Chapter 71 Drawing the Line
Chapter 71 Drawing the Line
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<b>33 </b>
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Ethan couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way she sat there so obediently made his heart soften like melted wax.
He fought the urge to reach out and touch her.
Dawn could feel the heat of his gaze burning on her.
Luckily, Hannah showed up just in time to break the awkward, almost romantic tension. “You two can go wash up–dinner’s ready.”
When she noticed their awkward nces, it finally hit her she might’ve walked in at the wrong time. “Uh… did I just interrupt something? Should I …
“No, not at all! You came at the perfect time!”
“1
Dawn rushed over, looped her arm through Hannah, and steered her toward the kitchen. “Did you finish prepping everything yet? Let me give you a hand!”
The two of them slipped off to the kitchen, their voices dropping to a murmur until they faded down the hall. The living room fell into sudden silence.
The faint sound of their voices drifted back, and Ethan couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips as a quiet, unexinable sense of contentment rose in his chest.
This was already perfect, wasn’t it?
There was no need to rush.
Dawn was here and she wasn’t going anywhere.
With all the misunderstandings cleared up, the vibe at home finally felt normal again. Hannah kept sneaking nces at the two of them, acting like a secret agent, and she was getting that “they’re made for each other” feeling again.
She pressed her lips together, trying not to grin, and finally lifted her te to hide her face.
Dawn didn’t touch her phone all through dinner. But when she finally picked it up afterward, she nearly jumped as more than a dozen missed calls lit up the screen.
It was Austin calling
<i>Had </i><i>he </i>lost his mind?
Chapter 71 Drawing the Line
A (33)
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She hadn’t heard a word from him since she’d taken him off her block list. Why did he reach out all of a sudden today?
When Ethan and Hannah walked out of the dining room, the first thing they saw was Dawn staring nkly at her phone.
Hannah nudged Ethan with her elbow, shooting him a look that clearly said, “Well? Aren’t you going to ask her what’s going on?”
Ethan said nothing.
Ethan clenched his fists, cleared his throat, then stepped closer and handed her the ss of
water.
“What’s wrong?”
“… Nothing.”
Snapping out of her daze, Dawn took the ss with a quiet “thanks.” After a beat, she decided there wasn’t really any reason to hide it and murmured, “Uncle Austin called me a bunch of times. I’m not sure if I should call him back.”
Ethan’s gaze flickered, and he turned casually toward the yard as if he didn’t care.
“Why?”
She blinked. “What?”
Without looking at her, he said in a calm voice, “Why hesitate? If he’s calling, it’s just to check in on you. Just tell him.”
His words brought her back to reality in an instant.
He was right. She had already gotten over Austin.
So why was she still avoiding him?
Right there in front of Ethan, she tapped his number and hit dial.
The line barely rang twice before the call connected. His voice came through tense and heavy as he questioned, “Where are you?”
Almost on instinct, she nced at Ethan before answering softly, “What is it, Uncle Austin?”
“Where are you?” he pressed again, his voice clipped. “I want to see you. Now.”
Chapter 71 Drawing the Line
<b>33 </b>
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She was used to thatmanding tone, the way he barked out demands like orders. Before, she would have obeyed without question. But tonight she simply sat in silence for a moment before replying evenly, “If you’ve got something to say, just say it over the phone. It’ste. I’m noting out.”
“Is it really that inconvenient, or is it because you’re not even in Trifton?”
Dawn was at a loss for words.
Did <i>he </i><i>already </i><i>find </i><i>out</i><i>? </i>
When Dawn stayed quiet, Austin let out a sharp, bitterugh. “Unbelievable. You’ve really outdone yourself this time. Skipping out on your first day at thepany was one thing, but running all the way to Northville? What, are you just waiting for me toe chasing after you?”
Dawn’s lips trembled, her throat tight.
“Answer me!”
His voice boomed with anger, but she drew in a steady breath and forced her tone calm. “You’ve got it wrong, Uncle Austin.
“I’m 21 years old now. I have every right to decide where I work and live. The only reason I didn’t tell you before is because you never had time to listen.”
He was too busy parading around with Sydney. Every time she had tried to speak, he had cut her off.
“I’ve settled down here in Northville now. You don’t need to worry about me, and you definitely don’t need to …e looking for me.”
Her voice was clear and firm, the kind of conviction that left no room for softness. To anyone listening, it sounded almost cold, like she truly didn’t care whether Austin came looking for her or not.
For a long moment, he said nothing. The only sound through the receiver was the weight of his breathing. Dawn tightened her grip on the phone. Almost without thinking, her gaze slid toward the man across from her. Lowering her voice, she asked softly, “Uncle Austin, is there anything else? If not, I’d like to rest now.”
“I’m in Northville,” came Austin’s reply.
Dawn didn’t reply.
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