Audrey’s POV
My eyes widened. “You this is…”
“I’m moving in with you,” Astrid announced, setting the suitcase down, her tone matter–of–fact as she straightened up.
She patted my shoulder. “I told my parents about your stomach cancer. They totally agree I should be here looking after
you.”
“Starting today, I’ll be living under the same roof, keeping an eye on you 24/7!”
She took a breath, her voice dropping. “I’ve been thinking… we need to be realistic.”
“If they can’t cure you…” she paused, “at least I’ll be with you through the end.”
Her words caught me off guard. My eyes burned unexpectedly.
I sniffed and turned away. “Going to wash my face.”
In the bathroom, I tried to pull myself together. I splashed cold water on my face, fighting against the lump forming in my
throat.
Astrid leaned against the doorframe as I dried my face. “So how’s the company situation?”
My hands paused. “Not great.”
I sniffed. “The partner company’s boss is Blake Parker. And you know, Laurel’s always with him, she messed everything up. We’ll have to reschedule.”
Astrid rolled her eyes. “That woman…”
“Audrey, what does Blake see in her?”
“I seriously don’t get why Blake, who couldn’t appreciate you, fell for someone like her.”
“Did she save his life or something? He does whatever she wants.”
I laughed dryly. “Who knows.”
I wiped my face with a towel. “Maybe Blake sees something in Laurel that we can’t.”
Astrid rolled her eyes harder. “What could anyone possibly see in her?”
“The moment I met her, I knew she was trouble. Guess I was right.”
Astrid waved her hand. “Let’s drop this.”
“Audrey, before everything happened two days ago, the phone you got…”
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“Did you look through it? Is it really Rachel’s?”
I bit my lip, then nodded. “It is.”
“There are pictures of us together on it.”
Astrid’s eyes lit up immediately. “So we might actually find the Hayes family and see Rachel?”
I nodded quietly.
“That’s amazing!” Astrid practically yelled. “We’re going to see Rachel again!”
“It’s been four years! Wonder if she’s gotten any better. Maybe she’ll wake up like Blake did and make her own miracle!”
I managed a smile. “I’m curious too.”
I wasn’t ready to tell Astrid that the Rose family was Rachel’s family. With her temper, she’d probably march straight to Twilight Mansion. I needed more time to understand what happened to Rachel first.
“Hey, check this out,” Astrid said, handing me a newspaper. “Look at the article about the murder.”
I took it, scanning the page with a frown.
“Keep reading. The woman who was killed – her name is Jennifer Carson.”
I stopped cold, looking up at Astrid.
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s Laurel’s agent. The one you had arrested.”
“Why was she still locked up?” I asked, confused.
Astrid sighed. “You don’t know? When you withdrew your charges, that only cleared her of theft and assault.”
“Someone else pressed charges for the kidnapping plot and car crash conspiracy. She never got out.”
“She died in custody early this morning.”
“People are saying Laurel had her silenced,” Astrid continued. “Jennifer worked for her for years – she must’ve known all
Laurel’s secrets.”
“Laurel probably thought having you drop your charges would free her. When that didn’t work…”
N
She shook her head. “It’s cold–blooded. Jennifer worked for her for years! Even with those charges, her sentence wouldn’t have been that severe – nobody got seriously hurt.”
“I can’t believe Laurel would do this to/someone so loyal,” Astrid said. “Audrey, what does Blake see in her?”
I put the newspaper down. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.”
The news left me uneasy. Despite everything Jennifer did to me, I never wanted her dead. The thought that Laurel might have had her killed was chilling.
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Astrid insisted on cooking dinner, worried I hadn’t eaten all day. After sunset, we finished our meal and decided to walk in the nearby park.
The evening air carried the scent of trees and grass. With each step, the frustration from my confrontation at Twilight. Mansion seemed to fade away.
We circled the park several times, pointing out flowers and cloud shapes. It was simple and exactly what I needed.
If Astrid hadn’t come over, I’d probably be sitting alone in my apartment brooding.
As we headed back, I felt lighter than I had in months.
That feeling vanished when we approached my building.
Blake Parker stood by his car, smoking. Seeing us, he straightened up and put out his cigarette.
“You’re back?” he asked hoarsely.
I noticed the ground near Blake’s feet was littered with cigarette butts. At least twenty or thirty. He must have been waiting for hours.
I asked. “Mr. Parker? Shouldn’t you be at the hospital with your emotionally fragile Miss Rose? What are you doing here?”
Blake frowned. “Audrey Sinclair, we need to talk.”
“Business or personal?” I asked flatly.
His dark eyes just studied me silently.
“If it’s business, I’ll call James right now.”
“If it’s personal, I don’t have time to waste. We’re divorced, remember?”
Astrid gave him a cold look. “Just go. She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
I walked past him toward the entrance, Astrid’s arm linked through mine. We’d almost reached the door when I heard quick footsteps behind us.
Blake grabbed my arm, his grip painfully tight.
I winced, forced to stop. “Let go!”
He held on, keeping pace as I tried to move forward. “Audrey Sinclair, I want to talk to you… about Rachel Hayes.”
That name made me stop in my tracks.
“What about her?” I asked, turning to face him.
Blake’s eyes flicked to Astrid. “Can we talk privately?”
“Hell no,” Astrid snapped. “I’m not leaving her alone with you.”
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Chapter 207
Blake laughed, the sound harsh in the quiet street. “You really think you could stop me if I wanted to do something?
Astrid tensed. “You arrogant
“Astrid,” I cut in.
I touched Astrid’s arm, my eyes fixed on Blake. “Answer one question and I’ll talk to you alone.”
“Fine.”
I pulled up the news article about Jennifer on my phone and held it out. “Was this you?”
As he read, his expression shifted from confusion to shock.
“Jennifer’s dead?” He handed back my phone, genuinely surprised.
“Yes,” I watched his face carefully. “The police mentioned someone reported her for orchestrating the kidnapping and car crash.”
“I was there for both incidents, but I didn’t file those reports.”
I studied him, keeping my voice level. “So the person who made sure Jennifer stayed locked up… was it you?”
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