Chapter 196
I floated through a vivid dream. I stood in a hospital room that reeked of antiseptic, facing a younger Blake Parker. White bandages covered his eyes after the accident that left him temporarily blind.
Though sightless, he somehow found my hand and took it in his. He smiled, expression serious despite the bandages.
“When my eyes recover, I want you to be the first person I see.”
I couldn’t speak because of my throat injury. I bit my lip, feeling my face flush hot as my heart pounded.
When I didn’t respond, Blake’s forehead creased with worry. His grip tightened.
“Will you? Will you stay by my side until I can see again?” His voice faltered. “Or don’t you want me to see you?”
I squeezed his hand and shook my head frantically at his last question.
He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen.
From the moment I pulled him from that beach, I was drawn to him.
I held his rough, warm hand, my cheeks burning as I imagined him finally seeing me.
The door opened and a young woman carrying a thermal container walked in, smiling. “Oops, am I interrupting?”
Rachel Hayes looked at our joined hands, her smile widening. “You two are adorable. Are you getting married the moment
he recovers?”
My face burned hotter. I tried pulling my hand away, but Blake held tight.
Rachel laughed. “Stop being so shy, Audrey. I can’t wait to be your bridesmaid!”
She set out containers on the table and handed me a fork. “Nora’s special pot roast from the main house. She insisted on sending it over. Feed him?”
Face red, I nodded and turned to Blake. Rachel ate quietly across from us. The room felt warm, peaceful.
Suddenly, the dream changed. The cozy room vanished, replaced by a dark street in pouring rain.
I stood soaked, desperately chasing a black car as it drove away. Despite my hoarse throat, I screamed Blake’s name, but the rain drowned me out. The car disappeared into the downpour.
Rachel appeared behind me with a red umbrella. Seeing me stumble, she dropped it and caught me.
‘Stop chasing him, Audrey.”
Her voice mixed sympathy with coldness. “I’ve seen his type before. They’ll use you when they need help, then toss you
aside when they don’t.”
“It’s good he doesn’t know your name or face. If he knew you’d seen him blind a part of his past he’d rather forget – he might even try to hurt you…”
Chapter 196
Rain dripped down her face as she continued. “I didn’t tell him your name to protect you. I was afraid he might be dangerous.”
“Then I wanted to test his feelings for you. If he was just using you, he didn’t deserve to know who you were…”
“Looks like I was right.”
I looked up, tears mixing with rain. “But Rachel, he knows your name…”
Rachel’s lips curved confidently. “It doesn’t matter. My mother’s husband has connections. He wouldn’t dare hurt me…”
I hugged her, sobbing. We clung to each other as the scene blurred.
The dream shifted again. Now Astrid stood before me, face twisted with grief.
She held my hands, her own shaking. “Audrey, something happened to Rachel… She fell from the building. She’s a vegetative patient now. Let’s see her one last time…”
I couldn’t breathe, only cry out:
“Rachel – !”
I jerked awake with that cry, sitting bolt upright. Cold sweat drenched my body. I gasped for air.
“Audrey, you’re awake.”
Ethan stood quickly from his chair, looking worried. “Bad dream? Who’s Rachel?”
I stared at him blankly before recognizing his face. Just a dream. The tension in my body eased slightly as I exhaled.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and looked around the unfamiliar room. “Where am I?”
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