The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 406: You Are No Fun!

At Apec Tower 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Inside Axel’s office on the top floor of Apex Tower, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the sleek furniture.

Axel sat behind his desk, eyes fixed on his laptop screen, fingers moving swiftly as if the numbers and reports obeyed his command alone.

However, not long after...

A sharp knock broke his focus.

"Boss," Dylan’s voice came through the door, cheerfully saying, "Your guest of honor, Mr. Jackson Lincoln, is here."

Axel didn’t look up immediately, but the tension around his eyes eased. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Jackson, Collins, and Dylan standing together. Axel closed his laptop and gestured toward the seating area. "Sit."

Jackson didn’t wait to be told twice. He dropped onto the sofa like he owned the place, stretching his arms out dramatically.

Collins followed with his usual lazy grin, while Dylan sat down a little too stiffly, already sensing danger.

Axel joined them, settling into the single sofa opposite Jackson. He studied him for a moment before speaking. "So," he said calmly, "why are you so desperate to drag me to lunch?"

Jackson scoffed. "Because you’re boring!"

Dylan nearly choked. Collins froze mid-smile.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "I was helplessly bored before I got married."

"Yeah," Jackson replied without missing a beat, "but at least you used to be a fun kind of boring. Now you’re just... tamed, domesticated."

Collins snorted. Dylan looked like he wanted to disappear into the sofa.

Axel leaned back, crossing his arms. "You look irritated. Let me guess," he said lazily. "You fought with your girlfriend. Again."

"What?" Jackson’s voice rose half an octave. "I don’t have a girlfriend!"

"You look like someone who just lost an argument," Axel replied. "Or didn’t win one."

Jackson opened his mouth, then closed it. "That’s not the point."

Collins suddenly grinned. "Jack is solo, just like us," he declared proudly. "Welcome to the single-dog club."

"Us?" Dylan blurted out before he could stop himself.

Three pairs of eyes snapped to him. The air went dangerously quiet.

Dylan’s mind screamed. ’Oh, fuck. What the hell did I just say?’

Collins squinted. "Did you just question me, saying ’US’? What do you mean by that?"

Jackson leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Oh, I know what Dylan means. Are you implying you’re not single anymore, Dylan?"

Dylan stiffened. "I—"

"Wow," Jackson interrupted, scandalized. "You seriously have a girlfriend? Seriously, man?"

"And here I thought your heart was colder than Axel’s," Collins added, eyes lit with curiosity. "Who’s the brave woman who finally melted the glacier in your heart?"

Dylan’s brain raced, desperately searching for a safe lie. Coffee spilled? Wrong number? Imaginary girlfriend in another country?

Before he could speak, Axel calmly ruined everything.

"Congratulations, Dylan," Axel said, his tone infuriatingly composed. "You’re finally dating my sister-in-law."

Silence.

Then—

"Hahaha!" Collins shot to his feet. "I knew it! I knew it! It must be Stella... Only Stella could have attracted you for the past few weeks."

Jackson stared at Dylan like he’d grown a second head. "Stella? The doctor at Axel’s hospital? Evelyn’s sister?"

Dylan closed his eyes. There was no escaping this now. "Yes," he admitted flatly. "Stella, Evelyn’s sister..."

Jackson slapped his knee. "Unbelievable. The quiet one is the first to fall."

"Collins, Jack! Promise me no one knows about it!" Dylan’s sharp gaze fixed on them.

Collins zipped his lips theatrically. Jackson raised his hands in surrender.

Then Dylan turned to Axel. "And you... don’t tell Evelyn."

Axel nodded. "Of course." But the faint smile on his lips betrayed him completely.

Dylan narrowed his eyes. "That smile means you’ll tell her the second you get home."

Axel stood, straightening. "I didn’t say when."

Jackson burst out laughing. Collins followed, and even Dylan couldn’t help but groan.

"Fine," Dylan muttered. "Just... let Stella tell her herself."

Axel’s smile softened. "Fair enough." But in his mind, he was already imagining Evelyn’s reaction.

The teasing only finally died when Dylan looked one breath away from filing a resignation letter and disappearing into witness protection.

Collins leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied grin, arms folded behind his head. "Alright, alright. I think we’ve emotionally traumatized Dylan enough for one afternoon."

Jackson shook his head, "Man, speak for yourself. I haven’t even started on the wedding jokes."

Dylan shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Say one more word, and I will personally revoke your access to the hospital parking lot."

"Hahaha, you are so funny! That’s my hospital..." Jackson can’t help but keep laughing.

Axel, who had been quietly observing the chaos with mild amusement, cleared his throat.

The room fell into an uneasy silence, the way it always did when Axel decided he was done being entertained.

Jackson straightened, seizing the opportunity. "Good. Since we’re done exposing secrets, can we talk about something important?"

Axel arched an eyebrow. "That sounds dangerous."

Jackson ignored the comment. "Are you serious about not joining us on New Year’s Eve?" His voice dipped, "You know this has been our annual thing for years. It’s boring without you."

Collins nodded vigorously. "Boss, it’s true. You’re the one who keeps everyone in line. Without you, Jackson turns into a menace."

"That is slander," Jackson protested. "I am charming."

"You’re loud," Collins corrected.

Dylan remained quiet, his mind very much elsewhere. Stella’s face flashed through his thoughts, followed immediately by panic. He hadn’t even figured out how to explain that their secret relationship was no longer secret.

Collins and Jackson’s voices faded into background noise as he stared at the carpet, mentally drafting apologies he wasn’t brave enough to say out loud.

After a brief pause, Axel finally answered Jackson. "How could I join you," he said calmly, "when I have a wife and a son waiting at home?"

The room stilled.

"This is my first New Year’s celebration with them," Axel continued, his tone sincere and unyielding. "I won’t trade that for anything. So please, understand."

Collins let out a long sigh. "Yeah... I figured you’d say that."

Jackson sighed, disappointed but not surprised. "Marriage really does ruin the men’s club."