Accidentally Yours, My Super Rich Second Husband-Chapter 62: Unease

The soft hum of the television filled the cozy living room, mingling with the occasional crunch of Goldie’s teeth on his snack. Delphinia sat on the plush couch, her legs tucked beneath her as she stared at the news broadcast. The anchor spoke gravely about a recent car accident on the highway, and her brow furrowed slightly as she absorbed the details.

Next to her, Ashton leaned forward on the rug, his small hands carefully breaking a treat into smaller pieces before offering one to Goldie. The puppy wagged its tail enthusiastically, taking the snack with a happy bark.

Delphinia smiled faintly at the pair, though her eyes quickly returned to the screen. "Careful, Ashton. Don’t let him eat too much at once," she murmured, her tone gentle but firm.

"Yes, Delphinia," Ashton replied obediently, his attention still on Goldie.

The sudden chirp of her phone broke through the room’s calm atmosphere. Delphinia glanced at the coffee table, where her phone vibrated with an incoming call. Picking it up, she saw Evander’s name displayed on the screen.

"Hmm," she muttered, her brow knitting slightly. Why would he called and at this hour? She swiped to answer, raising the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Delphinia," came Evander’s deep voice, though there was an unusual edge to it. "Is everything okay at home?"

Delphinia blinked, sitting up straighter. Her forehead creased in confusion. "Of course, everything’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?"

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by the sound of Evander exhaling, as though relieved. "Good," he said, but his tone quickly shifted again, tinged with tension. "Where’s Ashton?"

"He’s right here," Delphinia replied, glancing at the boy, who was now laughing as Goldie licked his fingers. "With me and Goldie. We’re just hanging out in the living room."

Another sigh from Evander, this one heavier. "Okay. That’s good." He sounded distracted now, as though his mind was elsewhere. "I’ll be home soon."

Before she could ask what was going on, the line went dead. Delphinia lowered the phone slowly, staring at it in bewilderment.

"What was that about?" she murmured to herself.

Ashton looked up from the rug, curious. "Was that Dad?"

"Yeah," Delphinia replied, her expression softening as she turned toward her son.

"Why’d he call?" Ashton asked, his small head tilted in innocent curiosity.

Delphinia hesitated, unsure how to explain. She forced a reassuring smile. "Just to check if we’re okay, I guess."

Ashton gave her a skeptical look but didn’t press further. "Weird," he said simply before returning his attention to Goldie.

Delphinia’s gaze lingered on Ashton for a moment before drifting toward the window. Something about Evander’s tone had unsettled her. It wasn’t like him to sound so...off.

Fifteen minutes later, the sound of the front door opening reverberated through the house, followed by the hurried thud of footsteps.

Evander appeared in the living room, his expression sharp, his chest rising and falling as though he had sprinted from the car.

Delphinia jumped to her feet, her heart skipping a beat. "Evander?" she said, her voice tinged with alarm. "What’s wrong? You look like someone’s chasing you!"

Ashton stood up as well, his eyes wide as he clutched Goldie’s leash. "Dad?"

Evander held up a hand, steadying his breathing before shaking his head. "No, no. No one’s chasing me."

Delphinia crossed her arms, her gaze narrowing slightly. "Then why do you look like you just ran a marathon?"

Evander didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stepped toward Ashton, placing a hand on his son’s shoulder. His tense features softened as he smiled down at the boy. "Hello, buddy."

Ashton’s face lit up. "Yes, Dad?"

Evander crouched slightly, ruffling Ashton’s hair. "How’s my little man?"

"Good!" Ashton said brightly. "Goldie’s been learning tricks. Watch this!" He grabbed a small treat from the table and held it up. "Goldie, sit!"

Goldie immediately plopped down, his tail wagging furiously.

Evander chuckled, though the sound was quieter than usual. "That’s impressive," he said, glancing at Delphinia briefly.

"Dad, wanna see more tricks?" Ashton asked eagerly, holding up another treat.

"Actually," Evander said, straightening up, "I had something else in mind. The weather’s nice today. How about you take Goldie to the park? He can meet other dogs, and you can run around a bit."

Ashton’s face lit up even more. "Really? Can we go now?"

"Of course," Evander said, his smile more genuine this time. "It’ll be good for everyone."

He turned to Delphinia, his gaze steady. "You’ll come with him, right?"

Delphinia tilted her head, studying him. There was something in his expression—something strained beneath the surface. She hesitated before nodding. "Sure."

Evander’s smile widened, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Great. I can count on you, then."

Delphinia crossed her arms, her gaze sharpening. "Wait a second. You sound like you’re not coming."

Evander didn’t respond, his jaw tightening just slightly.

Ashton’s smile faltered, his excitement dimming. "You’re not coming, Daddy?"

Evander sighed, crouching slightly to meet Ashton’s eyes. "I’m sorry, Ash. I can’t today. But you’ll have a great time with Delphinia and Goldie."

Delphinia raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with dry humor. "Funny. This was your idea in the first place."

Evander only smiled at her, a faint, tired quirk of his lips. "Just... make sure he has fun, alright?"

Delphinia nodded, but her mind was racing. Evander’s behavior was unusually off. He was too eager, too insistent, as though he was trying to distract them—or himself—from something.

Ashton looked a little disappointed but nodded bravely. "Okay. You’ll come next time, right?"

"Absolutely," Evander promised, ruffling Ashton’s hair gently. "Now go get Goldie ready."

As Ashton ran off to the other room, Delphinia lingered for a moment, her arms still crossed. She glanced back at Evander, who was now rubbing his face with his hands, his shoulders tense and hunched slightly forward.

She didn’t say anything, just watched him quietly, a flicker of concern in her eyes. What was going on with him? Shaking her head, Delphinia turned away, deciding to let the question linger—for now.