The Mafia Lord's Secret Lover-Chapter 350: The Downfall of a Once-Independent Woman

Oscar leaned back against the sofa, crossing one leg over the other.

He enjoys the espresso Jimmy has just served him. He feels relaxed now.

However, soon after, Oscar’s expression changed from playful to mildly intense, though a hint of worry still lingered on his face.

"So," he said, drawing out the word like he was about to interrogate a criminal on a crime show. "Tell me. How did you end up in that car accident?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "I know you. You’re a skilled driver. It seems impossible for you to just... drive off a cliff."

Evelyn lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug.

She had already tried countless times to piece together the memory of that day. The flashing headlights. The sudden impact. The terrifying spin. But the more she tried to remember, the more her head pulsed with dull discomfort.

It was also impossible to escape the question.

Every visitor, every family member, every concerned friend eventually asked the same thing.

What happened?

How did it happen?

Do you remember anything?

At this point, she was tempted to write the explanation in a notebook and hand it out to everyone in sight like a tour guide pamphlet. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

She chuckled quietly at the thought.

"Eve?"

Oscar waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hello? Earth to Evelyn. Is your brain okay? Why do you look so dazed?"

She blinked and refocused on him.

"I’m fine," she said, smiling. "The MRI results said nothing happened to my brain. No need to worry, bro."

There was a split second of silence before Oscar burst out laughing.

"Damn you, Eve! You can still joke!?" he said, shaking his head, relief obvious in his tone.

Evelyn grinned.

"I need humor. I’ve felt so terrible these last few days. I live with limitations now." She lifted her braced leg slightly, then her supported arm. "Not to mention, everyone at home thinks I’m a lazy princess. They don’t let me do anything. Gosh, I’m bored out of my mind."

Oscar smirked. "Let me guess. Axel doesn’t let you lift a spoon?"

Evelyn can’t help but laugh.

"Well, he practically supervises me breathing," she replied. "If I blink too fast, he looks ready to call a doctor."

Oscar burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the room. The sound was loud enough to draw the nurse and the doctor’s attention. They hurried over to check on him, but Evelyn waved her hand to reassure them.

"Sorry..." Oscar said, feeling guilty. Then he returned his gaze to Evelyn. "My brother-in-law is terrifyingly in love with you."

"Hmm, he is. And Oliver," Evelyn continued, eyes brightening, "keeps telling everyone, ’Mommy is fragile, handle with care.’" She mimicked her son’s tiny, serious voice. "He even tried to put a blanket over me while I was sitting by the fireplace."

Oscar placed a hand over his heart. "My nephew is a gentleman."

"And don’t even get me started on my mother-in-law," Evelyn said. "Yesterday, I tried to pour my own tea. Three people rushed toward me as they were afraid I would faint if I led the teapot."

Oscar wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Tragic. The downfall of a once-independent woman. Congrats, sis... You finally became a real weak woman."

Evelyn sighed, smiling as she responded to his sarcasm, "Exactly. I used to run board-of-directors meetings. Kicking bad people’s ass and now I need permission to stand up."

They both laughed, the sound warm and easy.

"But seriously, Eve. Do you remember anything from that day?"

Her smile faded just slightly. She stared out the window at the trees swaying in the mountain breeze.

"Not much," she admitted. "I remember Ryan driving. Then bright lights. Our car is falling, spinning, the pain..."

She paused briefly before continuing, "Then nothing until I woke up in the hospital. Axel told me I had lost my baby..." She forced a small smile. "I guess I’m just glad I’m still here."

Oscar feels his heart ache as he imagines the horror of their car falling off the cliff.

"I’m really sorry to hear that, Eve," Oscar said.

He wanted to hug her, but seeing how fragile her emotions were, he chose to stay seated and let her compose herself.

Evelyn lifted her hand and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her voice stayed steady.

"I’m fine now..." she said softly.

A wide smile framed her pale face. Her eyes sparkled again, though a faint trace of sadness still lingered behind them, like a shadow refusing to leave altogether.

Oscar studied her for a moment, then smiled back.

"Yeah. You look like the same Eve I knew before," he said, trying to lift her spirits. But deep inside, guilt pricked him. He hated seeing her like this. Injured. Fragile. And pretending she was stronger than she felt.

"Alright," Evelyn said suddenly, clapping her hands once. "Let’s stop talking about sad things before you start crying too."

"Me? Cry? Please. I’m a strong, dignified man."

"You said you almost fainted when you heard about my car accident," she reminded him.

"That was a traumatic experience!"

They laughed, and the gloom dissolved just enough to feel lighter.

"Tell me," Evelyn asked, leaning back against the sofa, "how long will you stay in this country?"

Oscar lifted his chin, as if he were thinking hard, before saying, "I told you I bought a house near this area, right?"

"Hm. I remember. You bragged about the wine cellar for an entire hour."

"And I will do it again if necessary," he said with mock offense. Then he smiled. "I’ll be settled in this city for a while, until my other boss needs me. I’ve already had my people prepare my computer room. Just like the one at Fort."

Evelyn’s expression softened.

"Oscar, I’m happy to hear that. Now I’ll have a friend to joke with during my recovery. Otherwise, I’d go insane listening to Axel threaten medical staff every time my heartbeat changes."

Oscar laughed, but the sound slowly faded. Something crossed his mind, and his eyes shifted, no longer playful but sharp. Cold. Focused.

The change was subtle, but Evelyn noticed. She frowned slightly.

"Oscar?" she asked. "Why are you looking at me like you’re about to hack a government database?"

Oscar exhaled quietly.

"Eve," he said, eyes locking onto hers, "we got a new interesting job."