Chapter 56
Chapter 56:
“Austin!” Flustered, Brinley lunged forward to snatch his phone, but in her haste, she nearly banged into the bedframe.
Austin’s reflexes were quick. He caught her wrist, and with a light tug, she stumbled and ended up perched on the edge of the bed right beside him.
The closeness sent Brinley’s senses spinning. She caught the faint scent clinging to him, saw the playful curve in his eyes, even noticed the length and thickness of his eyelashes.
Her heart lurched, hammering wildly, as if it had slipped free of all control.
“Still planning to steal my phone?” Austin asked in a low, deep voice, clearly amused. His warm breath brushed past her ear, and Brinley shivered, her skin prickling at the sensation.
Snapping back to herself, she yanked her wrist free and scrambled across the room to the folding bed, diving under the blanket like a turtle retreating into its shell.
“You jerk!” she shouted from beneath the covers.
𝖱e𝘢𝘥 𝗳𝗋𝘦𝘦 𝘯о𝘃e𝗅ѕ 𝗼ո
Austin chuckled at the sight of her curled up like a little bundle, his eyes bright with tenderness.
He set the phone aside, leaned back, and closed his eyes again. The faint smile on his lips remained.
For the past three days, the hospital room had felt like their own small hideaway from the rest of the world, even though there were still interruptions.
The following afternoon, a woman in an elegant suit appeared at the door, introducing herself as a representative of a partner company and asking to see Austin.
Miguel stood firmly at the entrance and replied with a courteous but cold smile, “Mr. Moore is resting. He won’t be receiving visitors. I’ll pass along your regards p>
The woman’s lips parted as if she wanted to argue, but Miguel had already angled his body, clearly signaling her to leave.
The next morning, the Moore family’s butler, Caiden Lopez, arrived as well.
He carried a food container in his hands, looking genuinely concerned. “Austin’s father sent me to check on him p>
“He’s just fallen asleep,” Miguel replied, accepting the container with respectful firmness. “I’ll pass along his father’s regards. Rest assured, the doctor says he’s recovering well p>
Caiden glanced at the tightly closed door, sighed heavily, then turned and walked away.
Inside, Brinley sat quietly on the sofa, listening to the muffled exchange outside, and a realization began to take shape.
She flipped through her magazine idly before asking in a casual tone, “Your family situation seems… rather complicated, doesn’t it p>
Austin lifted his gaze from the document, studying her. “Why do you say that p>
“I saw the butler from the window. The way he looked at the door meant something,” Brinley replied, closing the magazine and meeting his eyes directly. “Maybe because with a big, powerful family like yours, there are always relatives hoping to climb higher p>
For a moment, Austin was silent. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed. “You’re actually perceptive p>
“So it’s true, then p>
“More than half of the Moore family is just waiting for me to fall,” he said lightly, as if he were talking about someone else. “What I have is far too enviable p>
Brinley blinked, taken aback. She’d known wealthy families could be complicated, but this level of ruthlessness was beyond what she’d imagined.