Chapter 22

Brinley could feel the weight of Austin's gaze.

Austin was ready to speak, but seeing the stiffness in her posture and the resistance written across her face,he swallowed his words.

Breakfast passed in silence.

No sooner had she set her bowl down than Brinley rose quickly from her seat. "I should check on the hydrangeas in the garden; they looked like they were wilting a few days ago."

Without waiting for his reply, she hurried from the dining room, as though escaping something.

Outdoors, her eyes drifted involuntarily toward the second floor of the villa.

Austin's study lay to the east, its curtains drawn halfway, leaving the room's interior hidden.

The complicated thoughts that had plagued her earlier surfaced again.

Ever since she had caught sight of those old items connected to her, her heart had been restless.Somewhere in that study, she felt, lay answers Austin kept carefully concealed.

He had wanted to talk to her this morning, but she had no intention of facing his subtle questions. Better to sneak into the study first and see what she might discover.

When the gardener bent over the rosebushes,distracted with his shears, Brinley slipped quietly through the side door of the villa.

The living room was empty. Austin might still be in the dining room.

Moving cautiously, she crept up the spiral staircase to the second floor.

Her heart thudded as her fingers closed around the study's doorknob. It turned easily; it wasn't locked.

Brinley pushed the door open just enough to peer inside,then slipped in and shut it behind her, leaning against the cool wood to release a tense breath.

She scanned the room urgently.

This time, she told herself, she would find out what Austin was hiding.

The study looked even more orderly than before.

She checked everywhere-the drawers, the shelves, even the neatpile of magazines beside the lamp.

Not a single piece of paper related to her remained.

The clippings from her university design exhibition that she had glimpsed last time were gone, erased as though they had never existed.

Austin had deliberately removed everything related to her.

"What are you looking for?"

The sudden voice made her jump. In a panic, she shoved the drawer shut and spun around, only to bump into the bookshelf. Several heavy books toppled down.

In one swift motion, Austin steadied her by the waist with one hand and caught the falling boooks with the other.

The heat from his hand seeped through the thin fabric of her blouse, sending a tingling shiver across Brinley's skin.

"N-nothing," Brinley stammered, retreating quickly,her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. "I was just... looking around."

Austin's eyes flicked to the disturbed stack of magazines, his eyes betraying that he had noticed,but he chose not to question her.

He calmly put the books back on the shelf. "There's really nothing worth your attention in here. Perhaps

"I have something to do. I'll head back to my room,"Brinley blurted, cutting him off before he could finish.She darted out, practically fleeing.

Even as she rushed down the hall, she could feel his eyes heavy on her back,piercing her.

This man was so annoying.

He was certain her curiosity would compel her to look,so he made sure to remove all clues. It left her feeling as though her curiosity were a game he was watching her play.

Back in her room, she slumped into the chair at her vanity, her reflection staring back at her, flustered and unsettled.

Their marriage of convenience felt like a fog, and Austin's unreadable behavior only deepened the mystery.

She picked up her phone and scrolled to her father's number.

Her finger hovered above the call button, but after a long hesitation, she pressed the screen dark.

Some conversations, she thought, would need to happen face-to-face.

Later that afternoon, something occurred in the kitchen that left Miguel utterly stunned.

Austin was standing at the counter in an apron,frowning in concentration as he flippedthrough a cookbook.

Miguel could barely believe his eyes.

Who would have imagined that the same man who silenced boardrooms with a single glance was now clumsily stirring and chopping in the kitchen, strapped in an apron?

"Mr. Moore, if you want to surprise your wife, a professional chef could come over..." Miguel offered cautiously.

"It's different," Austin said, plating a piece of seared foie gras and topping it with truffle shavings. His movements lacked polish but were deliberate. "She eats restaurant food all the time. I think...she might like something homemade."

Miguel could only shake his head in silence.

Austin was clearly set on doing this himself. Miguel helped where he could, though he couldn't stop imagining the uproar this would cause if the powerful business world of Bleron ever found out.

By five o'clock, Brinley had changed into comfortable clothes, ready to slip out unnoticed from the villa.

She deliberately avoided the kitchen, but fate had other plans. At the foyer, she ran right into Austin, who was carrying a bottle of wine.

His crisp white shirt had a stain at the cuff, and there was even a dab of cream on his nose.

For once, his normally flawless appearance softened into something approachable, yet still deeply attractive.

"Where are you going?" Austin leaned casually against the cabinet, twirling the bottle of Lafite in his hand,blocking her path.

"I'm visiting my father," Brinley said uneasily,trying to hide her bag behind her back.

He replied with a raised brow, "I've made dinner. Eat with me first, then I'll go with you."

Brinley hesitated, grasping for an excuse. "That's...not necessary." "Try my cooking," Austin said, his tone brooking no refusal. He took the bag from her and set it on the cabinet. "Miguel's gone, so it'll just be the two of us."

The anticipation in his eyes left Brinley momentarily speechless. She wanted to say no, but she swallowed it back.