Chapter 1058
Chapter 1058:
“Where did you get this?” Maggie asked, her voice calm but serious. “Are you sure this isn’t fake? Someone might’ve done this on purpose p>
Ellen froze. Maggie’s question hit her like a cold slap of reason. In her rage, she hadn’t even considered whether the photo was real. Still, part of her resisted doubt. Would Monica really lie about this? The Mitchells had already crossed the Barton family once—they wouldn’t dare provoke them again without cause.
Ellen’s silence only deepened Maggie’s suspicion. “Honey, you really need to stop bringing me these fake photos. Your brother won’t appreciate it either p>
Before she could finish, Austin strolled into the room with a teasing grin. “What’s this? Gossiping behind my back already?” he said playfully.
Ellen jumped, visibly flustered at the sight of him. “No one’s talking about you,” she blurted, far too quickly.
She clutched her phone, ready to make a quick exit, but her nerves got the better of her. The phone slipped from her grip. Austin reacted fast, snatching it before it hit the floor.
“Careful,” he said, glancing down.
The moment his eyes caught the screen, his expression shifted—frozen in surprise. But Austin didn’t move. He stared at the image, brow furrowed.
Ellen’s heart dropped. She lunged forward, reaching out with a panicked, “Give that back p>
“Where did you get this?” Austin asked, his voice colder now.
Ellen hesitated, lips pressed tight.
“I said—where?” he demanded.
“It was Monica,” she said finally. “She showed it to me. I… I got upset and came straight here. I didn’t check if it was real. I just… I didn’t know what to think p>
To her astonishment, Austin broke into a grin. “Sounds like it’s time to do a little pest control in the Harris family p>
Ellen blinked, stunned. “You mean… it’s real? And you’re not angry?” she asked, trying to gauge his mood.
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Austin shrugged. “Why would I be p>
Austin’s eyes were dark, inscrutable, with a cold smirk ghosting at the corner of his lips. He already had a plan in mind.
He cast a brief glance at Ellen and spoke with an unsettling calm. “I’ll handle this. Go back to your room p>
Frustration flared in Ellen’s chest, but defying Austin wasn’t an option. Huffing in annoyance, she stomped her foot before spinning on her heel and storming off.
“Austin, what exactly is going on? I trust Yelena, but this is bound to cause misunderstandings… Shouldn’t we call her and ask what happened?” Maggie’s concern lay squarely with Austin.
He had always been reserved, never one to lay his thoughts bare. She feared that if he kept everything bottled up, sooner or later, it would eat away at him.
“Mom, I’m really fine,” Austin said evenly. “Yelena already explained everything when she got off the plane. That man is her senior from her training days. I’ve met him before in Kheley actually, and she introduced us. They ran into each other on the flight, and he helped her with her luggage. The Harris family invited him to dinner as a gesture of thanks p>
So that was it!
Maggie exhaled a long sigh of relief, her worry easing at last. It had all been a misunderstanding—thank goodness for that.
But this wasn’t over.
“Austin,” Maggie said, her expression turning grave. “Monica is doing this on purpose. She wants to drive a wedge between you and Yelena, stir up conflict, and break you apart. You need to be careful—she’s calculated p>
Maggie hadn’t always thought this way, but the more she saw of Monica, the deeper her disappointment ran.
“Okay, I know p>
Maggie gave him a lingering look before retreating to her room. The moment she was gone, Austin picked up his phone and dialed Yelena’s number.