Chapter 9 A Familiar Face

• She wouldn't dare dare?
• Austin let out a teasing and enigmatic smile. The woman before him looked fierce and defiant, but he doubted there was anything she wouldn't dare to do.
• This only piqued his interest further.
• Seeing that smile on Austin's lips, Halie felt a shiver run down her spine.
• Did I overreact?
• With Austin looking at her like that, it was challenging to remain composed.
• Gathering herself, Halie looked at Austin and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work." Without waiting for his reply, she turned to leave.
• "Wait!"
• Austin's deep, magnetic voice halted her in her tracks.
• Halie's steps truly came to a halt.
• Stopping, Halie felt a pang of regret. Why had she stopped? She should have just kept walking.
• Yet, for some reason, she couldn't move a step.
• Austin stood up. His tall and imposing figure is slowly approaching her.
• Though Halie stood firm and outwardly calm, her mind was in turmoil.
• She had imagined their reunion a thousand, no, a million times, but never like this. And his demeanour—did he not recognise her?
• While Halie's thoughts were racing, Austin had already caught up with her. His six-foot height towered over her, making it hard for her to breathe.
• He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her, leaning in closer.
• Startled, Halie stepped back, but it was too late. She found herself pressed against the wall. Austin's hand came up and boxed her in.
• The pose was intimate. The atmosphere was charged with tension.
• "You ... What are you doing?" Halie questioned. She tried to sound calm, but Austin's presence made her nervous.
• It had been two years, and he was still the same—a charming rogue, a heartbreaker.
• Austin's smile was contented when he saw the woman in front of him stammer. He asked, "What do you think I want to do to you?"
• Halie stayed silent. Austin was a master manipulator; any conversation with him was a trap.
• Smartly, she chose to remain quiet. Halie reminded him, "Mr. Robson, standing this close, people might get the wrong idea."
• This woman was brilliant. She knows how to use the situation to ease her own discomfort.
• Austin ignored her words. He lowered his gaze and studied her fair, delicate face. There was something familiar about it.
• "Halie ..." Austin frowned and said her name slowly. His eyes were boring into hers, as if trying to recall something.
• Halie watched him intently, her heart pounding so hard that she couldn't breathe. The fear that he might recognise her was almost paralysing.
• His next words, however, caught her completely off guard.
• "Why do I feel like I know you? Have we met before?"
• For a moment, Halie was stunned, unsure of how to respond.