Evelyn stared at him for a few seconds.
Then—
Unexpectedly—
She nodded.
"Yes," she said thoughtfully. "That is exactly what I'm thinking too."
Axel paused.
That was not the reaction he expected.
Evelyn's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile as she placed her small hand against his chest. Her touch was warm, familiar, grounding.
Yet her eyes…
Her eyes carried something cunningly, yet dangerously mischievous.
"But," she continued softly, her voice lowering just enough to send warning signals through Axel's nervous system, "why do you keep your admirer's phone number in your pocket?"
She continued, "A piece of paper like this shouldn't be in your pocket... unless..."
Axel froze completely. Because he genuinely did not know.
His mind raced backward, retracing the chaotic encounter outside the Double Six Club. Then, like a lightning strike of delayed realization, the memory surfaced.
Harper. That shameless woman. The hug. Too close. Too sudden. Too deliberate.
