Chapter 59 Three Pairs

Patrick was feeling all kinds of sympathy for Tina, but then he remembered Anna was already hitched. No way Austin would mess with that, right?

Patrick's mind was going a mile a minute, like a kid with a new box of crayons. Just then, a soft voice yanked him back to reality. "Patrick?"

He snapped out of it and looked at Tina, shaking his head to clear the mental cobwebs. He chuckled awkwardly, "Hey, Miss Green, what's up?"

Tina gave him a once-over. "What were you thinking about, Patrick?"

His face must've looked pretty guilty. "Oh, nothing, nothing," he said, waving his hand like he was swatting a fly. He got up and headed towards Austin's office. "Miss Green, hang tight. I'll see if Austin's free."

At the captain's office, Austin noticed Patrick coming in. "She still here?"

Patrick stood in front of the desk. "Yeah, Austin. You gonna see her?"

Austin didn't say a word. Just when Patrick thought he was gonna get the cold shoulder again, Austin stood up and walked right past him, heading to the outer hall.

Tina was busy texting Julia, asking for a few days off to, well, chase a guy. Before she could hit send, Austin showed up. She heard footsteps and looked up, seeing the face she'd been thinking about. She quickly put her phone away, stood up, and smiled. "Austin, we meet again."

Austin cut to the chase. "Miss Green, what do you need?"

Tina was just as direct. "I really dig your vibe, Austin, and I'm super grateful you saved my life twice. I was thinking we could be friends."

Austin shot that down real quick. "No need for that. I don't need a girlfriend."

Ouch. But Tina wasn't one to let a convo die. If Austin shut one door, she'd just open another. "In that case, Austin, could you do me a favor?"

Austin frowned a bit. Tina continued, "There's an auction tomorrow, and all the big shots of Crystal City will be there. I used to go with Mr. Percy, but now that Charles is married, I can't mess with that."

She looked at Austin with hopeful eyes. "Austin, could you come with me?"

Hearing Charles' name, Austin's face changed for a split second. This time, he didn't say no right away. Tina noticed that little detail. She remembered the look in Austin's eyes when he saw Anna at Radiant Life Hospital.

Tina's emotions flickered for a moment, but she kept her cool. "Charles and his wife, Dr. Howard, will be there tomorrow. It'd be super awkward for me to go alone."

Austin needed a way to get close to Anya and Charles, to figure out what was really going on with their marriage. Was Charles for real with Anya or just playing games? Tina's request was like a golden ticket.

"So, what time tomorrow?" Austin asked.

"Two-thirty in the afternoon," Tina replied, pulling up Facebook. "Hey, let's add each other on Facebook so we can stay in touch."

Austin didn't say no this time. They added each other, and Tina even snagged his phone number before waving goodbye and leaving the SWAT office.

Next day rolled around.

Tina and Austin planned to meet at the auction spot at 2:20 PM. Not wanting to be late, Tina left fifteen minutes early. By 2:10, she was already there.

As she stepped out of her car and looked around, she spotted Austin leaning against a pillar in a black outfit. His eyes were cold and sharp, his face almost cruelly indifferent. A few strands of hair fell over his forehead, giving him a mysterious vibe.

Despite his intense aura, Austin's ridiculously handsome face couldn't be ignored. In no time, a bunch of young girls had gathered around, some even trying to sneak pics with their phones. But before they could snap a shot, Austin's sharp gaze swept over them, making their hands shake so much they almost dropped their phones.

Tina strutted over in her high heels, bag in hand. "Austin," she called out brightly from a few feet away, "You're early."

Tina was a knockout, not the soft kind but the kind that made men obsessed and women jealous. Her appearance at the venue entrance immediately drew a crowd of fans.

Austin glanced at the growing crowd, his indifferent brows furrowing slightly. Just as they were about to head inside, two more commotions erupted behind them.

They turned to see Charles, Anna, Michael, and Thalia getting out of their cars at the same time. Thalia was clinging to Michael's arm, his face cold and emotionless, a far cry from the happy couple they portrayed on social media.

Meanwhile, about thirty feet away, Charles was holding Anna's hand the whole time. 

The grand scale of today's auction had naturally attracted a bunch of reporters. One couple looked polite but distant, with the woman holding the man's arm. The other couple was tightly holding hands, with the man protecting the woman by his side. It was pretty clear which couple was more genuine.