Chapter 43
Austin calmly set down his knife and fork, his gaze shifting to the group of staff members. His voice was firm as he spoke, “She’s my wife.”
In an instant, the staff members froze, their eyes wide with surprise. The tension in the air was palpable as they dared not utter a word.
Suddenly, a soft cough broke the silence. Suzanne had choked slightly on her food. The next moment, a glass of water appeared before her.
She looked up to find Austin’s concerned gaze. His frown deepened as he spoke, “Eat slowly.”
Suzanne nodded, accepting 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 water to soothe the burning sensation in her throat.
After a moment, Suzanne put the glass down, her gaze moving to the food. 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, doubt crept in. 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 had she done 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 was happening?
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?”
Suzanne hesitated, then managed 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 tried her saliva. Her face flushed instantly.
Austin’s eyes held a smile as he continued cutting 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. His attention made her feel as if she would never have enough food.
As they left the restaurant, Suzanne couldn’t help but notice the envious gazes from the staff. Their eyes followed them as they exited, clearly in awe of the couple’s connection.
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 turned to 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 bubbling within 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. She hadn’t expected him to say that. 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.
