Chapter 44

 44:
“Not just that—his whole aura is something else.”
“Am I the only one staring at the car? I looked it up, and even if I worked my whole life, I don’t think I could afford it…”
“There are so many rich people in Grester. I wonder who he is. I’ve never heard of him before.”
Linsey’s eyes drifted toward the sleek car they were admiring. It was the one Collin had sent. The license plate matched the one in his text.
Her heart skipped a beat. Was Collin here?
Linsey approached the car, aware of the curious gazes following her every step. She lightly tapped on the rear window.
The door swung open swiftly, revealing Collin’s figure.
“I saw him! I saw him again! He’s even more handsome up close!” Another excited whisper rose from behind her.
“That gorgeous woman and that stunning man—they have to be a couple, right? They look perfect together!”
“Forget their love story. I’m more jealous of their wealth.”
For once, Linsey found her sharp hearing to be a curse. The murmurs made her uneasy, so she quickly slipped into the car and shut the door, shutting herself away from the prying eyes and chatter.
Inside, she turned to Collin. The soft glow from the car’s interior light illuminated his face. A laptop rested on his lap, his fingers lightly tapping the keyboard as he remained immersed in his work, seemingly indifferent to the commotion outside.
“Drive,” Collin instructed.
“Yes, Mr. Riley,” the driver responded, and the car smoothly merged into the flow of traffic.
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Linsey hesitated to speak, not wanting to interrupt him.
Yet, she couldn’t stop herself from watching him—his sharp features, his unwavering focus.
Collin had always been perceptive to people’s gazes, and naturally, he noticed her lingering stare.
If it had been anyone else, he would have ignored it and continued working.
But something about Linsey’s eyes felt different, as if her gaze carried an invisible hook, lightly tugging at something inside him, keeping him from concentrating. Unable to disregard it any longer, he finally turned to her.
“Why are you staring at me?”
She blinked in surprise, not expecting him to catch on so quickly. A bit flustered, she reasoned that as his wife, it wasn’t strange for her to look at him.
Holding onto that thought, she steadied herself and replied, “I was just curious. Why did you come yourself? I thought you were only sending the driver.”
Collin let out a short, cold chuckle, as if he found her words amusing. “What’s wrong? Am I not allowed to pick up my own wife?” His tone was distant, matching his usual aloofness.
Yet, beneath the indifference, Linsey caught a trace of something else—something that felt an awful lot like concern.
So, Collin was finally acknowledging her as his wife.
That realization brought an unexpected flicker of joy. Then she remembered the shopping bag in her hand and quickly added, “Oh, I got you something. Try it on when we get home and see if you like it.”
Collin’s gaze shifted to the bag she held, curiosity flickering in his eyes. So she hadn’t just been out to pass the time—she had gone to the mall specifically to buy something for him.
A small, barely-there smile tugged at his lips, though it vanished just as quickly.
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