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 seemed especially deep and magnetic. Suzanne always had a thing for charming voices and felt her heart skip a beat. She gripped her fork tighter, trying to compose herself. "Having dinner," she replied, her tone neutral. 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. She wondered why he called if he had nothing to say. Still, since he hadn't hung up, it didn't feel right for her to end the call either. The silence between them was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, she forced herself to ask, "Did you... need something?" She had expected him to brush it off with a simple no, but instead, Austin answered softly, "I do." However, he seemed to be implying something in his tone, and Suzanne felt her nerves tighten. What could he want? Was this about the hospital? Her mind flashed back to the events yesterday. Considering Austin's influence and his no-nonsense approach, it made sense that he had heard about it by now. Since they were already married, she thought clearing up any misunderstandings was the right thing to do. Her voice was hesitant but earnest. "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 interrupted her. "I didn't expect my wife to be Jane Smith," he said flatly, his tone giving nothing away. Suzanne froze, her surprise evident. She hadn't thought he would bring up her identity. After a brief pause, she responded softly, "I'm not capable, nor do I come from a powerful family. I promise I won't cause any problems for you." 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 important reputation and decorum were in families like his. To her surprise, Austin chuckled lightly. His tone softened as he said, "I don't think you're causing me any trouble." Suzanne paused, surprised by his response. Her grip on her phone tightened slightly, and she couldn't stop a small smile from tugging 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, realizing that he was mad. She cleared her throat lightly and quickly said, "I… I'm still not used to this. I won't say it again, okay?" However, she didn't realize she had taken on a bashful tone. Austin raised an eyebrow with amusement flickering in his eyes. "I'll be back in two days." Suzanne's hand, which had just been reaching for her food, stopped in mid-air. Surprised, she asked, "What? Didn't you say you'd be away for seven days?" Austin gathered the documents on his desk, his tone calm as he explained, "I can wrap things up early. Besides, it's time to take you home to meet my family." Suzanne's fork slipped from her hand, hitting the plate with a crisp sound. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly picked it up again. She had known this day would come, but she hadn't expected it so soon. "I-I'm not ready yet," she stammered. Even over the phone, Austin could sense her unease. He couldn't help but smile faintly at the thought of her current expression. "My mother already knows about you, and she's very kind. There's no need to worry. Just be yourself." Austin's reassurance did little to ease Suzanne's tension. Meeting his family wasn't a small occasion. "Okay," Suzanne replied absentmindedly. Austin sighed quietly. He could tell she hadn't taken his words to heart. She was probably overthinking things, wondering what kind of gifts to bring. He knew nothing he said would calm her down, so he softened his voice and said, "Finish your dinner. I'll be back soon." After a brief exchange, they ended the call. Suzanne barely ate another bite. Instead, she curled up on the couch, clutching her phone and scrolling through the internet. "What gifts to bring when meeting the in-laws for the first time?" The responses she found were all over the place, and none of them were particularly helpful. Frustrated, Suzanne hugged her phone and sighed as she wondered what to do. … Seline's room at the Yates residence was a vision of pink. Her white vanity was cluttered with an array of cosmetics. Everything perfectly matched a princess-like aesthetic. At the moment, Seline lay face down on her bed, her head buried under a pillow. There was a knock on 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 Seline. "My darling, you barely ate anything tonight. Aren't you hungry?" Mandy asked gently. Seline didn't respond. Sensing something was wrong, Mandy pulled the pillow off her daughter's head. "What's wrong?" Seline sat up abruptly and threw her arms around Mandy, 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 that Jenson had a change of heart toward Seline. Seline wailed louder and recounted the events of the previous day. Mandy listened, her face 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 also panicking. Her hands balled into fists, and she slammed one onto the bed in frustration. Her eyes gleamed with venom as she gritted her teeth. "Suzanne, that wretched woman! I never thought she'd have 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 be anyone but her. If Mandy had known this earlier, she would've eliminated Suzanne long ago. Now, she had let this threat grow into a full-blown disaster.