sifted through the photos.
In one, a man stood beside a jet on a private airstrip- Maxime Knight, his cousin. Standing opposite him was ke Martinez, the head of the notorious Martinez family. The two men were shaking hands, smiling like old friends.
For a brief moment, the world around Axel seemed to still. The faint crackle of the fire was the only sound in
the room.
His grip tightened around the photographs. “Are you telling me these were taken recently?”
Ethan nodded once.
“Precisely two days ago.”
The muscle in Axel’s jaw flexed. He stood abruptly and walked toward the burning stove.
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With a quiet movement, he knelt, opened the steel door, and tossed the photographs into the mes. The paper curled instantly, edges glowing orange before ckening into ash.
He straightened, dusting his hands, then turned back to Ethan. His eyes were unreadable, but the tension around him was apparent.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Only the sound of the fire filled the silence.
Then, Axel’s voice broke through, low and t. “Did you investigate? Since when has that stupid Max been involved with the Martinez family?”
Ethan let out a slow, heavy breath.
“I did. And found out that Max has been regrly meeting ke Martinez sincest month. I didn’t dig deeper into it… I wasn’t sure how involved he was or what kind of deal they were making. I need Collins to dig further. That’s why I came to meet you in person.”
Axel’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. He walked toward the kitchen, poured
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himself a ss of whiskey, and leaned against the
counter.
The mention of Martinez was enough to sour his mood.
The Martinez family ruled the capital’s underworld with a cruel, vile, but polished hand.
Their empire stretched across casinos, adult clubs, and ck–market trades, all hidden under the fa?ade of legitimate entertainment businesses.
The capital city, ris, was their underworld, shady business territory, and their pride.
But there was a line between their world and his.
Most people knew Axel Knight as the head of Apex Group, a clean, respected multinational corporation involved in technology, logistics, and many otherpanies.
To the public, he was a man of power and control, a businessman and, some say, a yboy.
Only recently did they know he was married and a loving husband.
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And that’s it.
The public knows nothing else.
Because the truth is, his reign is much bigger, with only a handful who know about it.
There is a powerful organization named ‘Wright Group‘, a powerful underground conglomerate that ruled the shadows across other cities; legal and illegal casinos, secret shipping lines, private security forces with global reach, and weapons and pharmaceutical distribution.
Ethan Wright was Wright Group’s public face—the man everyone believed was in charge.
But the real mastermind, the discreet and silent owner who had built the empire from the ground up, was Axel himself.
And the Wright Group was far more potent and far–reaching than the Martinez family.
The Wright Group never stepped onto ris because Axel had drawn a line.
This city was his home, his family’s sanctuary.
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His rule was absolute elsewhere, but here, he remained the invisible man, or at least a clean, professional,w–abiding businessman.
That’s why Ethan’s information hit differently.
“Maxime has always been reckless,” Axel muttered, his gaze fixed on the fire. “But getting involved with the Martinez family? That’s suicide.”
Ethan crossed his arms, his tone cautious. “It’s more
than suicide. ke only uses Max to connect him with the Knights. You know how Martinez works…”
Axel slightly nods.
“They’ll exploit him, dig into your family, and
eventually realize who’s pulling the strings behind The Wright Group. That’s why I came here. This isn’t just Max being stupid… It’s dangerous for you, for all of us.” Ethan said.
Axel tilted his head slightly, a dangerous calm settling
over his face.
“Do you think ke is aware of this?”
“Not yet, but he is smart; he’ll figure it out soon,” Ethan
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said. “Axel, even though I’m confident your identity as the man behind Wright Group is safe, we should still anticipate the worst. Cut these two men away if possible. Discreetly, of course.”
Silence hung heavy between them.
Axel’s thoughts moved fast, calcting.
66
Thank you so much <i>for </i><i>the </i><i>Golden </i><i>Ticket </i>& <i>Power </i><i>Stones</i>. <i>Please </i>continue. We <i>need </i>to raise <i>the </i><i>rank </i><i>to </i><i>give </i><i>this </i><i>book </i><i>more </i>
<i>opportunities</i><i>. </i><i>Xoxo </i>Conclusion
The chapter closes on a note of tense revtion and looming danger, as Axel confronts the unsettling truth about his cousin Maxime’s reckless entanglement with the Martinez family. The weight of this betrayal strikes deeply, threatening not only family ties but the delicate bnce Axel has maintained between his public persona and his shadowy empire. Amidst the flickering mes consuming the damning photographs, Axel’s steely resolve and quiet fury underscore the stakes at hand—where loyalty, power, and survival intertwine in a precarious dance.
Yet beneath the surface of strategic calctions and whispered threats, the emotional undercurrent reveals a man burdened by the cost of secrecy and the vulnerability of those he loves. The chapter’s intimate setting—the secluded mountain cabin, the crackling fire—mirrors the fragile calm before a storm, capturing Axel’s istion even as allies stand close. It is a poignant reminder that in a world ruled by shadows and silence, the greatest battles are often fought within the heart.What to Expect in Next Chapter?
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled web of alliances and betrayals that threaten to unravel Axel’s carefully guarded world. As he grapples with the dangerous liaison between Maxime and the Martinez family, the stakes rise not only for his empire but for the fragile peace he has maintained in ris. The tension between loyalty and survival will test Axel’s resolve, forcing him to confront the shadows lurking within his own family.
Emotions are bound to run high as Axel and Ethan navigate the precarious bnce between secrecy and exposure. The subtle undercurrents of trust and suspicion between them may shift, revealing hidden motives and unexpected vulnerabilities. Readers can anticipate a blend of strategic maneuvering and personal turmoil that will push Axel to make choices with far-reaching consequences, all while the ominous presence of the Martinez family looms ever closer.
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.