Chapter 1 I'll Never Have Feelings for Her Chapter 1 I'll Never Have Feelings for Her +5 Free Coins Dawn Porter arrived at Austin Osborne's birthday party with a gift she had prepared with effort . Just as she reached the entrance , voices could be heard from inside . " Austin , now that Sydney's back , you two can finally be together ... But , that girl at your place has quite the temper . What if she doesn't agree ? " Through the glass door , Austin's expression was shadowed by the dim lighting , but his indifferent voice was clear . " She's just a child . I can't be bothered by what she said ." " Dawn is still young , but everyone knows she loves you . You've never had any feelings for her after all these years , huh ? " Zach Ruiz's question made Dawn's heart clench . She wanted to know the answer , too . Has Austin ever had feelings for her ? The man sitting in the center of the sofa exuded a mature charm . He paused briefly before speaking in a low , cold voice , " Why are you guys acting as childish as her ? Stop joking about this . To me , Dawn is nothing more than a niece . I will never develop feelings for her . " I'll never have feelings for her . Those words stabbed straight into Dawn's heart like a dagger . No one inside had noticed her standing at the door , and the conversation continued . " Yeah , yeah , Sydney's the only one who matters to you . She's your first love , after all . Dawn is nothing compared to her . " Austin gave a nonchalant " Hmm " and said , " Don't mention Dawn in front of Sydney later . I don't want her to misunderstand anything . " " As if we need to bring her up . " Zach let out a knowing sigh . " With that girl's personality , she'd never let you be with anyone else ." " Exactly ," another guy chimed in and laughed . " If you ask me , Dawn's already 20 , right ? Why not just treat her as your future wife ? You'll have a woman at home and another one outside . Considering her situation and how much she loves you , she'd definitely agree- " Before he could finish , Austin shot him a chilling glare . 1/5 21:54 Sun , Sep 14 d Chapter 1 I'll Never Have Feelings for Her " Stop the nonsense . I only let my brother adopt her because I felt sorry for her . " My heart belongs to Sydney . Stop disgusting me ." Dawn's grip on the doorknob tightened , and her breath hitched . So ... my feelings disgusted him ? 83 +5 Free Coins Seconds ago , she had been ready to walk inside . However , all the strength drained from her body the next moment . She didn't even want to utter a word now . Lowering her head , she forced herself to hold back the tears , then turned and walked away . The deserted street was eerily quiet . This private club was located by the river , and known for its exclusivity , which also meant there wasn't a single taxi in sight . Dawn clenched the birthday gift in her hand and walked quickly . Meanwhile , the conversation from moments ago echoed in her mind . What have I been holding on to all these years ? Dawn , Dawn ... you're so pathetic . She smiled bitterly as silent tears fell , vanishing into the pavement . At the upcoming intersection , a car passed with its high beams on . The blinding light stung her eyes , and she let go of her hand in that instant . The birthday gift dropped to the ground with a muffled thud . It was a pair of expensive cufflinks she had bought with her hard - earned bonus . But , it didn't matter anymore . Taking a deep breath , she pulled out her phone and dialled a number . " Ethan , I accept your proposal . Let's get married . " Ethan Jackson was five years older than her . He was a neighbor of the Osbornes . He moved abroad after high school and had only recently returned . Now , he lived in Northville and had only met up with Dawn once . During their conversation , 2/5 21:54 Sun , Sep 14 d Chapter 1 I'll Never Have Feelings for Her he spoke about the pressures of marriage in their circle , and he was frustrated with it . 83 +5 Free Coins " Dawn , whether it's you or me , in the end , we're both going to end up in an arranged marriage . Our families don't care if we're happy . To them , marriage is all that matters . " If we have to get married anyway , why not pick someone we're comfortable with ? We might as well just marry each other . " At the time , Dawn had thought his idea was ridiculous . However , it didn't seem so bad now . She turned back to glance at the neon - lit building behind her , its flashing lights as dazzling as her past feelings for Austin . " We already know each other well . It's better than settling with a stranger . If your parents are pressuring you , we can do it soon . " Ethan seemed surprised by her straightforwardness . He was silent for two seconds before he responded , " Alright . When should I come to get you ? " Dawn lowered her head , and her gaze landed on the abandoned gift bag on the ground . " Once I settle into my internship . It won't take long ." Since she had decided to marry Ethan , there was no longer any reason to stay in Trifton for her internship . After ending the call , she walked a long way before finally finding a taxi to take her back to Southbay Residence . Located in the city center , Southbay Residence was in a prime location , only about three miles from what used to be her home , which now lay in ruins . When Dawn was nine , her family's company went bankrupt . Under the crushing weight of their debts , her parents had taken their own lives , burning down their house in the process . The creditors had been ruthless , and they nearly laid their hands on the young Dawn . It was Austin who had taken her in . He had only been 17 at the time , but he had stood firm before his brother , Harry Osborne , and said , " I'm not married , so I can't adopt her myself . You adopt her and I'll take responsibility for her future . " And , he had lived up to his word , giving her the best life possible and spoiling her for over a 3/5 21:54 Sun , Sep 14 d Chapter 1 I'll Never Have Feelings for Her decade . 83 +5 Free Coins He had always told Dawn that he was her uncle , but Dawn had never once called him that . She had always believed she and Austin were meant to be together . The moment she turned 18 , she confessed her love to him . Austin had scolded her , telling her that her feelings were wrong , that their age gap was too big , and that he could only ever be her uncle . However , he never allowed other men to be around her . Dawn had thought he was jealous , or he found her too young back then . So she had waited , thinking that things would change if she grew up . Watching the rapidly passing scenery outside the car window , Dawn felt a stinging heat in her eyes . Turns out , growing up didn't change anything . A person's feelings are only a burden to someone who doesn't love them . Austin- I'll set you free . By the time she reached home , Dawn wiped her tears , shoved down all her emotions , and went upstairs . She took a shower and went straight to bed . She had expected to spend the night tossing and turning . Instead , she slept surprisingly well . The next morning , she woke up to the sound of clattering from the kitchen . She went downstairs after changing her clothes while yawning . " Lucy , what are you doing so early- " Her voice trailed off as the figure in the kitchen came into view . A woman stood there in a white dress with an off - white apron tied around her waist , accentuating her elegant curves . Her long hair was loosely pinned up with a claw clip . She was Austin's first love , Sydney Peay . " Dawn , you're awake ? " Sydney turned around with a bright smile . " I was going to finish making 4/5 21:54 Sun , Sep 14 Chapter 1 I'll Never Have Feelings for Her breakfast before waking you up , but I didn't expect you to be up so early ." With all that noise , I would've had to be deaf to keep sleeping . Dawn silently huffed and forced a smile . " Why are you here ? " Sydney covered her mouth as if looking a little embarrassed . +5 Free Coins " Austin drank too much last night . I brought him home and helped him shower and change . Since you were here alone , I thought I'd make breakfast for both of us ." So they had spent the night together . Dawn felt her fragile composure cracking , and her voice turned colder . " I don't need you to make me breakfast . " Just then , a familiar icy voice rang out from behind her . " Dawn , where are your manners ? Apologize . " 5/5 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!