Lock You In My Heart novel Chapter 442

The barbecue dinner ended in a quarrel between Mia and Austin.

All eyes were on them, and they became the focus of everyone's attention. Westley couldn't blame the two for breaking it up right there and then.

After dinner, Gabrielle approached Austin and asked him to drop Mia home. He was scowling.

"Austin, Mia is a great friend of mine. I don't want her to go back home alone. It worries me. So, can you please help me out and accompany her? I'll feel better if you're there to make sure she's safe." Gabrielle looked at him expectantly. Austin was about to speak when someone else interrupted them.

"No, thanks. Why should I bother him like that and ask him to drive me home? I can go back by myself, thank you very much. Besides, my car isn't far from here." Mia refused as soon as she heard what Gabrielle was asking Austin. There was no way she was going to ride in the same car as this guy.

Mia didn't want to get involved in more trouble, so she didn't want Austin—of all people—to take her home. She might just fight with him again.

"Mia, listen to me. You can't drive when you're drunk. It's unsafe. Accidents happen because drivers have alcohol in their systems. Austin didn't drink. That's the reason why I'm asking him. It's dangerous to drive in your current state." Gabrielle touched Mia's arm and reminded her earnestly. She only wanted what was best for her friend.

Mia paused and sighed. She pressed the balls of her palms over her eyes. 'Of course, you stupid, stupid girl. Alcohol pairs well with barbecue.' Mia drank a lot, but she actually wasn't drunk at all. She was sober enough to glower at Austin.

"No, thanks. I will call a designated driver. I'm not going to put my life on Austin's hands. If he's the one who will drive me home, we may just end up in a car accident." Mia's tone was vitriolic. She made it no secret how much she despised Austin. Austin, in turn, only cocked his head to the side and stared daggers at her.

"Mia, thank you for that. I'm also worried that if you sit by my side, you will only distract me and affect my driving. So, why don't you just take a taxi home? That would be best for everyone." Austin didn't need to reason with Mia. It wasn't as if he was the one who breached the topic of taking her home.

Anyway, he didn't like Mia at all, so he didn't find any reason to be nice or kind towards her. Arguing with her seemed like the norm.

"Wow, Austin. Really? It's too mean of you to say that..."

"Well, Mia, you did drink a lot, and that's your fault. Even if you take a taxi I'm still worried. Okay, how about Westley and I just take you home?" Gabrielle insisted. Her only concern was the safety of her friend.

'It's not safe for Mia to leave this dinner alone. If Austin can't send her home, then we will,' she thought.

"Austin, I'll leave Mia to you. If she has an accident or isn't delivered safely to her house, the Robinson family will hold you responsible." Westley put his arm around Gabrielle's shoulder. His meaning was perfectly clear to everyone. He wanted to ensure Austin took the task seriously.

Mia's safety was left to Austin. Westley basically dumped it all on him. If she didn't get home safely, he would be blamed—whether he sent her home or not.

"Aren't you asking too much? I don't have any obligation to send her home, let alone guarantee her safety. Why are you putting it on me?" Austin flared with irritation. This didn't make sense to him. Why was Mia suddenly his problem?

"It's none of our business. Let's go, Gabrielle." Westley didn't take his arm off Gabrielle, and they both walked towards their car. Gabrielle looked over her shoulder at Mia's sullen face and Austin's glare.

As she sat in the car, Gabrielle felt uneasy. She was still a little disturbed. "Westley, do you think Austin will send Mia back?"

"Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that you're the wife of his elder cousin, so you have to keep your distance from him," Westley reminded Gabrielle gravely.

Westley repeatedly told her to change the way she treated Austin. However, she had been befriending Austin for such a long time that she always forgot. It was a hard habit to break.

It would definitely take some time.

"I see. Don't worry. I'll try my best and keep on reminding myself. I'm just worried. What if Austin and Mia will continue quarreling in the car?" Gabrielle stared outside the window, her thoughts far away.

"It's their business, and you forget that they're both adults. But to answer your question, I don't think Austin will leave her halfway. Gabrielle, I

'm taking you someplace nice. They ruined our dinner, and I had to endure their bickering." Westley had his eyes on the road, but he spared a glance at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle turned her head towards him in surprise. It was only then that she realized why Westley was in a bad mood. It irked him that Mia and Austin disturbed them and kept them from enjoying their meal alone.

Westley's handsome face still took her breath away. His side profile was so perfect that the most popular male celebrities had nothing on him. Gabrielle resisted the urge to run her finger over his jaw.

The car soon drove out of the urban area to the south suburb, which piqued her curiosity. She darted her eyes around, wondering where they were headed.

"Westley, are you taking me to the West Square? This isn't the way to get there. Or, wait a minute. Are we going to the countryside in the south suburb?" Gabrielle peered curiously at him.

She really loved the small courtyard where her grandmother lived, but Westley wouldn't take her there as a surprise for her. Also, they had been there before.

"You'll know in a minute. Just be a little patient," Westley said with a smile. He knew he managed to pique her curiosity.

Gabrielle saw a road sign in the distance. Because of the car's headlights, she got a good look at it. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head.

"Westley, is this the way to the natural reserve in the south suburb?" Gabrielle asked him excitedly. She was grinning from ear to ear, her face alight with eagerness.

"Yep, you're right." Westley smiled. He stole another glance at her and chuckled at the way anticipation lit up her entire face.

"Wait. Why are you taking me there? As far as I can remember, the natural reserve is not open to the public." Gabrielle looked at Westley with unconcealed curiosity. Her brows drawn together, her earlier enthusiasm was replaced by worry.

Westley certainly knew this rule, which he intentionally proposed along with the leaders of the protection area. The reason was so they could better protect the large tracts of virgin forest as well as the wild plants growing there. That was why there was restricted entry for visitors each month.

The Morris Group provided a large amount of money to the protection fund of the natural reserve every year so as to leave more green for future generations. Whenever they worked for public interests like this, the Morris Group never made it public or hyped it up.

Westley wasn't all about money-making endeavors. He also had several projects on the side aimed at making people's lives better.