Brinley's scarlet dress vanished from sight, leaving his

loyalty, her gentle temper, the way she'd

his, there was nothing le

gone so

lip, her face still carrying that soft, demure facade. "Coli

icked to Milly's rounded belly, then back to the empty stairway, be

he heavy double doors of the banquet

all the guests turned their head

raight through the buzzing hal

ectly to broad shoulders and a lean waist. His face was all hard lines and precisi

the entire banquet froze into a silence so deep

n Moore, the elusive and ruthless CEO of Moore Group

t he would appear at the Kn

re Group sent only a senior executive as a formality. Austin himself av

hushed but fervent. "My God, what

he never shows up

ere because of Mrs. Knigh

speculation. Every pair of eyes was f

members bustled forward, their

to have you with us toni

lance. His eyes were locked o

screetly, "Your wife is already upsta

catch the words, they could read

hall, and many heads turned toward

famous Austin waiting at the hall

temper could be, and the consequences would fall hard. As for Brin

ne whispered nervously. "Crossing

ly's lashes lowered just enough to veil th

stin, her lofty status wouldn't protect

th delicate fingers, her voice soft with feigned f

nley. But Milly's plea snapped him back, his expression tightening with worry. "What'

eaning into him as though the effort of standing was too much. Yet e

sed her mind. As long as she was around, Brinley could

inley. But it didn't matter. His child growing within h

with affection, yet more than once she had over

though Brinley had once been her substitute

. Her triumph lay in one thing

his every gesture brimming with tenderness, as though he h

d guest eased his way closer to Austin, eager to f

robably haven't been told, but the Knight family has been pouring all their attention on Miss

smooth yet laced with ridicule. "Oh? My w

s mouth twitch, his feat

st called Bri

dyguards closed in with faces carved from stone, motioning h

o pale. "What in the world are you doing

" one of the bodyguards cut him off, voice fla

d him firmly by the arms and dragged him away

shudder running through them. No one d

glance. His eyes stayed locked on the

sat opposite Thalia, their conversation flow

d lightly on the doorframe and a

air, Austin was already striding in fro

ad lifted in

ith hers, and in that instant, the atmo

time she had seen him

mained overseas, absent even on the

from glossy magazine covers flaunting his

ood, barely fi

ressed down on her, and without r