Chapter 13
Suzanne took a deep breath to steady herself before answering tentatively, her voice soft.
“Hello?”
Austin’s husky voice came through the phone.
“What are you doing?”
Maybe it was the distance created by the phone line, but his voice sounded especially deep and magnetic.
Suzanne had always had a thing for charming voices.
And, despite herself, her heart skipped a beat.
She gripped her fork tighter, trying to compose herself. “Having dinner,” she replied neutrally.
Immediately, she realized how curt that sounded, so she quickly added, “Have you eaten yet?”
Austin murmured, “Yeah.”
The brief exchange left Suzanne feeling awkward.
Why did he even call if he had nothing to say?
Still, since he hadn’t hung up, she didn’t feel right ending the call either.
The silence between them stretched—growing increasingly uncomfortable.
Finally, she forced herself to ask, “Did you need something?”
She expected him to brush it off with a simple no, but instead—
Austin answered softly, “I do.”
Something about his tone made Suzanne’s nerves tighten.
What could he want?
Was this about the hospital?
Her mind flashed back to yesterday. Considering Austin’s influence and his no-nonsense nature, it made sense that he had already heard about it.
Since they were technically married, clearing up any misunderstandings seemed like the right thing to do.
Her voice was hesitant but sincere. “Jenson and I are over. There’s absolutely nothing between us anymore, so please don’t overthink it—”
She hadn’t even finished when Austin cut her off.
“I didn’t expect my wife to be Jane Smith,” he said flatly, his tone revealing nothing.
Suzanne froze.
She hadn’t expected him to bring up her identity.
After a brief pause, she responded softly, “I’m not powerful, nor do I come from an influential family. I promise I won’t cause you any trouble.”
All she wanted was to quietly focus on doing the things she loved.
If Austin decided to interfere, it would put her in an impossible position. She knew how much reputation and decorum mattered in families like his.
To her surprise, Austin chuckled lightly.
His voice softened. “I don’t think you’re causing me any trouble.”
Suzanne paused, taken aback.
Her grip on her phone tightened slightly, and before she could stop it, a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
It genuinely made her happy to hear him say that.
But her relief was short-lived.
Almost immediately, a chill seemed to seep through the phone as Austin snapped—
“I don’t want to hear those words again.”
Suzanne froze.
He was mad.
She quickly cleared her throat and said, “I… I’m still not used to this. I won’t say it again, okay?”
What she didn’t realize was that her voice had taken on a bashful tone.
Austin raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes.
“I’ll be back in two days.”
Suzanne’s hand—midway to grabbing her food—stopped in mid-air.
“What? Didn’t you say you’d be away for seven days?” she asked, surprised.
Austin gathered the documents on his desk, his tone calm. “I can wrap things up early. Besides, it’s time to take you home to meet my family.”
Clatter.
Suzanne’s fork slipped from her fingers, hitting the plate with a crisp sound.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Quickly picking up the fork again, she stammered, “I—I’m not ready yet.”
Even over the phone, Austin could sense her unease.
A faint smile touched his lips at the thought of her flustered expression.
“My mother already knows about you, and she’s very kind. There’s no need to worry. Just be yourself.”
Suzanne wasn’t convinced.
Meeting his family wasn’t a small occasion.
Still distracted, she murmured absentmindedly, “Okay…”
Austin sighed quietly.
He could tell she wasn’t taking his words to heart—probably overthinking everything, wondering what kind of gifts to bring.
He knew nothing he said would truly calm her down, so he softened his voice.
“Finish your dinner. I’ll be back soon.”
After a brief exchange, they ended the call.
But Suzanne barely ate another bite.
Instead, she curled up on the couch, clutching her phone and furiously scrolling through the internet.
“What gifts to bring when meeting the in-laws for the first time?”
The responses were all over the place—none of them particularly helpful.
Frustrated, Suzanne huffed and tossed her phone aside.
Yates Residence
Seline’s room was a vision of pink.
A delicate white vanity was cluttered with an array of expensive cosmetics, perfectly matching her princess-like aesthetic.
At the moment, however, Seline lay face down on her bed, her head buried under a pillow.
There was a knock at the door.
Before Seline could respond, Mandy stepped inside, carrying a plate of fresh fruit. She placed it on the bedside table, her gaze falling on her daughter.
“My darling, you barely ate anything tonight. Aren’t you hungry?” Mandy asked gently.
Seline didn’t respond.
Sensing something was wrong, Mandy firmly pulled the pillow off her daughter’s head.
“What’s wrong?”
Seline sat up abruptly and threw her arms around her mother, bursting into tears.
“Mom, I’m scared Jenson doesn’t want me anymore!”
Mandy’s brows furrowed deeply as she gripped Seline’s shoulders, pushing her back slightly to look at her.
Her voice turned serious.
“What happened?”
Despite her composed tone, Mandy felt a heavy weight settle in her chest.
She feared Jenson had a change of heart toward Seline.
Seline wailed louder, recounting everything that had happened the previous day.
Mandy listened, her expression shifting from disbelief to anger.
She couldn’t believe it.
Seline dabbed at her swollen eyes with a tissue, her voice hoarse and trembling.
“Mom, what should I do?”
Mandy was panicking.
Her hands clenched into tight fists.
With a furious slam, she brought one down onto the bed, her eyes gleaming with venom.
Through gritted teeth, she seethed—
“Suzanne, that wretched woman! I never thought she had this card up her sleeve!”
But what infuriated Mandy even more was discovering that Suzanne was none other than—
Jane Smith.
The miracle doctor.
Jane Smith could have been anyone.
But her?
If Mandy had known this earlier, she would have eliminated Suzanne long ago.
Now, she had let this threat grow into a full-blown disaster.
