Chapter 28

Golden afternoon light slipped through the blinds,casting shifting stripes of shadow across the floor.

Austin sat with his head bowed over the tablet,his gaze skimming across the documents.

Across from him, Brinley studied her own stack of papers, her brows tightening now and then in concentration.

Silence filled the room, but it carried a calm, almost soothing weight.

Austin's attention faltered, his gaze snagging on the mesmerizing outline of her profile.

Sunlight brushed against her face, softening her features. Even the furrow of her brow appeared impossibly captivating to him. Feeling the weight of his gaze, Brinley lifted her head sharply, shooting him a glare. "Quit staring."

A low chuckle slipped from Austin, but he let her scolding stand without an answer.

In the afternoon, there was a video conference waiting for Austin, prompting him to call Miguel for his laptop.

Brinley, intending to give him space, started toward the sofa, but his voice stopped her. "Sit here."

He patted the empty spot beside him on the bed.

Since he didn't seem to mind her listening to his conference, Brinley saw no reason to hold back and took the seat at his side.

Once the meeting began, she lowered her gaze to her phone, though her ears betrayed her, tracking every word.

Austin spoke about a complicated merger with calm precision, his tone steady, his logic sharp. Every so often, he cut in to correct or redirect others, the authority in his voice leaving no room for dispute.

Brinley sneaked a look at hm. Sunlight skimmed across his lashes, gilding them in gold.

Though ill, his composure held firm-jaw taut, mind sharp-every bit the shrewd strategist he'd always been.

Time slipped by unnoticed until the meeting finally drew to a close.

Austin snapped his laptop shut and caught Brinley staring, her gaze soft and unguarded.

"What's the matter?" he drawled, one brow arched."Caught up in your husband's charm, are you?"

His teasing jolted her back, color rushing into her cheeks. "Who's looking at you? I was thinking about my project!"

He leaned closer, his voice dipping smooth. "Your CloudVista Estates project? Do you want my help?"

The delicate fragrance of her shampoo enveloped him, his warm breath brushing her ear in turn.

Brinley's heartbeat stumbled into a frantic rhythm.

Startled, she jerked backward, forgetting the bed's edge was right behind her. She nearly toppled over.

Before she could fall, Austin caught her wrist and drew her back toward him.

She landed against his chest with a muted thump,the sound punctuated by his faint groan. Only then did she remember-he was still recovering.

"Sorry!" Brinley blurted, quickly bracing her hands on him, eyes full of worry. "Did that hurt?"

Though his complexion drained of color, Austin shook his head. His gaze lingered on her flustered face, Adam's apple shifting as he swallowed. "I'm alright."

She tried to pull her hand free, but his grip only tightened, anchoring her there.

Their eyes locked, and the air seemed to still, her reflection caught in the dark depths of his stare.Emotion flickered there-layers she couldn't quite name.

The moment shattered when the door opened.Miguel stepped inside, arms full of files.At the sight before him, he nearly dropped everything. "Mr.Moore, Mrs. Moore, I... I didn't see a thing!"

Brinley jolted upright, breaking free of Austin's arms,and hurried across the room. She sank onto the sofa with her back turned, hoping distance might smother the heat rising in her chest.

Austin's eyes followed her retreat, amusement flickering in their depths even as his voice stayed deceptively calm. "What's wrong?"

Only then did Miguel shuffle forward, thrust the folder into Austin's hand, and practically flee.

Brinley remained seated, pressing her palms against her knees until her pulse steadied. At last she risked a glance over her shoulder. Austin was already absorbed in the paperwork again,his profile carved in cool, rigid lines, as though the charged moment between them had been nothing but her imagination.

She gave a small shake of her head, as if that could scatter the tangle of thoughts. Her voice came out stiff when she muttered, "I'Il go see about dinner."

Without waiting for his answer, she slipped out the door, not daring another look back.

Only once the hallway closed around her did she release a long, shaky breath.

Following a brief pause, she gave in and went to warm up another bowl of porridge for Austin.

Lately, his meals had been reduced to nothing but liquid food-three rounds of porridge each day.

This was already the third time she had heated it for him today.

At seven that morning, the first bowl had to be lukewarm, not scalding. By noon, the second one needed to be just right, heated through to perfection.

Now, for the late-afternoon portion, the porridge only required a half-minute of reheating.

As Brinley stepped back into the room, she found Austin propped against the headboard, a stack of documents spread in his hands. His gaze lifted as she stepped inside, and the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile.

"You don't have to put yourself through all this,"he murmured, turning a page with deliberate ease, his voice roughened by illness. "I'm not that picky."

Brinley shot back, slamming the steaming bowl onto the bedside table, "That was why you had managed to land yourself in the hospital."

She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it until the steam thinned, and held it firmly to his lips. Her voice came out stiff and clipped. "Open up."

Austin didn't budge, his gaze fixed on her instead.

"What now?" Her shoulders tightened under his silent stare. She pushed the spoon closer. "Come on,eat it before it cools."

At last, Austin parted his lips, swallowing the porridge as its gentle warmth slid down his throat.

His eyes lingered on her, and he found himself oddly thinking that perhaps this bout of gastric bleeding hadn't been entirely pointless.

"Want something else tomorrow?" Brinley asked as she drew the spoon back, dishing out half a bowl for herself. "The doctor said you could try other foods."

Austin arched a brow, a faint smirk tugging at his mouth. "You planning to cook it yourself?"

Brinley swiftly shot him a sharp glare. "Of course not!I'll get someone else to do the cooking!"

She hadn't forgotten her catastrophic attempts in the kitchen. With a quick add-on, she muttered, "Or I'll ask the butler to send something up."

Austin chuckled under his breath, but the movement tugged at his stomach, making him wince and let out a low groan.

Alarmed, Brinley immediately set her bowl down."What is it now?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.

"Just wishing I could eat something you make,"Austin murmured gently.

Brinley huffed in exasperation, "Get well first,then you can chase down every bizarre craving you want."