Chapter 36
Blake POV
I stood in Mayo Clinic’s VIP wing corridor, watching through the floor–to–ceiling glass window as a nurse treated the bruising on famet’s face. Why di Audrey have to take things this far? All I’d asked was a simple apology something she’d always been willing to do these past three years.
“What’s the situation with the medication?” I detachment.
my voice low as I addressed the doctor beside me, who was reviewing his fablet with practiced
He hesitated, fidgeting with his tie. “The board has received word that the patient is… adamant about keeping all foirr remaining doses. They’re refusing to even discuss a transfer of the medication.”
I closed my eyes, my mind racing through possibilities. Parker Group had resources, connections – surely there was a way to secure those doses. After a moment, I opened my eyes again. Continue negotiations. Tell them we’re willing to pay fifty million for the remaining doses. If they still refuse, then give
me
My phone’s sudden buzz cut through the conversation. Normally, I’d ign
check this one.
group chat
messages they were rarely worth my time. But something made me
The photo on my screen stopped me cold. The race track stretched out in the background, but it was the figure in the foreground that demanded attention. A woman in a professional racing suit, bent over the engine of a high–performance car with practiced familiarity. Her dark hair caught the light, her skilled movements captivating my eyes.
I would have missed it if not for Astrid Wilson’s distinctive figure in the background. But once I saw her, there was no mistaking the woman in the racing suit. Audrey. My wife – though she seemed determined to change that status – looked so unfamiliar.
–
But what followed made me feel incredibly angry another photo appeared in the group chat. This time, it was a selfie of Felix and Audrey together, both still in their racing suits, faces flushed with the excitement of competition. His arm was casually draped over her shoulder, and she was actually smiling – not the polite, reserved smile I was used to seeing, but something genuine and bright.
Before I knew it, my finger was already hitting Michael’s speed dial. “What happened? Why didn’t you pick her up?”
“I’m sorry, sir.” My usually unflappable assistant sounded distinctly uncomfortable. “By the time our people arrived, Mrs. Parker had already left with… with Mr. Collins.
James Collins. The mere thought of his name made my jaw clench. After that scene at the hospital, after his self–righteous accusations about my treatment of Audrey, he dared to insert himself further into my marriage? And now here she was, at a race track of all places, demonstrating skills I’d never known
about.
The group chat was buzzing with new messages. Felix Thompson’s enthusiasm practically leaped off the screen:
“Why’s everyone so quiet? Cat got your tongues?
A pause, then: “Or are you all just scared to compete for this gorgeous newcomer’s attention?”
my wife, who’d publicly announeed her intention to divorce me at my The rest of the chat remained tellingly silent. They all knew who she was – grandfather’s birthday celebration just last night. But Felix, newly returned from Europe, was blissfully unaware of the powder keg he was dancing on.
“You sure about that?” I typed back, watching his immediate excited response.
“Of course! Blake, think I’ve got a shot with her?”
Something dark and possessive twisted in my chest, “Where exactly are you?”
‘Long Island Raceway! Coming to join us?”
“Noted.”
I ended the conversation there, my hand already reaching for my car keys. My first instinct was to drive straight to the race track, but something held me back. I wasn’t particularly eager to see Audrey right now as I didn’t know how to face her, and Felix’s ignorance of the situation was almost amusing – once he learned who Audrey really was, all this talk of pursuit would evaporate on its own.
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Chapter 3
The realzation made me change course, heading toward Parker Group instead. With everything that had happened the
to fucur on the company.
Business first, I decided. Then I’ll deal with Audrey.
1 had barely settled behind my desk when a soft knock, Michael entered, holding out a thick envelope: ‘Sit, this just arrived from Mrs. Parkerde
The revised divorce agreement.
I took it without comment, flipping through the pages. Following our confrontation at the mansion, Audrey had removed all mentions of Laurel frost the divorce agreement. Everything else remained largely unchanged. She was walking away with nothing, claiming none of our shared assets – just custody of Snow, our Ragdoll cat.
The irony wasn’t lost on me. Three years of marriage reduced to a dispute over a cat I’d given her for our first anniversary. The same cat she’d spent countless nights cuddling while I worked late. Was that all our marriage meant to her now? Less important than a pet?
My phone lit up again – more photos from Felix. Audrey was in the driver’s seat, sharing a laugh with Astrid. She looked… different. Not the carefully composed Mrs. Parker who’d spent years trying to please everyone in my family. This woman wore confidence like a second skin, her smile genuine in a way I hadn’t seen in too long.
“I think you better check her Background. Alex Rhodes‘ message popped up, a warning to Felix that came far too late.
The excitement of encountering a mysterious beauty at the track, combined with getting my rare attention in the group chat, seemed to have gone straight to his head, so Felix’s response was almost immediate: “No need, I don’t care about her past. Single or divorced, I’m making my move!”
Making his move? The words sent a surge of cold anger through my veins. She was still my wife, regardless of whatever games she was playing with those divorce papers. The thought of Felix Thompson, of all people, pursuing her…
At that moment, Laurel called. “Blake, darling…” Her voice carried that particular note of vulnerability she’d perfected. “I’m feeling better, but… lonely. Could we go somewhere? Just to get my mind off things?”
I stared at the divorce papers on my desk, at Felix’s latest photo of Audrey commanding the race track like she’d been born to it. The woman in those photos was a stranger to me – fierce, independent, refusing to play by the rules I’d always assumed we both understood.
My decision crystallized with surprising clarity. “I’ll pick you up,” I said, already reaching for my keys. “We’re going to the race track.”
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