Chapter 46

Austin felt a faint warmth ripple through him at Brinley's words, like someone had brushed against his heart with the gentlest touch.

A low chuckle escaped him as he reached out,his hand sliding through Brinley's hair in a casual ruffle that felt far too natural, as if it had been a habit for years. "You're right. I'll have your back," he said with quiet amusement.

As he passed the documents back,his tone softened and an indulgent smile appeared on his lips. "If this is what you want, then go for it. Just promise me you won't wear yourself out. And if anything crops up that you can't handle, come to me first."

Brinley nodded, her voice steady. "I understand."

As she took the file, her fingertips brushed lightly against the back of his hand. The accidental contact sent a spark through both of them, and they drew back at once, as if scalded. The air between them thickened, charged with something unspoken.

Breaking the silence, Austin cleared his throat and shifted his gaze toward the villa."Come on, let's go inside. It's too cold out here."

Brinley trailed after him, her gaze following the tall,steady lines of his back, and a quiet reassurance settled in her chest.

Austin rarely wore his heart on his sleeve, but when it mattered, his presence was unshakable.

The chandelier overhead spilled a golden wash across the dining room, its light glinting off polished silverware. The butler had already laid out dinner,everything in place.

Brinley slid into her seat, still riffling through the project files spread before her. Her lips moved as she calculated. "The track's buffer zone has to be at least eight meters wide..."

Austin nudged a steaming bowl of soup closer, his voice carrying a thread of exasperated fondness."Eat first."

Her head jerked up, startled from her thoughts."Alright." She dipped the spoon into the broth and sipped obediently, though her eyes lingered on the documents as if tethered.

Watching her drift between dinner and diagrams,Austin found himself thinking that maybe this project was exactly what she needed.

What shone in her eyes, at least, was real, and the fire she carried when talking shop made her far more captivating than when she had to suffer the empty niceties of his family.

"That reminds me," Austin said, recalling something."There's a racing association banquet coming up.Plenty of industry players will be there-including the person overseeing this project. Want to attend with me?" Brinley tipped him a playful wink, a smile tugging at her lips. "Already taken care of."

His brows lifted, a hint of surprise flickering through his calm expression.

Dinner wound down to the background sound of her distracted murmurs, half-formed ideas slipping out between bites.

Once the meal ended, she retreated quickly to her study, clutching the files with restless determination,intent on burning the midnight oil to draft a preliminary proposal.

Austin didn't interfere, only murmuring an instruction to the butler to warm a cup of milk and bring it in.

From the doorway of the study, he lingered in silence, watching her hunched over the desk as her pen flew across the page. A faint smile curved his lips before he even realized it.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed Miguel. His tone was arlow but decisive. "Look into every company bidding on the racing-themed complex. Gather the blueprints for all the racetracks in Bleron and deliver them to my villa." When the call ended, he leaned against the doorframe, his gaze fixed on Brinley's focused expression.

The lamplight threw delicate shadows beneath her lashes, her brows drawn tight in thought, making her look strikingly radiant.

With three demanding weeks behind her, Brinley's world had been overtaken by work. Long hours and endless tasks had become her rhythm.

One morning at six, just as dawn was breaking, she darted into the garage while biting into a sandwich.

The passenger seat overflowed with folders, while the backseat was buried under design plans scribbled over with dense notes-numbers, track curves, sharp calculations. Today she intended to head straight to the project site, determined to capture precise slope data before

the workers even arrived.

Miguel glanced back from the driver's seat,extending a thermos with both hands. His voice carried a careful note. "From Mr. Moore, for your lunch,Mrs.Moore."

Brinley froze halfway through fastening her seatbelt,her eyes landing on the familiar thermos.

For nearly a week now, she had been leaving at dawn and coming home past midnight, without a single shared meal with Austin.

On the rare nights she returned to find him waiting in the living room, only a few clipped exchanges passed between them before they drifted off to separate rooms.

"Okay then." She slid the thermos into the stack of documents on her lap and said evenly, "Let's go."

As the car eased out of the villa gates, her gaze flicked to the glowing windows of the main house in the mirror. A pang of guilt pricked her chest, but it was quickly drowned by the tide of deadlines and calculations pressing in on her mind.

The project had reached a perilous crossroads, the blueprint already torn apart and rebuilt over ten rounds of revisions.

Government pressure bore down relentlessly, while rival firms circled like vultures, leaving Brinley no room for distraction.

Upon arriving at the project site, she immediately plunged into taking measurements.

Sneakers scuffed through dust as she moved with a laser distance meter in hand, crisscrossing the barren stretch. Sweat dampened her hair until it clung to her cheeks, itchy and slick against her skin.She was so absorbed in her work that the whole morning slipped away without her noticing.

Corbin, now officially her assistant, hurried over with a tissue, his tone threaded with concern. "Brinley, <