Chapter 188
Audrey’s POV
“What’s your condition?” I asked, looking up at Laurel.
“Jennifer,” she said, cutting straight to the point. “Drop all charges against her and get her released.”
I went quiet. The memory of Jennifer ordering those men to beat me flashed in my mind, clashing with Rachel’s smiling face, her chin propped on her hands.
“Fine,” I said after a moment, letting out a bitter laugh. “I agree.”
Even if I only get to contact Rachel’s family once, just to learn her condition, it’ll be enough. Rachel was my first friend in New York. She never looked down on where I came from. Instead, she introduced me to new experiences, showed me things I’d never
seen.
For Rachel, I can swallow this.
“But I have a condition too,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Once Jennifer’s out, keep her away from me. Don’t let her try
anything again.”
“Otherwise, I’ll come after both of you next time. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Laurel waved her hand like she was shooing away a fly. “Don’t worry about it.”
She called over a maid standing nearby, whispered something in her ear, and the woman hurried off. When she returned a few minutes later, she was holding an old model phone.
Laurel handed it to me. “Step one of our deal: your phone back.”
“Step two, drop the charges and free Jennifer. Then I’ll tell you how to contact the Hayes family.”
“Step three, convince William Parker to approve my engagement to Blake. Once we’re engaged, I’ll give you Rachel’s
phone.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
“One more thing,” Laurel said with a frown. “Keep this deal between us. The Rose and Parker families can’t know about it.”
“Until our transaction is complete, don’t mention Rachel Hayes to anyone from either family. Clear?”
Though I didn’t understand why, I nodded. For Rachel, I’d play by her rules.
Satisfied, Laurel smirked and handed me the phone. “Don’t forget what you promised.”
“I won’t,” I said, my lips pressed into a thin smile.
“It’s getting late,” she said, glancing at her fancy watch. “You should leave now.”
“Don’t ruin my dinner mood with Blake.”
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Chapter 188
I checked the phone, and suddenly my eyes narrowed. I noticed something off about it, but quickly masked my reaction
with a smile.
“Don’t worry,” I said. I have zero interest in watching my ex–husband eat dinner with his future wife and mother–in–law/
I slipped the phone into my pocket and looked toward the garden’s back gate. “Can I leave through here?”
Laurel seemed caught off guard.
By the time she was about to nod, I was already at the exit.
“Remember your promise,” I called, waving the phone at her. “I’m out!”
I walked away without waiting for her response.
“Astrid, can you pick me up near Twilight Mansion?” I called my friend the minute I was clear of the property, walking barefoot down the dark road.
“You’ve already met Laurel Rose?” Astrid asked after a pause.
“Yep,” I said, my steps quickening with excitement as I played with the phone. “You won’t believe what I got.”
This isn’t my phone – it’s Rachel’s. Five years ago when she bought these two phones, they were identical models in the same color. Unless you used them regularly, you couldn’t tell them apart. Laurel’s maid grabbed the wrong one, and in the dark, Laurel didn’t check before handing it over. That’s why I bolted – before she could realize the mistake!
“We’ll talk when you get in the car,” Astrid sighed.
A red sports car pulled up beside me seconds later. The window rolled down to reveal Astrid’s worried face in the streetlight. “Been waiting forever.”
I blinked in surprise, then hung up and jumped in. “When did you get here?”
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