Chapter 21

Brinley couldn't shake the absurd thought that Austin might be gravely ill-perhaps battling some hidden disease that required a lifesaving organ transplant-and she was a perfect match.

The idea slithered down her spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Scenes from melodramatic soap operas flickered through her mind, where marriages of convenience masked sinister plots for organ harvesting.

What if Austin had a secret illness and needed her organ to survive?

As his legal wife, wasn't she the most convenient donor?

"Something bothering you?" Austin's voice broke her spiraling thoughts as he stepped inside.

Catching sight of her pallor, he reached out to check her forehead. Brinley flinched away, dodging his touch so quickly she nearly stumbled.

Her eyes dropped to his long, refined fingers, and her imagination betrayed her-those hands no longer belonged to a businessman but to a surgeon gripping a scalpel. Panic jolted through her, and she backed into the kitchen counter with a sharp thud.

"N-no, it's nothing!" She forced a brittle smile. "I just feel exhausted.I'll head upstairs to rest!"

Before Austin could say another word, she turned and fled to the second floor.

He lingered there, his hand frozen mid-air as he watched her hasty retreat.

A faint crease formed between his brows.

Why on earth was Brinley acting so strangely?

Later that evening, she lay restless in bed,tossing beneath the sheets. Her thoughts tangled with the image of Austin calmly chewing her burnt cookies,overlapping with Miguel's description of the merciless CEO who crushed rivals without blinking.

The more she dwelled on it, the colder her skin felt,until fear dragged her into a nightmare.

In the depths of her dream, Austin's smile warped into something sinister as he came after her, a scalpel gleaming in his hand.

"You monster, Austin!" she shouted in her sleep,thrashing against invisible hands. "You're after my kidney?! I swear, I'll fight you off!"

Her arms flailed wildly, nearly toppling the lamp on her bedside table. She cried out again, her voice ragged with desperation, "There's nothing I want from you,yet you're greedy enough to want my kidney!"

Beneath her room, Austin lay awake, her strange behavior earlier gnawing at him. When her muffled cries drifted down the staircase, he threw on a robe and hurried upstairs.

Pushing open the bedroom door, he found Brinley twisted in the sheets,her face damp with sweat,brow drawn tight.

She mumbled frantically, words tumbling out in broken fragments, "Kidney... my kidney... Austin,give it back..."

He froze beside the bed, staring at her tormented expression. A helpless sigh slipped from his lips before he leaned down, brushing her clammy forehead with careful fingers.

The instant his touch grazed her cheek, her eyes snapped open.

Panic flared in them as she recoiled wvith a piercing scream. "Ah! Austin! You really came to steal my kidney!" The room was cloaked in darkness, and under the silver wash of moonlight, his face appeared both shadowed and inscrutable. Only half of his features showed, the rest swallowed by darkness, perfectly matching the sinister figure that had haunted her dream.

Brinley thrashed back in a panic, her hands and feet tangling in the sheets until her spine hit the headboard.Her wide eyes brimmed with fear.

Austin, watching her frantic retreat, felt a pang of amusement laced with frustration.

He clicked on the bedside lamp, the warm glow chasing away the eerie shadows, then eased himself onto the edge of the bed. Softening his tone, he murmured, "Brinley, it's alright. You were caught in a bad dream."

"Bad dream?" Her lashes fluttered as she blinked,gaze darting between the familiar walls of the bedroom and Austin's steady face.Realization finally dawned-it had only been a nightmare.

Relief escaped her in a shaky breath, but embarrassment rushed in to replace it, her cheeks flaring crimson.

"You were mumbling in your sleep..." Austin shot her a look, his raised brow full of playful provocation."I was after your kidney?"

If the bed could have sucked her down into its depths,Brinley would have welcomed it.

The absurdity of the dream, combined with his crooked half-smile, left her squirming with embarrassment.

"Um, I was just rambling nonsense," she stammered,her voice shaky and meek. "Some... stranger was chasing me." She forced herself to stay composed,lifting the blanket as if to leave the bed. "It's late.You should head back to your room."

Austin's brow arched, his expression making it clear he didn't believe her.

His gaze lingered on her reddened ears and wide,uneasy eyes, already guessing what had flustered her.

Instead of pressing, he gently eased her back down and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow, tell me what you want to eat.I'll have Miguel buy whatever you need."

"There's no need!" Brinley blurted out, her voice a touch too sharp. "I can take care of it myself!"

Watching him leave, she clutched her heated face in both hands. Once inside his room, Austin slouched against the door, a grin tugging at his lips.

Kidney? What in the world was running through Brinley's head?

Shaking his head, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Miguel. "Go through Brinley's recent searches. See if there's anything about organ transplants."

Miguel immediately texted back, "Mrs. Moore's recent search history includes 'high-society organ trade scandals'."

Austin read the message, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.

Clearly,he'd need to have a talk with Brinley tomorrow -before she convinced herself he secretly worked as some underground organ trafficker.

Meanwhile,Brinley lay cocooned under the covers,her cheeks still burning as the nightmare replayed in her mind.

Damn it! She had made a fool of herself in front of Austin!

By morning, the atmosphere at breakfast was stiff.Brinley sat quietly spooning porridge, her lashes lowered, while Austin watched her from across the table, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his porcelain bowl.

"Do you have time this morning?" His voice carried clearly in the hushed dining room. "I'd like to talk-about last night. We..."

Brinley froze mid-motion, the spoon hovering.Without meeting his eyes, she muttered, "It was just a dream.Nightmares happen. Don't read too much into it."

The memory still made her squirm, so she ducked her head and forced down her porridge faster, as though speed alone might keep the conversation at bay.