Chapter 43

Austin Simady set down his knife and fork, his gaze moving to the group of staff members. He said firmly, “She’s my wife.”

In an instant, the staff members froze and stared at the couple with wide eyes. They dared not speak another word.

Suddenly, a cough sounded. Suzanne had choked a little on the food. The next second, a glass of water appeared before her.

She looked up to find Austin’s intense gaze. Frowning, he said, “Eat slowly.”

Suzanne nodded as she accepted the glass of water from him. “Thank you.”

It wasn’t until the words left her mouth that she realized she had just thanked him. She didn’t dwell on it, though, and took several sips of the water to soothe the burning sensation in her throat.

After a moment, Suzanne put the glass down. She cut another piece of rib and placed it on Austin’s plate. “Try this. It’s pretty good.”

But as soon as she placed the rib on his plate, she began to regret it. She suddenly remembered that Rita had mentioned Austin’s severe mysophobia. He never ate food that someone else served him, not even food served by his parents.

Why did she just do that?

As Suzanne anxiously watched, Austin glanced at the food on his plate before slowly picking it up with his fork.

Suzanne’s eyelashes fluttered. What…?

Before she could think further, Austin had already placed the food in his mouth. Suzanne’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Rita had told her those things with such seriousness. But now, watching Austin’s actions, she almost wondered if she had misunderstood.

Frowning, Austin looked at her. “Why are you staring at me?”

She hesitated before finally managing to ask, “Don’t you… have mysophobia?”

Austin casually glanced at her. “I’ve kissed you.”

Suzanne froze for a few seconds, then quickly realized what he meant. He was saying that he had already tasted her saliva. Her face flushed instantly.

Austin’s eyes held a smile as he continued carving the meat for her. “Eat more.”

Throughout the meal, Austin didn’t eat much, but Suzanne ate with gusto once her embarrassment faded. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed barbecue, and today, she definitely overindulged.

It was mainly because Austin kept insisting that she was too thin and needed to eat more. It made her feel like she would never have enough food.

As they left the restaurant, Suzanne couldn’t help but feel the envious gazes from the staff.

The couple didn’t linger and headed straight back to their house. However, once they reached the driveway, Austin didn’t get out of the car. Instead, he looked at Suzanne and said, “I’ve got some work to take care of at the office. You go ahead and head inside.”

Suzanne’s gaze flickered. He was so busy, yet he still made time to be with her. She stared at him, curiosity getting the best of her. “Why are you so good to me?”

Austin paused, then turned back to her with a steady gaze. “I won’t neglect my wife. It’s what a husband should do.”

Suzanne was taken aback. So, he was just fulfilling his duty as her husband?

A sense of relief washed over her as she nodded. “Okay. Remember to balance work and rest.”

Austin pursed his lips into a thin line. He had noticed her relieved expression. From the beginning, she hadn’t really taken her identity as his wife seriously.

Suzanne had no idea what Austin was thinking. As soon as she closed the car door, Austin had already driven off.