His Awesome Ex Is Now Uncle's Lady (Alicia and Austin) novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58 The One Line You Don’t Cross

The only man David could never challenge was standing right in front of him-his own uncle, the one person who’d always been out of reach.

Austin watched him with cool detachment, his tone cutting through the silence. “Tell me something, David -if you liked her that much, why’d you let her go? I gave you your chance.”

Years ago, Austin had fallen for Alicia first. She’d been young back then, and he hadn’t wanted to scare her off. He told himself to wait, to let her grow up a little before he confessed. Yet by the time he finally worked up the nerve and planned the perfect way to tell her, she was already with David.

Alicia never knew it. On the day she said yes to his nephew, Austin had been watching afar. That same night, he’d packed up and left, heartbroken and pride shattered.

He’d asked himself a thousand times, Why him? Why did it have to be my own nephew? How am I supposed to live with that kind of guilt? How low does a man have to sink to even think about taking his nephew’s girlfriend, no less?

Sometimes, when the guilt quieted down long enough for regret to whisper, he’d think, If I’d just told her back then… if I hadn’t been such a coward… would any of this be different?

However, life didn’t deal in “what ifs.”

He’d sworn to stay out of her life-just a stranger who once cared too much. He told himself it was better that way.

Three years later, fate threw him straight back into her world. On his first night back in Southam, the woman who stumbled into his arms was the same one he’d never stopped thinking about.

He’d told himself to be ready for anything. Three years was a long time long enough for her to have given herself to someone else. He’d made peace with that before he even saw her again. Yet when she stood before him, she was nothing like the woman he’d imagined-and somehow, exactly the same.

Austin was now older, calmer, and more thoughtful. Having lost her once, he was determined not to lose her again.

He knew she bore wounds-both from her family and love. She guarded her heart closely, and he was cautious not to press too much. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with his intense feelings. She was already his in name-how much of her heart was truly accessible?

Austin’s tone softened. “David, you’re a grown man now. It’s time to own your choices. I’ll act like this never happened, but you need to leave.”

Austin wasn’t being cruel; he just refused to humiliate him Everyone made mistakes-Austin had made them too. He knew what regret felt like, and that was why he didn’t twist the knife,

He turned to Alicia. “You must be starving. Go change, we’ll grab dinner.”

“Alright,” she muttered softly, not sparing David a glance before heading upstairs.

Once she was gone, David looked back at Austin and asked, “Uncle Austin… that night in Southam, did you already realize Alicia was my girlfriend when you took her away?”

He’d seen the security footage-Alicia running straight into Austin’s arms. He also knew Austin wasn’t the kind of man who chased just anyone. If he’d wanted a woman, he could’ve had one long ago. If he hadn’t, it was because he didn’t care to. So none of this made sense. Unless-

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