Chapter 111
Chapter 111:
“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt a bit,” Brinley murmured.
The tenderness in Austin’s touch unsettled her, leaving her strangely restless.
He bent his head lower, tending to the shallow red mark on her hand. A slant of lamplight traced shadows along his dark lashes, softening the severity of his profile.
Only the distant chirp of crickets through the open window broke the silence in the living room.
Brinley studied the lines of his face, her chest tightening with emotions too tangled to name.
His concern for her had always expressed itself this way—not with words, but with quiet, steadfast action.
𝗥e𝘤o𝗺𝘮end ѕ.𝗰о𝘮 𝘵𝗼 𝘺o𝘶𝗿 𝖿𝗋𝘪еո𝖽𝘴
Austin packed away the first-aid kit and returned to the sofa, offering her a steaming cup of water. “Drink this p>
Brinley accepted it, the warmth sliding down her dry throat like comfort itself. When she glanced up, his eyes were already fixed on her—steady and penetrating, as though he could read every secret she carried.
“You handle a car impressively,” he said suddenly.
Her fingers twitched, and the cup nearly slipped from her grasp.
Determined to appear calm, she set it back on the table and avoided his gaze. “It’s nothing. I trained for a while, so I can manage when things get tricky p>
“Is that so?” His tone stayed calm, almost flat. “Even seasoned racers might not have pulled off a drift like the one you did p>
Brinley’s thoughts detonated at his words, leaving her stunned.
He really had seen it—her reckless, near-unhinged drift through the deserted warehouse district.
Her pulse thundered in her ears, sweat dampening her palms as panic crowded in.
What excuse could she possibly offer?
Could she brush it off as nothing more than luck?
“Just a coincidence,” Brinley muttered, her throat tightening as she kept her eyes lowered. “I dabbled in it a long time ago. When the moment came, my hands just… reacted p>
Austin didn’t say a word. Only his calm, unrelenting stare pinned her in place.
That quiet scrutiny felt like an invisible net, leaving her trapped with nowhere to run. The longer he studied her, the more flustered she became—and even she knew how flimsy her excuse sounded.
“Why were you even there?” Brinley finally blurted, forcing herself to look up, desperate to shift the subject.
Austin ignored the question, his voice cool and direct. “Who do you think is pulling the strings behind the people tailing you p>
Brinley froze, her mind flashing back to the black car and the masked figures inside. She gave a small shake of her head. “I’m not sure. Could be competitors trying to dig into project details. Or maybe…” She hesitated, then forced the words out. “Maybe they’re after you p>
Given Austin’s tangled family ties—riddled with rivalries and hidden wars—the thought didn’t feel far-fetched.
Austin’s jaw tightened as he reached for his phone. “Miguel will handle the investigation. Until then, don’t go out alone. I’ll assign bodyguards to stay with you p>