Chapter 53

Suzanne’s hand was still on her cheek. As she stared at Austin, her gaze went blank for a moment. But then she quickly shook her head and accepted the fork. “It’s nothing.”

She cleared her throat and quickly shoveled some food into her mouth. The awkwardness she felt was almost too much to bear. She must have looked so silly just now.

Austin raised an eyebrow in surprise. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like Suzanne’s ears were a little red. She hadn’t reacted like that when he had held her earlier.

Rita, unaware of their interaction, walked over and served them each a bowl of stew.

“Mr. Hall, Mrs. Hall, please try this stew. I’ve been simmering it for six hours. I thought Mrs. Hall looked a bit too thin, so I made it to help her build her strength.”

Austin nodded in approval. “Well done. You’ll get double the salary this month.”

Suzanne was rendered speechless.

Rita immediately smiled gracefully at Austin. “Thank you, Mr. Hall.”

After that, the table fell silent. Suzanne kept her head lowered, eating and drinking slowly. At that moment, it seemed like her earlier feelings of melancholy had dissipated.

The meal didn’t last long. After Rita cleared the dishes, Austin led Suzanne out to the backyard for a walk. They then headed back to the bedroom.

The bedroom was dimly lit. After bathing, Suzanne lay in bed with her eyes closed, trying to fall asleep. Perhaps because she knew Austin was still in the bathroom, she couldn’t fully relax. Plus, the events of the day kept her mind restless. She couldn’t sleep at all.

After an unknown amount of time, Suzanne felt the bed dip beside her. She opened her eyes and saw that Austin had climbed in.

He looked at her and said softly, “Good night, Mrs. Hall.”

Suzanne was momentarily stunned before she saw him turn off the lights.

Her expression was complex. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Austin froze. Feeling her move close, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

The sudden closeness made Suzanne breathe. After a brief moment, she shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly, the sound of his suppressed groans reached her ears. Suzanne froze.

Austin felt as though his entire body was submerged in scalding water. The sensation was almost unbearable, yet the woman in his arms kept moving.

He whispered near her ear, “I’m a normal man.”

His words, laced with warmth, sent a tremor through Suzanne’s heart. But before she could react, he tightened his hold around her waist.

Suzanne’s face flushed. “What… What…”

Her normally composed demeanor was shaken, and she stuttered in her response.

But Austin didn’t push further. He simply held her close and said gently, “It’s okay, I’ll give you time.”

With that, he closed his eyes as if the heated conversation never happened.

Suzanne, however, didn’t dare move again. The room grew quiet, but her mind became even more alert. Sleep eluded her.

She thought about Henry’s coldness and Austin’s care. It made everything feel so complicated. How was she supposed to deal with all of this going forward?

With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes, though the restlessness in her mind made it hard to sleep. Eventually, after some time, she drifted off into slumber.

The next day, Suzanne woke up early and had breakfast with Austin before heading out to the Guerra residence.

She parked her car outside. Just as she got out of the car, she felt a breeze rush past her.