Chapter 122
Chapter 122:
His eyes lingered on her slightly reddened ones, concern flickering in his gaze.
“It’s fine—just a bit busy,” Brinley said, taking the glass. “Why are you awake p>
“I was sorting some documents.” Austin studied her for a moment. “I heard noises from your room earlier p>
Brinley sipped the water, forcing calm. “It was probably the wind rattling the window. I slept pretty soundly, so I didn’t hear anything p>
“Really?” Austin’s brow arched, but he didn’t push. He simply brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “You can go back to sleep. If the project is too much to handle, let Miguel pull a team together to help p>
“I’ve got it handled,” Brinley said, avoiding his eyes as she turned back toward her room. “I’m heading to bed p>
“Brinley,” Austin called softly.
She glanced back, her heart pounding.
𝖯𝘰𝗽𝘂𝗅𝘢𝗋 𝘀𝘵𝘰𝗿i𝗲𝗌 𝘰n
“If something’s weighing on you, I’m here,” he said gently. “You don’t have to carry it alone p>
She nodded silently and hurried into her room.
In the days that followed, Brinley led a double life.
By day, she was the sharp, efficient project leader—checking data on-site, negotiating with vendors in boardrooms, and charming contacts at social gatherings.
By night, she trained in secret.
At 5:30 a.m., before the sky even began to lighten, she slipped into the gym, running intervals on the treadmill and powering through core workouts until her clothes were drenched with sweat.
At 11 p.m., after Austin had fallen asleep, she locked herself in her bedroom, honing her skills on the simulator.
One morning, as she crept back from training, she found Austin on the sofa, holding her fitness tracker. Its screen still displayed her most recent workout stats.
“Where were you?” His voice, rough with sleep, carried a quiet intensity as his eyes swept over her sweat-soaked gym clothes.
Brinley’s heart raced, her mind scrambling. “Just did some stretches in the gym. Too much desk time makes my back ache p>
Austin said nothing for a long moment, then set the tracker down.
“You haven’t been sleeping well lately,” he said abruptly, his voice low and steady. “Are you overwhelmed with the project p>
“Just a little,” Brinley answered evasively, snatching her fitness tracker from the table. “Things will get better soon. I’m heading to the company now p>
Clutching the tracker, she hurried out.
Only after stepping outside the villa did she let out a long, heavy breath.
Brinley didn’t want Austin to know about her participation in the exhibition race. She wasn’t prepared to reveal that part of herself to him yet.
For now, she decided, it was best to keep him in the dark about her secret identity.