Chapter 177
Austin's brows knitted slightly as he stepped forward, subtly positioning himself between Suzanne and Christopher. His voice was calm but firm. “That won’t be necessary.” Yasmine glanced over, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Aaron, let’s go. We’re not headed in the same direction anyway.”
Aaron blinked in confusion, wondering aloud, “Not in the same direction?” Their villa and Starview Villa were practically in the same part of town. Before he could dwell on it, Yasmine had already taken his hand and was leading him toward the car. Austin cast a look at Yasmine, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly. Suzanne, too, was puzzled.
Just then, Christopher’s phone rang. After glancing at the screen for a moment, he answered the call, and his expression darkened within seconds. His voice immediately cooled as he said, “Alright, I got it.” After ending the call, he turned to Austin and the others, asking, “Did you run into an attack on your way here?”
Austin didn’t see the need to hide anything and simply responded with a low hum. Considering the short distance between the Hall residence and the Zander residence, as well as the Zanders' extensive reach, it was no surprise that Christopher had already gotten word of it.
Without hesitation, Christopher snapped his fingers toward a corner of the garden. Almost instantly, a dozen bodyguards stepped forward, standing at attention as they saluted him. Their sharp posture and commanding presence made it clear they were no ordinary security detail.
Christopher addressed the group, explaining, “I’ll have them escort you all home tonight. Mr. Hall, I hope you won’t refuse this gesture of goodwill from the Zanders.” With two of the Hall family members in his care, he couldn’t afford any mishaps.
Austin cast a brief glance at Suzanne and then nodded. “Alright.” With that, Yasmine and Aaron shared one car with an escort, while Austin and Suzanne rode in another with Christopher himself behind the wheel. The small convoy set off down the road.
From the rearview mirror, Christopher studied the two in the back seat, his mind restless. “Are they together?” he wondered. But there was no warmth, no closeness between them—none of the telltale signs of a couple. It didn’t seem like it, at least not until they arrived at Stardew Villa.
Austin stepped out first. Then, without warning, he reached for Suzanne’s hand. She stiffened instantly while Christopher’s eyes widened. Suzanne turned to Christopher and politely said, “Thanks for the ride.” He coughed awkwardly and replied, “Uh, no problem.”
Austin, however, looked straight at him. “Why don’t you come in for a bit, Mr. Zander?” Christopher waved a hand dismissively. “It’s late, and I need to check on my grandpa. I’ll take a rain check. See you next time.”
Austin gave a small nod, choosing not to press further. With that, the two headed into the villa. “Do they really are together,” Christopher thought. Letting out a long sigh, he muttered, “Guess I’ll just stay single forever.” For a moment, he had thought maybe, just maybe, his time had come; it turned out he was already too late.
Back in the villa, Suzanne freshened up and collapsed onto the bed. The night had been an eventful one. She couldn’t help but wonder who the person from earlier was. Whoever it was, they had gone straight for the kill. Yet they hadn’t persisted. Instead, they made the rational choice. She mulled it over, but no answer came to mind.
Just then, Suzanne felt the mattress dip beside her. Austin lay down next to her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight,” he whispered. With that, he rolled back to his side and shut his eyes lightly. Suzanne went rigid. The unexpected touch had caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily at a loss. But the man beside her had already settled in and murmured again. Her gaze flickered. In the end, she whispered back, “Night.”
A few days later, inside the vast conference room of Hall Corporation, a grand circular table took center stage. It was adorned with fresh, neatly arranged plants. Bottled water was placed in front of every seat, along with nameplates for each shareholder.