Hired by my family Rival のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Everybody was on edge, the Daniels mansion erupted into panic. Staff rushed from room to room, searching every corner as if Rachel might suddenly appear from thin air. Doors slammed, voices echoed down the halls, and heavy footsteps thundered up and down the grand staircase. Austin moved slower than the rest. His steps dragged as he paced the corridor, every sound around him muffled under the weight of his own thoughts. His eyes flickered toward the old basement at the end of the hall. A single wooden door, dusty and ignored by everyone. He knew she was down there. She was still safe—for now. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to appear calm, while inside his chest his heart hammered. The staff tore through the mansion, but none of them went near the basement. Nobody dared. Everyone knew Mr. Daniels had forbidden it. For years, that part of the house remained locked away from curious eyes. To them, it was untouchable. And so, despite their frantic search, Rachel remained hidden.

It was close to dawn when the doctor finally came out of the ICU.Austin had been sitting there for hours, his leg bouncing restlessly, his hands buried in his hair. The hallway smelled like antiseptic and fear.“Doctor,” he said, springing to his feet. “How is he?”The man looked worn out, dark circles carved under his eyes.“We didn’t lose him,” he said, rubbing his forehead. “But he’s in a coma. We can’t say when he’ll wake up. Could be ten months… could be fifteen.”Austin froze. His body felt hollow — like someone had reached in and scooped everything out.He sat back down slowly, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on the floor tiles. He didn’t hear Daisy sobbing quietly beside John. He didn’t hear the machines beeping down the hall.Everything sounded far away — like he was underwater.After what felt like hours, he stood and walked out of the hospital.The cold air hit him like a slap. It was still dark, the streets empty, the world quiet. He just needed to breathe… to think… to g

Austin stood there, trying to breathe, but everything around him felt like it was collapsing. His eyes lifted slowly until they met John’s cold, tight face. “Austin,” John said firmly, “you have to be strong. He—Sam—is the reason we are in this mess. Imagine what that girl could have done… how she easily fooled us all. We need to find someone else to hire. Someone to track Rachel down and make her pay for everything she’s done to this family. No one just lies their way in like that and gets to walk away.” Austin’s jaw tightened. His voice came out low. “But John… you saw what happened to her. You saw what Luke did to her after her father died. Rachel was his family. They abandoned her.” “And how does that justify her lying to us?” John asked sharply. “How does that excuse the chaos she brought into this house? We have bigger issues now. You need to focus on the company. With Mr. Daniels in a coma, we need someone to step in as CEO until he wakes up—God willing he does. You must be

Austin walked as fast as he could, trying to disappear from John’s sight. He didn’t want to stay another second. If John looked at him too long, he might see that something was wrong. He entered his car quickly and shut the door. For a moment, he just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. What was he doing? Was this right? Was he betraying his own family? Should he inform the police about Rachel’s whereabouts? He exhaled slowly. This wasn’t her fault. Whatever happened before, she didn’t deserve to be hunted like this. Everyone deserves a second chance. He started the car and drove. Two and a half hours later, he arrived at the coast . He stayed inside the car for about five minutes, staring at the house in front of him. The place was quiet. Once he stepped out, there would be no going back. He walked to the door and knocked. After a few seconds, the coded lock clicked, and the door opened slowly. Rachel stepped out. “I don’t think you’re safe here,” Austin said immed

Austin locked the door behind them. Rachel stood near the window, arms wrapped around herself. “You should eat,” Austin said gently. “I’m not hungry.” “You look weak though.” She didn’t argue this time. He went into the kitchen and came back with something simple — warm rice and grilled chicken. Nothing fancy. Just comfort food. He placed it in front of her. “Sit.” She hesitated, then sat. For a moment she only stared at the plate. “I feel like if I relax, something bad will happen,” she whispered. Austin pulled a chair closer. Just enough. “You’re safe here,” he said quietly. She looked at him. “Are you sure?” Then he said softly, “I’m here. That’s what I’m sure about.” She finally took a bite. Small. Slow.After a few minutes she asked, “Why are you helping me?” Austin leaned back slightly. “Because no one helped you.” That hit her. Her eyes became glossy but she didn’t cry. Instead, she kept eating.A soft silence filled the room. For t