Chapter 47

The afternoon meeting dragged on from two until six, only to be followed immediately by a video conference with the design institute.

When Brinley finally had a moment to breathe, night had already settled in outside the windows.

She rubbed at her aching temples as she stepped out of the meeting room and found Miguel waiting by the company entrance.

"Mr. Moore told me if you weren't done by eight, I should get you home no matter what," Miguel said awkwardly.

Brinley checked the time. It was nearly nine o'clock.

That was when she remembered the message Austin had sent that morning. It read, "Come home early tonight; I have something to tell you."

She had replied casually, "Okay." Then she had completely forgotten about it.

"Alright, let's go," Brinley said, opening the car door. The moment she sat down, her eyelids felt unbearably heavy.

She leaned against the back seat and closed her eyes. Her mind, however, wouldn't stop circling back to the design drafts.

She had dozed off until Miguel's gentle voice roused her. "Mrs. Moore, we're here."

Brinley opened her eyes and saw the villa's living room lit up, a soft golden glow streaming out through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

When she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw that Austin was sitting on the sofa with a newspaper open in front of him.

"You're back," he said quietly, glancing up at her face. There was a hint of tiredness in his eyes, but no trace of irritation about her late return.

Brinley strode over. She asked softly, "Were you waiting long?"

"Not really," Austin replied, setting the newspaper aside and motioning to the seat next to him. "Come sit."

The faint smell of tobacco mixed with the familiar cedar scent on him instantly eased the tension that had clung to her all day.

"How was the soup today? Did you like it?" he murmured.

"It was good." Brinley stared into Austin's eyes, a feeling of unease creeping into her chest."Thank you."

"Then why did you only drink the soup and leave the eggs untouched?" he asked, sounding clearly displeased.

Brinley blinked in surprise. He even knew about that?

Lowering her head, she whispered, "I had the soup and then rushed to my meeting. After that, I got busy."

Austin gently tilted her chin up, making her look at him, the concern in his eyes unmistakable. "Brinley, the project matters, but your health matters more. If you break down, who's going to see it through?"

"I'm fine..."

"No, you're not," he said firmly, cutting her off."Look at yourself. Dark circles under your eyes, hands freezing cold. Keep this up, and you'll end up in the hospital before the project's done."

Brinley fell silent, lowering her head again.

Austin sighed. Instead of scolding her further, he went to the kitchen and returned with a cup of warm water."Here. Drink this first."

After watching her take a sip, he said suddenly, "From tomorrow, you're to be home by eight every night."

"No way!" Brinley blurted out. "Evenings are the only time I can revise the drafts. Eight is far too early."

"Then work on them the next day," Austin replied without hesitation. "I've already told Miguel to notify your building management to cut the power after eight."

"Austin!" Brinley gasped, staring at him in frustration. "How can you do that?"

He met her eyes, a resolute look in his. "Either you come home on time, or I'll make sure your project doesn't move forward."

Brinley studied his expression, knowing he wasn't bluffing. He was never one to go back on his word.Especially when it came to her, he was unyielding.

Her eyes stung as she glared at him. She knew he was worried, but the way he interfered so forcefully with her work left her feeling cornered.

She tried to reason with him. "I'm working on an important..."

"Nothing is more important than your health," Austin said, reaching out and running a hand through her hair with such an unexpected gentleness. "Make sure you look after yourself, okay?"

Those words carried such tenderness that they struck directly at Brinley's heart, and her anger melted like ice in the sun.

She sniffed lightly and muttered, "Fine."

Austin softened when he saw her give in. "There's porridge in the kitchen, kept warm. Go eat some."

"I don't want any; I'm not hungry."

"You still need to eat." He stood, pulling her up insistently.therwise, I'll call your team right now and give them all a day off tomorrow."

Dragged into the kitchen, Brinley watched him scoop a bowl of steaming seafood porridge from the pot. It was filled with her favorite ingredients, cooked until perfectly tender. The aroma alone was comforting.

"Eat." Austin placed the spoon in her hand and leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching intently.

Brinley reluctantly lifted a spoonful to her mouth. The warmth spread through her stomach, easing the exhaustion and refreshing her almost instantly. She glanced up to see Austin watching her closely, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked.

"I'll eat once you've finished." Austin's reply was casual.

"Alright," Brinley said softly and continued eating.

The porridge was served at the perfect warmth-neither scalding nor lukewarm-showing it had been reheated more than once so it would be ready the moment she came home.

It was only then that Brinley realized Austin hadn't had anything urgent to tell her. He just wanted to be there,making sure she ate.