Joseph's pulse quickened as he looked into how cold Axel's gaze had become. But he said nothing.
"That woman... she slandered me. I will sue her." Axel narrowed his eyes on Joseph. "Now you know about Harper Cooper..."
"T-This…" Joseph opened his mouth. But the words refused to come because the weight of the truth still crushed his thoughts. His breathing grew shallow.
Axel's gaze hardened further, his voice dropping into something far darker. "I wanted you to pay for your crime."
Joseph's heart pounded violently. Fear slithered into his chest. 'Pay for my crime? What crime?'
As if he heard what he thought, Axel continued, "Your crime," her said quietly, each word landing like a hammer, "was trying to harm Evelyn."
The room's temperature seemed to drop to below zero.
Joseph's face lost all color. Suddenly, this was no longer about Harper Cooper, the scandal, or gossip. It was simply a matter of his judgment.
