Chapter 59

A deafening roar burst from the engine, gravel exploding away from the spinning tires.

Before the vehicle could crumple against the container wall, Brinley jerked the wheel and feathered the brakes, steadying the vehicle in a hair-raising swerve.

It skimmed past with barely a sliver of space to spare, the side mirror clearing the steel by less than a fingertip's width.

In her rearview, she caught sight of the black sedan struggling with the turn, forced to loop wide around a stack of containers, losing at least fifty meters in the process.

She refused to ease up, shooting through the far end of the warehouse complex and aiming straight for the narrow road that linked back to the highway.

When her tires finally hit the smooth stretch of asphalt, Brinley exhaled in relief, realizing her palms were slick with sweat and her heartbeat pounded against her ribs.

A quick glance in the mirror confirmed the sedan had broken off-the driver knew chasing her into public traffic was pointless.

Easing off the gas, she tried to regulate her breath, though her thoughts still reeled from the pursuit.

Who the hell were they? Why had they been on her tail?

Was it tied to the project... or something far more dangerous?

A sudden flicker in her line of sight made her look twice, revealing a car idling at the roadside.

It was a sleek black Maybach, the license plate number etched into her memory.

The tinted window slid down, revealing Austin's sharp profile.

His gaze wasn't on her but on the road behind, his expression taut with shock and unguarded worry. For a split second, Brinley's heart faltered mid-beat.

What on earth was he doing here?

Her instincts overrode hesitation-she braked hard and pulled up alongside him.

Pulling the window down, she let the evening breeze wash over her flushed skin, steadying her nerves.

"What are you doing here?" she inquired, her voice unsteady, the adrenaline from the chase still humming in her veins.

Austin stayed silent at first, his gaze traveling from her ashen face to her knuckles clenched white around the steering wheel, then lingering on the mud-caked tires and scraped rims of her SUV. His expression remained unreadable.

After what felt like forever, he finally spoke, his voice low and rough. "I called you. You didn't answer. I got worried and came looking for you."

He cut himself short, eyes narrowing toward the stretch of road that disappeared into the abandoned warehouse complex, his tone edged with restrained tension. "What in the world just happened out there?"

The realization struck Brinley hard-he hadn't coincidentally shown up; he'd come for her.

And the chase that had left her heart hammering...How much of it had he witnessed?

Meeting his dark, searching eyes, her throat tightened.

The night breeze swept across the roadside, scattering brittle leaves across the pavement.

The bitter odor of burnt rubber still hung in the air between their two vehicles, thick and suffocating in the silence.

Brinley parted her lips, but no words came out.

Austin only studied her in silence, his gaze steady yet turbulent, as if fighting to contain what he felt:

He had come to take her home-only to make sure she wasn't stranded in such an isolated place-yet he had stumbled upon a side of her he'd never seen. The woman who used to blush and spar with him had, behind the wheel, become someone altogether different: composed, razor-sharp, radiating an iron-willed resolve.

Every drift and surge of speed had beenflawless, executed with the elegance of a champion racer.

What other secrets was she still keeping from him?

He didn't voice the question. Instead, Ausin closed his hand around her wrist, his touch firm but not harsh,and guided her toward the passenger seat.

"Come on," he murmured, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Let me drive you back."

Brinley sank into the passenger seat of Austin's car without protest.

It took nearly three minutes before the tremor in her chest eased, her breath still uneven from the chase.

She hadn't been behind the wheel like that in years, and the sudden eruption of danger had rattled her more than she wanted to admit.

Her mind spun with questions she couldn't answer-what the pursuers wanted and what might have happened if they'd managed to box her in. The thought alone made her palms clammy.

The cool blast of the air conditioning grazed her damp forehead, sending a faint shiver down her spine.

"Cold?" Austin asked. Without waiting for her reply, he adjusted the temperature with calm efficiency.

The drive passed in heavy quiet until the car rolled to a smooth stop before Hillcrest Villa.

Austin at last broke the silence, his deep voice steady and certain. "Someone's tailing you."

"That's right," Brinley admitted it with a small nod, her tone deliberately light. "Fortunately, I pulled it off and shook that car behind me."

"Fortunately?" Austin's brows drew together as he closed his hand around her wrist once more. "Come on,get out first. We'll continue this inside."

The heat of his palm and the unyielding strength of his grip left her powerless to resist. Brinley nearly lost her balance as he guided her into the villa.

Warm amber light glowed across the polished floorboards, pushing back the night outside, though it did little to ease the unease churning in her chest.

While she bent to change her shoes, Austin disappeared briefly, returning with a first aid kit in hand.

"Come here." His voice remained calm, yet beneath that steadiness was an unmistakable command that demanded obedience.

She faltered for a second before softly insisting, "I'm fine, really. I didn't get hurt."

"Come here," Austin said again, already holding iodine and cotton swabs in his hand.

Backed into a corner, Brinley lowered herself onto the sofa.

He gently took her arm, turning it under the light to inspect her elbow and wrist before motioning for her to push her pant leg higher so he could check her knees.

His touch carried a careful tenderness, every movement deliberate, so unlike the calm, controlled composure he usually wore.

"I told you, I'm fine," Brinley murmnured, trying to tug her hand back. "Just a little rattled,that's all."

Austin didn't answer. His gaze shifted to her palm, where a deep red welt stood out from how hard she'd gripped the steering wheel.

He dipped a cotton swab in iodine, brushed it lightly against the mark, and finally spoke."Does it sting?"