Chapter 163
Austin’s simple words weighed on Emily’s heart like a thousand-pound boulder, making her nose sting with emotion.
Everyone who had once chosen her so firmly was gone. She had thought that, for the rest of her life, no one would ever stand by her side again.
After all, even the family who had doted on her since childhood had abandoned her, so she didn’t dare to hope anyone else would choose her.
Austin’s unwavering resolve left Andrew momentarily stunned. Especially Emily’s gaze-calm, steady, and unwavering- made Andrew’s unease reach its peak.
He retorted, “Just because she saved you from the kidnappers, you trust her that much? What if she were the one who hired them? Ever think she staged the whole thing just to gain your trust?”
Austin looked at Andrew like he was an idiot. He said, “So you’re saying Emily went out of her way to hire kidnappers to snatch me, then staged a rescue just to win my trust.
“All so she could bust her back making money to take care of me?”
He thought, ‘If I really were that important to Emily, I would honestly be wishing for it.
Andrew was left speechless. In his panic, he’d been grasping at straws to prove he was right and Austin was wrong, completely ignoring whether his reasoning made any sense.
Now, faced with Austin’s pointed question, the usually sharp-tongued Andrew was at a loss for words.
Austin didn’t even bother waiting for an answer. He rolled his eyes. When he turned back to Emily, his smile was pure and sunny. He said, “Let’s go, Emily.”
Emily nodded, picked up the groceries she’d dropped, and silently followed Austin out. The whole time, she didn’t so much as look Andrew’s way-not even out of the corner of her eye.
It wasn’t until they got back to their apartment that Emily finally spoke up. She said, “You know exactly who he is-aren’t you afraid he’ll start looking into who you really are?”
She never pried into Austin’s business, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t noticed how he always kept his whereabouts and identity under wraps.
Austin set the groceries down and flashed Emily a bright smile. He asked, “Are you worried about me?”
Emily didn’t answer, but her silence was as good as a yes.
Austin’s smile grew even wider. He said, “Relax, Emily. He can’t do anything to me.”
The Bennett Family might have some clout in Cloudridge, but outside of it, they didn’t really matter.
Emily had no idea where Austin’s confidence came from, but hearing him say that was enough to put her mind at ease.
Seeing her visibly relaxed made Austin feel a strange burst of happiness inside. He walked over and leaned down until he was right in front of her. He asked, “Do you really care about me that much?”
His sudden closeness made Emily instinctively lean back, her expression wary-but she didn’t move away. She tilted her head a little and said, “Since you trust me so much, isn’t it only right that I care about you too?”
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Chapter 163
Emily cherished every bit of trust, no matter how fragile, more delicate than glass. After all, it was trust that had given her the chance to leave St. Gabriel Reform Academy.
Her honesty caught Austin off guard. He glanced down at her feet-she looked wary, but she hadn’t budged an inch-and his lips curled into another smile.
He said, “Then you’ll have to care about me even more from now on, because I’ll always trust you. As long as you don’t abandon me.” His tone was calm, but every word was steady, like he was clinging to something deep inside.
Emily’s usually indifferent expression shifted ever so slightly. She thought, ‘Abandon? Every time this word shows up in my life, I am always the one left behind.
She pressed her lips together and turned away. “Go ahead and start dinner,” she said quietly. Then she headed out to the balcony to check on her latest painting.
