Chapter 42
Chapter 42:
Brinley cleared the dishes, then sank onto the sofa. Her thoughts drifted aimlessly until, at last, she pulled out her phone and dialed her father.
The call connected almost immediately, and Brandon’s warm, buoyant voice filled her ear. “Brinley, what’s got you calling your dad tonight p>
“I need to ask you something,” she said, drawing in a steadying breath. “What’s really behind this arranged marriage to Austin p>
On the other end, silence stretched for a beat.
When Brandon finally spoke, his tone had shed its cheer. “Brinley… there are things you’re old enough to hear now.” He hesitated, as though weighing each word, then continued slowly, his voice grave. “That winter, Austin’s mother—Selene Moore—was in a devastating car accident. Your mother risked her life in the pouring rain to pull her back from death’s door. Out of gratitude, Selene went so far as to suggest a marriage alliance between our two families. You’re the only daughter in our family, and the only fitting partner the Moore family could offer was their youngest son, Austin p>
Brinley’s breath caught. Her fingers tightened around the phone as if she needed the pressure to anchor herself.
“All these years, the Moores never pursued any other match for Austin,” Brandon went on, a weary helplessness threading through his words. “Because they’ve been waiting for you. Even when you were with Colin, Austin’s father, Westley Moore, came to me personally. He said that if you ever changed your mind, the arrangement would still be honored p>
A sigh slipped from Brinley, soft but heavy with resignation.
So that was the truth behind it all.
She reclined against the sofa cushions, her eyes tracing the gleam of the crystal chandelier overhead, her chest knotted with emotions too tangled to name.
So that was why the engagement had never been dissolved during her two years with Colin. It finally made sense why Austin, of all people, would agree to a union that seemed so mismatched.
𝗗o𝘄ոlo𝖺𝘥 𝘗𝘋Fѕ 𝘧𝗿𝖾е о𝗇
Everything traced back to that long-ago promise—to the moment her mother risked her life to save another.
Perhaps Austin’s gentleness toward her—his overprotective patience and indulgence—wasn’t affection at all, but repayment of an unshakable debt.
Once the truth settled in, the storm in her chest finally quieted.
“Dad, I get it now,” Brinley said softly into the phone. “I’ll come by to see you soon p>
After the call ended, she let the phone slip from her hand and drew her knees close, curling up on the sofa.
Maybe this marriage wasn’t such a terrible thing after all—more like a practical partnership where neither owed the other anything.
Fatigue settled over her like a heavy blanket. She let out a quiet yawn as her eyelids drooped.
She nestled deeper into the cushions, her cheek pressed into the pillow’s softness, and drifted off to sleep on the sofa.
She had no idea how much time had passed before the faint sound of the door opening stirred the silence.
Austin stepped into the living room and spotted Brinley curled up on the couch. Her arms clutched the pillow tightly, her face turned toward the fabric, lost in peaceful slumber.
Moving quietly across the floor, he leaned down and draped his suit jacket gently over her shoulders.
Brinley stirred in her sleep, curling instinctively toward the comforting warmth. The innocent motion tugged at Austin’s composure, and his mouth curved into a quiet, helpless smile.
He lowered himself beside the sofa, his fingertips hovering just short of her cheek, lingering in the air as if he were afraid to break the spell—before he pulled back.
“How did you fall asleep here?” he murmured, his voice no more than a breath as he slid an arm beneath her.
She was feather-light in his hold, curling against his chest like a small, trusting cat.