Chapter 42

After cutting ties with the Shaw family, Brinley threw herself into building a life without leaning on anyone else. She was determined to make money through her own hard work and build a good life with Colin.

Secretly, she even set money aside, planning to surprise him later by offering to invest in the Palmer Group once things at the company had settled.

But before long, she discovered his involvement with Milly.

All those sleepless nights, all her hopes for the future, had been reduced to nothing in an instant,like a cruel joke.

Lowering her eyes, Brinley quickly hid the flicker of pain. When she looked up again, her face was calm and expressionless. "I assume you didn't come here just to compliment me, Mr. Palmer. Is there something else on your mind?"

"Yes," Colin replied, nodding his head as he pulled a document from his briefcase. "There's a real estate project. If we work together, we could maximize the returns..."

"We cannot collaborate," Brinley said coldly without even looking up, cutting Colin off completely. His hand, still holding the file, froze in mid-air.

"Brinley..." Colin looked at her stiff professionalism and forced a strained smile. "The cherries in Crystal Lake Park are in bloom. You mentioned wanting to go there.I never made the time before, but now..."

"No need." Brinley's eyes were sharp and cold as she interrupted him again. "The past means nothing to me now."

Just after she spoke, the faint sound of movement could be heard from the office entrance.

Brinley turned her head and saw Austin standing there, tall and composed, staring deeply at her.

What was he doing here? His eyes swept over the others in the room, landing directly on her. With a faint smile tugging at his lips,he said, "It's lunchtime. Let me take you out to eat."

At his words, Brinley's eyes lit with a trace of happiness. She immediately turned to Colin. "Mr.Palmer, you're not welcome here. Don't bother coming again."

Without waiting for his response, she strode toward Austin and joined him at the doorway.

Colin could only watch as she walked away, side by side with Austin, their steps perfectly in sync. The paper bag in his hand crumpled under the pressure of his clenched fist.

Only Brinley and Austin rode in the elevator.

The mirrored walls reflected their figures standing close together, an awkward, charged silence falling between them.

Brinley glanced at Austin. His brows were furrowed,his expression frosty. He was clearly in a bad mood. "What's the matter?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"Nothing," Austin answered blandly.

"Obviously, something's wrong." She raised her brows, cutting straight to the point. "You saw Colin,and it bothered you, didn't it?"

Austin pursed his lips. He didn't admit it, but his voice carried jealousy as he said, "It looks like Colin is very taken with you."

"He came to discuss business," she replied.

"Business? Does business require bringing pastries?"Austin scoffed, his tone even colder. "And that look on his face, as if he were playing out a tragic love story for everyone to see."

Brinley couldn't help laughing softly. "Wow, your jealousy is really something."

"Jealous? Me?" Austin was taken aback by her remark. He scowled and let out a short, dismissive snort."I am not." Brinley looked at himn, amused by the contradiction between his words and actions, just about to tease him further when the elevator suddenly dinged to a stop.

The doors opened slowly, revealing an empty hallway.

It was obvious someone had pressed the button and left before it arrived.

Austin squinted, and in the next moment, he stepped forward, pinning Brinley lightly against the elevator wall.

His hand braced against the wall by her ear, his chest so close that his clean, crisp scent surrounded her.

"Austin! What are you doing?" Brinley's heart gave a sudden jolt, but she struggled to stay calm, raising her eyes to meet his.

His breath brushed her forehead, warm and steady.His eyes, swirling like a deep vortex, carried a hunger for control that she recognized, along with a trace of nervous tension he rarely revealed.

"Brinley," he called in a low, husky voice, "what do l mean to you?"

The question took Brinley by surprise.

Looking at his face so up close, seeing the rare earnestness in his eyes; she suddenly didn't know how to answer.

Her silence stretched as the elevator doors slid shut again.

In the enclosed space, only their breathing filled the air, and a subtle tension hovered above them.

Austin stared down at her lips, noticing the faint trace of cream left from the cake she had eaten earlier. It drew him in like a tempting candy.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he instinctively leaned in closer.

Brinley's heart pounded, but she didn't close her eyes. Instead, she stared back at his approaching face.

Their lips were just about to meet when the elevator dinged again.

The doors opened slowly, revealing another floor.Brinley was still pressed lightly against the cold elevator wall, and Austin hadn't backed away, the two of them still standing close enough to feel each other's breath.

"Mr. Moore?" A surprised voice broke the moment.

Brinley turned her head and saw Melany Cooper,the marketing director from the neighboring company standing outside the elevator with a cup of coffee in hand. Her eyes flicked from Austin to Brinley,lingering with thinly veiled curiosity.

Austin moved a step to the side, giving Brinley a little more space, yet he still kept his arm around her,holding her close as if to shield her from jostling passersby.

Brinley could feel Melany's scrutinizing eyes sweeping over them, as if silently saying she understood exactly what she'd walked in on. That look made Brinley uneasy, but she didn't appear flustered.

Melany didn't stay long. With a quick excuse, she walked off, leaving Brinley and Austin undisturbed once again.