Scarlett’s POV
I sat in the basement’s dim light, holding my daughter’s hands. “Rachel, mommy doesn’t have a choice,‘ I whispered, squeezing her fingers gently. “Your sister’s worried Blake might find out everything.”
“Just for a little while, okay? When your sister leaves in a week, I’ll move you back upstairs to the third floor.”
Tears welled up as I studied what remained of my vibrant daughter. Her once lively eyes now vacant, her spirit trapped in an unresponsive body.
“Rachel, why couldn’t you just…” My voice cracked. “Why did you have to fight with your sister?”
“If it weren’t for your sister and her father, that man would have killed us both long ago. Your sister just wants a perfect relationship. Why couldn’t you let her have that?”
I leaned closer. “That friend of yours. She already suffered all those years in that little town. What’s a little more suffering if it means your sister gets Blake? What’s so wrong with that?”
Tears fell onto the white sheets. “Rachel, if you see your mistake, please wake up. Wake up and forget everything. We could
be a happy family again.”
My shoulders shook. “Why did you have to clash with your sister?”
As I wiped tears away, I felt the slightest movement against my palm. Rachel’s eyes shifted slightly toward me. Then, with what seemed like tremendous effort, she slowly pulled her hand from mine.
–
I gasped, hope and fear colliding in my chest. Any reaction from Rachel was rare but this felt like rejection.
The basement door opened. Light spilled down the stairs as the housekeeper called out, “Ma’am, Mr. Parker is here with
Miss Sinclair.”
I froze. “He brought her here? Why?”
I quickly stood, smoothing my dress and wiping away tears. I needed to get upstairs immediately.
Audrey’s POV
I stepped out of Blake’s car and looked up at Twilight Mansion. Something about the building tugged at my memory. An odd familiarity I couldn’t place made me frown as I studied the detailed facade and ornate windows.
I’ve never been here before. Why does it feel like I’ve seen this place?
Blake joined me on the driveway, noticing my expression.
“Victorian–style classical architecture, he said, following my gaze. “You don’t see many of these in modern New York.”
He adjusted his cuffs. “Scarlett Rose has unique taste.”
I barely heard him. My mind raced to place why this building stirred such strong feelings. The tall spires, the intricate woodwork, the symmetrical windows…
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Chapter 181
Then it hit me. Rachel Hayes loved Victorian architecture. We’d spent hours looking through architectural magazines, with Rachel pointing out specific detalls she adored about Victorian buildings.
Standing there, I was pulled back to a conversation from four years ago.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the empty parking lot where Rachel and I had stopped. She sat on the roof of her car, an open beer in her hand, her silhouette sharp against the orange sky.
I asked my mom if she could buy me that villa in the suburbs,” Rachel said, taking a drink. “The one where I could live with my friends someday.”
I leaned against the hood, looking up at her.
“But she said I was greedy,” Rachel continued, her voice hardening. “That I didn’t understand her problems, that all I ever do is ask for money.”
“She also said my sister and dad were getting fed up with me always asking for stuff.”
“But Audrey,” she turned to me, eyes reflecting the sunset, “what else can I do to make her remember I exist? Asking for money is the only time she notices me. All she cares about is her husband and their daughter. In that house, I was just an
outsider.”
I climbed up to sit beside her, shoulders touching in silent support.
“When that man married my mom,” Rachel continued, “he promised he’d treat me like his own daughter. That the whole family would be good to me.”
She shook her head bitterly. “But I’ve never fit in. They’re all just fake–nice to my face. I was just making conversation. I never actually expected her to buy me a villa.”
Suddenly, she stood on the car roof, arms spread wide, shouting: “I’ll earn it myself! Me and my good friend Audrey Sinclair will start a jewelry company together, and I’ll buy my own damn villa!”
Her passion pulled me to my feet beside her, mimicking her pose. “And I’ll earn it myself too! I’ll start a jewelry company with my good friend Rachel Hayes and help her buy that villa!”
We stood there, two young women with big dreams, silhouetted against the sunset, feeling invincible together.
That conversation feels like yesterday, but so much has happened since then.
I looked at the Victorian mansion with new understanding. This must be the kind of villa Rachel wanted.
After her accident, I had intended to earn enough to help my friend realize her dream. But then I’d become entangled in my marriage to Blake, always thinking there would be time later to start our jewelry company, to find Rachel, to promise.
ll our
I never imagined that in just a few short years, that exhausting marriage would leave me with terminal cancer and less than three months to live.
The realization strengthened my resolve. I needed to find Laurel, to get Rachel’s contact information.
I took a deep breath, my determination renewed as I faced the mansion.
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Chapter 181
As we approached the entrance, the heavy wooden doors opened. Mrs. Scarlett Rose emerged, flanked by housekeepers. Her smile was aimed entirely at Blake, while she pointedly ignored me.
“Blake, what brings you back?” she asked warmly. “Laurel is resting upstairs.”
She touched his arm. Are you looking for her? Something wrong?”
Blake kept things formal. “How long has she been resting? Did she mention when she might wake up?”
“She just said she needed rest. Didn’t say when she’d wake.” She studied his face. “Is it urgent?”
“It’s Audrey who needs to see her,” Blake replied, gesturing toward me.
Mrs. Rose finally turned to me, her warmth instantly freezing. “Miss Sinclair and Laurel hardly ever cross paths, do they?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You sent her agent to jail today, and now you’re here? What for?”
I met her gaze directly. “It’s between Miss Rose and me. I’d rather not discuss it.”
She gave a thin smile. “Since you won’t explain why, I can’t make decisions for Laurel. You’ll have to wait until she wakes
up.”
Mrs. Rose turned back to Blake, her voice warming instantly. “Blake, you know how Laurel gets. She just fell asleep, and if I wake her now, she’ll be mad at me for days.”
She waved dismissively toward me. “Besides…”
Her voice dropped. “I might help if you were asking, but not for a stranger.”
Blake nodded. “I understand.”
“That girl could sleep forever,” she laughed lightly. “I have some fresh tea that just arrived. Want to try it?”
“Sure,” Blake agreed.
Mrs. Rose beamed, leading the way inside, positioning herself close to Blake.
As Blake passed me to follow her, he muttered, “Stay with us, don’t wander.”
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