Chapter 13

Autumn turned around and saw a young man standing behind her.

He was dressed in a black suit, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had a polite smile on his face.

"Yes?" Autumn looked him over and was certain she didn’t know him.

The man maintained his polite smile.

"Hello, I’m Mr. Sinclair’s assistant. My name is Jesse Grant. Mr. Sinclair is waiting for you at a nearby café."

At the mention of Mr. Sinclair, the first person that came to Autumn’s mind was Keith.

Did the Sinclair heir really have that much free time to wait for her in a café?

Selena tugged on Autumn’s arm and whispered, "Autumn, the Mr. Sinclair he’s talking about—could it be that Sinclair?"

"Probably." Autumn nodded.

"You know the Sinclair heir?"

Autumn thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"Not really. My uncle saved him once. That’s about it. I don’t really know him."

That didn’t count as knowing him?

Selena was stunned.

If saving someone didn’t qualify as knowing them, what did?

Selena quickly grabbed her bag from the car and said in a rush, "Autumn, I just remembered that my mom asked me to come home for dinner tonight. I’ve got to go!"

She took off faster than a rabbit, disappearing from sight in seconds.

Autumn shook her head helplessly, then turned to see Jesse still waiting patiently.

Bracing herself, she said, "Let’s go."

Jesse made a polite "this way" gesture, then hesitated for a second.

As they walked, he said to the visibly tense Autumn, "Ms. Lewis, you don’t need to be so nervous. The money transfer earlier went smoothly because Mr. Sinclair helped make it happen."

"Huh?"

Autumn looked at him in surprise, not quite understanding.

"Normally, a transfer of that size would’ve required at least a day or two of review before the funds were cleared. Because Mr. Sinclair stepped in, the process was expedited."

No wonder everything had gone so smoothly—Keith had been helping her behind the scenes.

Realizing this, Autumn lowered her head and followed Jesse, her heart uneasy and filled with uncertainty.

Inside the café, soft music played.

Keith, dressed in his usual black suit, was seated by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sunlight spilled across his nearly perfect profile, casting a golden halo along the edge of his face.

Autumn took a deep breath and followed Jesse inside, quietly rehearsing in her head how best to start the conversation.

Jesse walked up to Keith and respectfully said, "Mr. Sinclair, Ms. Lewis is here."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sinclair."

Autumn quickly smiled and greeted him.

Keith gave a small nod, lifted his eyes to look at her, and gestured to the seat across from him. "Sit."

After escorting her in, Jesse promptly left the café.

Autumn sat down across from Keith, stiff and unsure where to place her hands and feet.

Just then, a waiter approached and asked her, "What would you like to drink?"

"A juice, please. Thank you," Autumn replied politely with a smile.

Once the waiter walked away, she straightened her back, but it only made her feel more tense.

Keith frowned slightly, his lips parting with a cool question. "You seem nervous around me."

"I’m not."

Autumn tried to act casual by placing her hands on the table, but her eyes darted around, avoiding his gaze.

Soon, the waiter returned with their drinks—coffee for Keith, and a glass of juice placed in front of Autumn.

Keith stirred his coffee with quiet elegance. "You’re planning to get a divorce?"

Autumn paused mid-sip. "Yes."

"Do you need help?"

“No need.”

Autumn looked up and met Keith’s gaze. “Thank you for your help today. If it weren’t for you, things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly.”

“No worries.”

Autumn’s phone rang.

It was from the real estate agency.

A few days ago, she had dropped by to let them know she was looking to buy a place.

After giving them her preferences, they told her to wait, and she had been waiting ever since.

Autumn glanced at Keith, then picked up the call right in front of him.

A cheerful voice came through from the other end.

“Ms. Lewis, we’ve found a two-bedroom apartment that’s ready for immediate move-in. Let us know when you’re free to come take a look.”

“Alright,” Autumn replied.

After hanging up, she noticed Keith’s gaze deepen as it settled on her.

“You’re looking to buy a house?”

She took a sip of her juice and nodded. “Yes.”

She was getting divorced—it made sense to find a new place.

Otherwise, she’d have nowhere to go.

“Autumn,” Keith suddenly called her name.

She looked up at him, puzzled.

“If you ever run into trouble, you can call me.”

Keith pulled out his phone and opened the contact screen. “Let’s exchange numbers.”

Autumn wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but when her eyes met the deep, unreadable look in his, the words stuck in her throat.

Sensing her hesitation, Keith added, “Don’t overthink it. I’m just looking out for you on your uncle’s behalf.”