Chapter 74
Chapter 74:
Brinley quickly pressed against Austin’s knees, trying to stand, but in her haste, her elbow jabbed him in the stomach.
“Sorry,” she muttered, pulling back with an awkward, clumsy motion. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and sat down again, attempting to hide her embarrassment as she reached for her phone.
But the moment the screen lit up, the photo she’d secretly taken earlier was right there.
Her mind went blank. She immediately swiped her fingertip over the power button, turning the screen off. Still, when she looked up, she found Austin watching her with a faint, knowing smile.
Brinley had no words. The embarrassment was suffocating.
𝗣𝗈р𝘂𝘭𝖺𝘳 𝘴𝗍𝘰rieѕ 𝗈𝗇
Up front, the driver—pale with fright—stole a glance in the rearview mirror and stammered, “Mr. Moore, I’m so sorry… A cat suddenly ran into the road p>
Normally, if Austin’s ride had jolted like that, the driver would’ve been dismissed on the spot. Yet today, Austin only replied calmly, “I see,” and said nothing more.
An uneasy silence filled the car.
Brinley leaned her head against the window, straining to catch any hint of sound from Austin. From the corner of her eye, she saw him resting with his head tilted back, eyes closed, his sharp features softened. There wasn’t a trace of irritation on his face.
That was the strangest part.
This man could lose his temper over coffee served a degree too hot or too cold, yet today—after she’d collided into him—he hadn’t shown the slightest anger.
Was he plotting something worse?
Before she could make sense of it, Austin spoke. “Pull over up ahead p>
The driver obeyed at once, stopping in front of a dessert shop.
“You stay here. I’ll buy something,” Austin said, pushing open the car door.
“I’ll come too,” Brinley replied immediately, hurrying after him.
The last thing she wanted was to give him time to decide how to punish her.
The moment they stepped into the dessert shop, the sweet scent of cream and chocolate enveloped them.
Austin went straight to the counter and calmly recited an order. Every dessert he named happened to be one of Brinley’s favorites.
He turned to her and asked, “Anything else you’d like p>
“No, that’s enough,” Brinley replied, shaking her head—only growing more confused.
Was he being considerate on purpose? But why?
After they left with the desserts, Austin instructed the driver to stop at a nearby fruit shop with glowing reviews.
“Your staff will probably enjoy these,” he said, carefully selecting fresh fruit.