His Awesome Ex Is Now Uncle's Lady (Alicia and Austin) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54 A Heart Half-Drowned

Austin crouched and swept her up before she could speak. His motion was smooth, with his arms firm beneath her. He flicked her high heels, slightly swinging them, then pulled her closer against his chest.

Alicia didn’t resist; she simply rested her head on him, silent and still, her hair draping onto his shirt.

As they approached a trash bin, he threw the shoes in.

“Don’t,” she whispered. “They were expensive.”

His mouth curved faintly. “Whatever you say, princess.”

Even through the downpour, his voice was smooth and warm, which lingered in the air long after it was spoken.

He set her gently in the passenger seat, his touch careful. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

She watched through the rain-streaked window as he dashed into the night. Soon after, he returned with damp hair slicked to his forehead, holding a steaming coffee. He said nothing, but placed his jacket over her legs and started the engine.

The car filled with the faint scent of rain and leather. He turned on some quiet music, letting the sound of the wipers blend with the rhythm.

Alicia cupped the drink with both hands. The warmth seeped through her fingers, spreading up her arms and into the hollow ache in her chest.

Outside, the city glimmered through the sheets of rain-distant, hazy, and untouchable.

She pulled her knees up and curled beneath his jacket. It smelled like cedar and something sharper-his cologne, maybe. It grounded her.

Since losing her mom, she had wanted nothing more than a place to belong.

That was why she’d said yes to David. She still remembered the boy holding sunflowers in one hand, smiling broadly as he told her, ‘Once I move in, you’ll never be lonely again. We’ll be like family, Alicia.’

She had believed him. For years, she clung to that promise. After walking through so much darkness, she’d dared to trust again-to think that someone might actually stay.

Then David shattered that illusion.

She had rebuilt herself after that, piece by piece-no more blind trust and playing the victim. If love couldn’t protect her, ambition would. She’d bet her whole future on strategy, even if it meant turning marriage into a transaction.

She once believed that even her grandfather’s old-school, patriarchal mindset couldn’t overshadow her accomplishments. Surely, success would shut him up.

Now she knew better-family wasn’t about love. It was a cage filled with smiles sharp enough to hurt. The ones who should’ve protected her were the first to cause harm.

The Gibsons didn’t want her success; they wanted her silence instead. No one welcomed her when she returned; they preferred that she stay away forever.

The only person who’d shown her real kindness lately was the man she’d married for convenience.

Her fingers traced the edge of the cup. A hollow laugh escaped her lips. She was laughing at herself for expecting love from blood relations who didn’t know the meaning of it.

Austin kept stealing glances at her, seeing the exhaustion on her face. He knew more than she’d told him, but didn’t push. Silence was his way of caring.

Austin never liked having strangers in the house. The housekeepers arrived during the day, cleaned, and left well before he returned home.

When they pulled into the driveway, the house wasn’t dark like Alicia expected. A gentle glow emanated from the living room window-warm and consistent, as if it were patiently waiting for them.

He stepped out into the rain, opened her door, and lifted her again.

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