Her Hidden Crowns (Suzanne and Austin) novel 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.