Evelyn froze.
Axel's voice lingered in her mind, "Eve, do you have a secret I don't know?"
For a heartbeat, she couldn't move. Her fingers twitched slightly against the blanket, betraying the sudden rush of nerves that crawled up her spine.
She glanced up to meet his gaze, trying to keep her expression calm and unreadable.
"That's… an interesting question to wake up to," she said carefully.
He was watching her, the early sunlight brushing over his face. He looks so calm.
Evelyn drew in a quiet breath, hiding her unease behind a faint smile. "No, Axel. I don't have a secret."
It was a lie. And she hated how easily it left her lips. But she couldn't help it. Years of surviving mode have made her what she is now.
But what choice did she have? If he knew the truth, that she ran a shadow network gathering classified intel for clients who didn't ask how she got it, everything she'd built would collapse.
Not just her safety, but Oliver's too. And of course Oscar.
