Obedience No More He's the One I Deserved novel Chapter 145

The partnership had just come together, but it could fall apart at any moment.

And unfortunately, this project was tied directly to Osborne Group's entire revenue for the next year.

Dawn could hear the tension in their voices. She cupped her glass of water in both hands, took a sip, and tried to press down the swirl of emotions inside her. Doing her best to sound calm and casual, she asked, "Uncle Austin, what brings you here? Where's Uncle Lucas?"

"Something came up last minute. He already left."

Austin frowned as he glanced at her. "Are you disappointed it's me?"

" ... Of course not."

She was just surprised, that's all.

Dawn forced a smile. "But Uncle Austin, next time you can just call me first. Sometimes work gets pretty busy, and it'd help to plan ahead."

With Ethan there, there were a lot of things Austin couldn't say outright. He pressed the call button for the waiter, face unreadable. "Let's eat first. When we're done, you can head home. I have some business matters to discuss with Mr. Jackson."

"Uncle Austin, Ethan and I today—"

"I know Mr. Jackson has been taking good care of you in Northville."

Before Dawn could finish, Austin cut in, his gaze leaving no room to argue. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to thank him properly. But ... "

His gaze shifted to the man beside her.

"Mr. Jackson has watched you grow up. I'm sure he thinks of you as a little sister, right, Mr. Jackson?"

Ethan's eyes flickered, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He drummed his fingers lazily on the edge of the table, tapping out a slow rhythm.

When he looked at Dawn, he lifted his eyebrows at her in a way only she would notice.

"Little sister?"

He let the words roll around in his mouth, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, she's always been the good little sister."

Dawn felt like there was a hidden meaning in his words. She shot him a warning glare.

Ethan only grinned wider, his amusement growing. Under the table, he squeezed her hand a little, then let go.

Whatever Austin was thinking, Dawn still felt she owed him. At the very least, she had to show him respect—at least on the surface.

But to Austin, their exchange was like a thorn under the skin.

His gaze was dark and deep, like the bottomless depths of the ocean.

Before long, the waiter brought out the food.

Austin shifted the conversation, talking to Ethan about business. The two chatted away, sounding almost like they were in a formal meeting. Everything on the surface seemed cool and polite.

Dawn sighed quietly. She had wanted to tell Austin about the marriage, but looking at him now—

"No need."

He spoke each word slowly, forcing them out. "Mr. Jackson, it's Dawn's good fortune to have you looking after her."

Ethan just smiled. "No, it's mine."

" ... "

Dawn wasn't sure if it was just her, but the air between the two men felt like it could catch fire.

How could she forget Austin's temper?

If she even had a male friend, he'd interrogate her, let alone being this close to someone.

Austin did have some kind of anger burning in him, but he was a businessman. And businessmen were best at weighing pros and cons. Right now, picking a fight with Ethan was definitely not a smart move.

The strange tension lasted another ten minutes or so.

Finally, the meal ended.

At the door, Dawn suddenly stopped and turned to Ethan, lowering her voice. "I need to talk to Uncle Austin for a minute. Can you wait for me outside?"

She was worried Austin would lose his temper.

She'd just landed herself a husband—she wasn't about to scare him off now.