"Wait. You do this on purpose, don't you? So I'd be without any other option but to move out faster than planned. Am I right?"
His response? A laughter.
And not just a chuckle, an actual, rich laugh that made the air around him shift. Evelyn froze. Her heart skipped, stuttered, then soared as if it had grown wings.
This was the first time she had ever seen him laugh.
"You're overthinking again, Evelyn." He shook his head, still looking casual. Then, in that unshakable, matter-of-fact tone of his, he continued, "Do you see a few people outside?"
She glanced toward the windows. Sure enough, she saw silhouettes lingering at the edges of the boardwalk, too stiff, too watchful, definitely not tourists.
"They're my people," Axel explained smoothly. "No one will be able to take a picture of us. So, relax. No need to worry."
Evelyn feels a sense of relief.
But of course, he wasn't finished.
