Chapter 110
In the cab. Watching Lucas fume with rage as he chased after them, only to get a face full of exhaust fumes, Austin burst out laughing.
Perhaps influenced by Austin’s infectious mirth, Emily couldn’t help but smile, though she held back from laughing out loud like he did.
After the laughter faded, Emily gently cautioned Austin, “The guy you just laughed at? He’s the heir of the Bennett family in Cloudridge.”
Emily could tell Austin was staying with her to conceal his identity because he used her ID to open a bank account.
Given the Bennett family’s status as Cloudridge’s top power, Austin antagonizing Lucas like this was truly not a wise move.
Austin caught her meaning but just shrugged it off. “Who cares who he is? What really matters is, did that feel satisfying, Emily?”
Emily’s hand, resting on her knee, unconsciously clenched. The way he seemed to make her his top priority felt like a feather gently brushing across her heart.
Emily gazed at Austin for a long moment. Finally, a subtle smile played on her lips as she let out a soft “Yeah.”
Austin’s dimples deepened. “So, Emily, does it still feel awkward when I call you that now?”
The question caught Emily off guard. Because of Lucas and Lydia, the words “dear Emily” had never meant anything good to her.
So, every time Austin called her “Emily,” a surge of resistance would involuntarily well up in Emily.
She’d kept her thoughts to herself because she and Austin weren’t that close, but she never expected him to be so perceptive.
She wasn’t sure if it was just that she’d gotten used to hearing Austin call her “dear Emily” lately, or if it was because of what had just happened, but that word didn’t feel so off-putting anymore.
Emily turned her head to study Austin. This was the first time Emily had ever truly studied Austin so directly and intently. “Are you always this genuine with everyone?”
Emily thought, ‘I’m not sure how much genuine feeling is behind Austin’s sincerity, but at least right now, what I sense is completely real.’
Austin tilted his head, his eyes clear and sincere. “Yeah, but not everyone is worth being this genuine with, Emily.”
They saw him as nothing but a pawn since birth, one destined to be discarded.
A moment of silence fell over the cab. After this conversation, a subtle yet undeniable shift occurred in the relationship between Austin and Emily.
But neither Austin nor Emily noticed the subtle change between them; they simply went on with their daily
routines as usual.
1/2
Chapter 11O
Austin got himself a new phone, and the very first thing he did was add his number to Emily’s contacts, then cheekily pinned himself right at the top of her list.
Emily didn’t stop him, fully absorbed in putting the finishing touches on her illustration. Seeing how engrossed Emily was, Austin decided not to disturb her and quietly slipped into the kitchen to make dinner.
Moments later, a sudden knock echoed from the apartment door. The kitchen door was closed, muffling the sound so Austin couldn’t hear it. With no other choice, Emily got up.
Walking to the door, Emily wondered who could be knocking. She opened the door, only to find Lydia standing there.
Lydia’s face was still twisted in disgust, and she made no effort to hide it when she saw Emily come out. “Emily, how could you live in a dump like this?”
Lydia dramatically pinched her nose and recoiled two steps, as if the place reeked of something foul.
Emily’s expression instantly turned frosty at the sight of Lydia. She asked coldly, “What do you want?”
