Chapter 62

Brinley inhaled deeply, steeling herself, then lifted her eyes to meet Austin's.

His gaze held a quiet expectancy, a faint tension flickering in it, like someone awaiting a verdict.

"Austin," she said, her voice quivering but steady. "I'm not ready to give you an answer yet."

A shadow passed over Austin's eyes, but he nodded gently. "That's fine.I can wait."

"That's not what I mean," Brinley said, biting her lip as she summoned her courage. "I realize l've come to rely on you more than l expected."

She saw a spark lit up in Austin's eyes.

"So," she continued, her cheeks flushing but her words resolute, "I need a little time to see if my feelings for you might grow into something more."

The moment the words left her lips, a weight lifted from her chest. She ducked her head,too nervous to gauge his reaction.

"You want me to give you some time, right?" Austin's tone carried a trace of playful warmth.

"Yeah," Brinley muttered, barely audible. "But I can't promise l'Il fall for you."

She hesitated, then added, "And if... if it doesn't work out, you have to let me go if I fall in love with someone else."

Her heart raced as she braced for his response.

Would he think shewas asking too much? Would he be upset?

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Austin's soft chuckle, laced with affection, broke it.

"Brinley," he said, his voice warm with amusement and a hint of frustration,"Are you putting me on a trial run?" Guilt pricked at her, but she straightened, her voice firm. "What else can I do? You can't force love-it takes time."

Austin didn't argue. HHe just looked at her, his gaze tender yet resolute, brimming with quiet determination.

After a pause, he simply murmured an assent.

Brinley snuck a glance at him, catching his gentle smile.

Her heart skipped, and she quickly focused on her plate, pretending to be absorbed in her meal, though her senses were attuned to his every move.

Outside,the faint hum of summer cicadas filled the air.

Brinley's mind churned with nerves, uncertainty, and a flicker of excitement she wasn't ready to admit.

The whole idea of trying to love him... it didn't seem so bad after all.

In fact, the thought brought a small, involuntary smile to her lips.

Austin's smile widened as he noticed, his confidence growing.

A trial period? He was confident he could turn it into a lifetime commitment.

For the rest of the meal, they steered clear of the topic, but a quiet warmth blossomed between them.

Austin casually served her food, and Brinley accepted it without hesitation.

Their eyes met now and then, sparking brief moments of connection-less awkward than before,but still charged.

As they left the private dining room, Austin drove her back to her office.

Soft music played in the car, and neither spoke for a while.

Brinley's mind churned with questions, unable to fathom what was going through Austin's head.

She couldn't believe that Austin's kindness all this time was because he had feelings for her. Why her? When did his feelings start?

The car rolled to a stop in front of her office building.

As Brinley unbuckled her seatbelt, poised to step out, Austin's voice halted her. "Brinley."

She turned, brow furrowed."What?"

His gaze softened, and his tone became sincere. "Whether you end up loving me or not, I'll make sure this trial shows you I'm worth choosing."

Wordless, Brinley pushed open the door and hurried into the building, her ears burning with a quiet flush.

From an upstairs window, she watched his car pull away, her hand pressed to her chest, feeling the steady thump of her heart.

A faint smile crept onto her lips. She couldn't deny Austin's remarkable qualities, nor the stirrings she felt for him.

But love? She would proceed cautiously, determined to avoid the missteps she had made with Colin.

Meanwhile, Colin's frustration erupted as he stormed into his home, hurling his tablet onto the coffee table.

The screen remained open on the project bid winning announcement page, the bold "VantagePath Realty"text piercing like daggers, burning into his reddened eyes.

Damn it! Brinley had wrestled another project from him!

Each defeat stung more sharply than the last.

At first, he had dismissed it as luck or Austin's influence, but after reviewing her team's impeccable proposal, he had to concede-she had outdone him fair and square.

"Another loss?" Milly stepped out from the kitchen, a bowl of soup in hand, her white silk nightgown clinging to her slightly rounded belly. Her expression was filled with concern.

Colin had cited her pregnancy to keep her from the bidding conference, and she, still grappling with unease over reporting Brinley for plagiarism, hadn't objected. He avoided her gaze, his voice flat. "Brinley's proposal was better than mine."

The matter-of-fact admission cut into Milly like a blade.

Standing before him, she forced a sweet tone. "Well, she's got Austin in her corner. That's why you lost."