18 Don't Climb On The Bed Evelyn quickly turned forward again , masking her expression . 1 The last thing she needed was for Axel to know what she was thinking . He already had a talent for reading her with just one look , and she wasn't about to give him more reasons to do so . When they reached the post - operative observation room , a nurse guided them inside . Her heart tightened as she saw her poor baby Oliver lying in the bed , small and pale beneath the sheets , wires and monitors attached to his tiny body . And before Axel could react , she rushed forward , clutching her son's hand gently , as if he might shatter at her touch . " Oh , sweetheart ... " she whispered , pressing a kiss to his forehead . Her voice trembled , full of fear and love . Axel stood a few steps back , his expression locked in its usual mask , but his eyes betrayed him . They softened as they rested on Oliver , his son . His blood . His heir . This boy , barely a child , carried the very thing Axel never thought he wanted but now couldn't imagine losing . Yet Axel's feet refused to move . He stood near the door , his back against the wall , watching Evelyn as if she were a scene from a dream he wasn't entitled to touch . Her figure trembled gently as she hunched over the hospital bed , her forehead softly resting near Oliver's hand . A gentle , broken whimper slipped from her , tender and raw , conveying her delicate pain . At first , the sight warmed him . A strange , foreign warmth ; his heart swelled for the first time in years . Evelyn wasn't perfect , far from it . Still , she was here , holding their son as if her entire existence depended on his small heartbeat . For the first time , Axel allowed himself to imagine what it might have been like if things had been different , if they'd raised Oliver together from the beginning , if he hadn't had to find out this way . But that fragile warmth twisted into unease . His gaze lingered on the wires and tubes that covered Oliver's body , the steady rhythm of the monitor beside him . Each beep was both a reassurance and a threat . And now Evelyn was clutching their son so tightly , he feared she'd accidentally tug something loose . His mouth parted , the warning on his tongue , but he swallowed it back . He didn't want to shatter her fragile composure with his cold voice . So he let her cling . He let her whisper prayers against their son's skin . Until she moved . 48.50 1/3 < 18 Don't Climb On The Bed Her knee pressed against the edge of the mattress , her arms moving as if she planned to climb onto the bed and pull Oliver into her lap . Axel's entire body went rigid . In a heartbeat , his chest seized with a surge of panic he couldn't control . " Evelyn ! " His voice echoes through the room . " Stop ! Don't climb onto the bed . Oliver could be in danger ! " The words snapped her back instantly , causing her to stumble off the mattress . Her hands trembled as she pulled away , hovering in midair . She turned to him , wide - eyed , her face pale with fright . " Will he be okay ? " Her voice was nothing but a whisper . " When will he wake up ? " " He will ." Axel forced his tone to sound calm , even though his pulse hammered against his ribs . " As long as you don't mess with those machines and make them malfunction ." Evelyn froze , her lips parting in disbelief . Slowly , her expression crumpled . Her gaze flickered to Oliver , then back at Axel , as if he'd accused her of something terrible . Her eyes glistened as she looked at Axel . " I wasn't ... " Her voice slightly trembled . " I wasn't touching anything . I would never hurt him ." He stifled a laugh . " I believe you , " he said with a flat expression . She narrowed her eyes on him as she expressed her stress , " God , you always assume the worst of me , " she said with trembling but sarcastic words . " Like I came here just to sabotage your precious medical equipment . Relax , Mr. CEO , I'm not that reckless . " Her words stabbed sharper than she probably intended . Axel's gaze hardened, but inside , guilt twisted in his chest . He could see the raw edges of her fear , the way her fingers hovered near Oliver's tiny hand but didn't dare touch it again . Silence lingered between them once again . Then , Evelyn sighs quietly . Her shoulders trembled as she whispered , almost to herself , " I just ... I just need him to wake up . That's all I need . " Axel opened his mouth several times , but no words came out . He wanted to go over to her , maybe put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down . But he held back . Every step closer felt like giving up . Instead , he leaned against the wall , his posture relaxed . " He's strong , " he said finally , his voice low but steady . " He'll wake soon . " Evelyn turned her head just slightly , enough for him to catch the flash of vulnerability in her eyes . She didn't argue . She didn't snap back like she usually did . But , she just looked at him , long enough for his cold mask to nearly slip . For a moment , Axel felt the room feel cramped . He exhaled quietly , pushing away from the wall . " You can touch him if you want . Just ... don't climb on the bed again . " Evelyn blinked , startled by the shift in his tone , then nodded quickly . 08 50 C < 18 Don't Climb On The Bed " Don't worry , Axel . I'll keep my dangerous self - control in check . Your machines are safe with me , " she said , trying to tease him while clutching Oliver's hand more carefully this time . A flicker of emotion crossed Axel's face , softening the edges of his usual coldness . He didn't trust himself to say more . He kept his silence , but his body betrayed him ; shifting closer , staying right by the bed , like he wasn't going to let anyone near his son . And though he stayed silent , his chest burned with one undeniable truth : his life would never return to the way it was before this moment . They stayed in the room for a while , neither of them speaking , until a nurse entered and politely reminded them to wait in the wardroom . She explained that Oliver would be transferred in an hour . Comment 1 Post your first comment ! Vote 14 1 Fandom Show support to the author by leaving comments when sending gift . 08 : 507