21 Where is My Mom ? How does this little man know me ? Evelyn ? Did she tell him about me ? ' 1 Axel's chest stirred with too many questions , so he asked the most obvious . " I'm surprised to hear that ." Axel smiled weakly . " Did your mom tell you about me ? What did she say ? " He asked curiously . At the mention of mom , Oliver's focus snapped , all thoughts of Axel momentarily forgotten . His small face crumpled , his lashes trembling . " Wh - Where's my mom ? " His voice sounds fragile and scared as he searches the room with his gaze . Axel felt disappointment prick at him . ' Of course . I ask about myself , and he runs straight back to Evelyn . Perfect ! ' Still , he forced a smile , awkward and a little stiff , before patting the boy's tiny hand with his large one . " Relax , little man . Your mommy just went to eat . She hadn't eaten all day , so I made sure she did ." Oliver's mouth slightly gasped , his eyes growing watery again . Axel quickly added , " Hey . Don't start crying . Don't be afraid ... She'll be back soon , before you even count to a hundred . Ah , sorry , little man , can you count ? " Oliver sniffled but managed a slight nod , and his cute , trembling voice followed . " I ... I wasn't afraid . I just felt worried my mommy might be sad and afraid again . She never cried before . But when he saw me hurt , bleeding , she cried ... " 2 Axel feels like a bolt of lightning just struck him , looking like a three - year - old little man who whimpers and , in his miserable voice , expresses his fear for his mother . He silently let out a deep sigh , trying to keep his expression from revealing too much to this little man . So this is fatherhood ? Babysitting emotions , you don't know what to do with ... ? Fantastic , Axel ! ' Axel continued to listen to Oliver expressing his worry about his mother , And somehow , he listened to every word the little man said , and he was unable to look away . Yet , he was busy talking to the little man , but in his mind , ' You know , little man , three years ... I didn't even know you existed . And now here you are , staring at me like I'm some character you've read about in a storybook ! The silence stretched until Oliver suddenly piped up , " Sir , you don't look boring ... " He blinked . " Excuse me ? " 08:51 314 < 21 Where is My Mom ? " Mom said you were ... a boring man who wears boring suits and does boring things , " Oliver's voice was soft , and his eyes sparkled with innocence . 1 Axel was at a loss for words . He thought Evelyn might say nice things about him to Oliver , but he was wrong . It turns out that Evelyn was quite happy to tarnish his image in front of their son . " But , sir , you're not that boring . You just look ... serious . Like ... like when my favorite cartoon character gets angry , but they're not really ... " 1 Axel stared , at a rare loss for words . ' Serious . A cartoon character . Perfect ! 2 He pinched the bridge of his nose while holding back a laugh . " Your mom has a dramatic imagination ." Oliver giggled , then immediately winced at the soreness in his feet when he laughed and tried to sit again . Axel's hand hovered protectively . " Wow ... careful , little man ... " He muttered , holding his chubby , cold hand , " Don't hurt yourself trying to laugh ... " The boy smiled faintly , and something strange warmed Axel's chest . His smile was enough to warm his heart . Something foreign he had never felt before . Then Oliver whispered , " S - Sir ... You'll ... stay here , right ? " The question was so small and simple that it completely disarmed him . He gazed intently , observing the boy's hopeful expression . You've opened my world to something I have never foreseen before in less than five minutes , and now you're asking for something I've never promised anyone in my life . 1 But when he opened his mouth , his voice was calm , steady , almost tender . " Yeah . I'll stay . " Oliver's lips curved into a tired but satisfied smile . His little fingers curled around Axel's much larger hand , holding on like it was the most natural thing in the world . And Axel Knight , the cold , ruthless , untouchable Axel Knight , found himself sitting beside a hospital bed , wondering when exactly he'd agreed to let a three - year - old own him so easily . 1 When Evelyn finished the last bite from the table , she cleaned up quickly , not wasting another second . Her heart pulled her right back to the bedroom . She needed to see Oliver . The moment she stepped inside , she froze . Oliver was awake . Her chest swelled with joy , and instinct pushed her forward , ready to throw her arms around her son . But then she froze in her tracks . 08.51 214 < 21 Where is My Mom ? " Oh my god ... " she whispered , almost choking on the words . Oliver's small hand was tucked safely inside Axel Knight's much larger one . And Axel , Mr. Iceberg himself , was actually smiling . Worse , he was laughing . A soft , low laugh that didn't belong to the cold , ruthless man she knew . Oliver was grinning up at him , animatedly talking about his favorite cartoon character as if Axel had been waiting his whole life for this very conversation . Evelyn's mind short - circuited . " What in the world happened here ? ' She glanced at her watch . She'd been gone for, what , an hour ? Maybe less ? And in that ridiculously short time , her son and Axel had gone from strangers to ... what was this ? Bonded . Connected . Like they'd known each other for years . " Unbelievable , " she muttered under her breath . " Leave them alone for sixty minutes , and suddenly it's best - friends - forever time . " Her eyes darted back to Axel , his expression softer than she had ever seen , like a crack had formed in that carefully constructed armor of his . Then the thought hit her , sharp and terrifying . Wait . Wait . No. He wouldn't tell Oliver about himself , right ... ? ' Her pulse increased , panic racing through her veins . ' He won't tell him without my concern , right ? ' The very possibility made her heart slam painfully against her ribs . She swallowed hard , and she felt the room spinning for a second as she tried to steady herself . ' No. No , he couldn't have . Axel wasn't reckless like that . He was deliberate , careful , and calculating ' Still , the way Oliver's little hand clung to his as if it had always belonged there . Evelyn's stomach felt heavy and twisted . After taking a deep breath and hiding her panic attack in her mind , Evelyn cleared her throat and kept walking . Her smile widened when her eyes met Oliver's . " Mommy ... " 08.51 214 < 21 Where is My Mom ? 66 Thank you so much for the Golden Ticket & Power Stones . Please continue . We need to raise the rank to give this book more opportunities . Xoxo ^. Comment 9