Audrey’s POV
“He’s already talked to Miss Rose about it,” Michael said. ‘Since you have experience with vegetative patients, he thinks you’re perfer to look aftakach Hayes during the ceremony.”
“Miss Sinclair?” Michael’s voice pulled me back. ‘Does this mean you’ll design the rings now?”
“Yes,” I said, realizing I hadn’t actually responded. ‘I’ll start right away.”
I wedged my phone between my ear and shoulder, jotting down notes while sitting cross–legged on my touch.
“Great. Mr. Parker has some specific ideas for the men’s ring…”
I wrote everything down as Michael detailed Blake’s preferences. Already my mind was sketching designs that would complement the women’s ring id created earlier.
“Thanks, Michael. And please tell Mr. Parker I appreciate the chance to care for Rachel.
After hanging up, I stared at my notes. Whatever my feelings about Blake, this was my opportunity to see Rachel again. That’s what mattered.
I spent the next several hours lost in designs, barely noticing the apartment growing darker. My phone’s ring startled me back to reality.
“Audrey, what are you doing?” Ethan’s voice brought an unexpected smile to my face.
“Working.”
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
I glanced at my watch, surprised to see it was after six. “I haven’t even had lunch.”
“What? Your stomach’s already messed up! You can’t skip meals like this. Where are you? I’m coming to find you and buy you dinner.”
I suddenly realized how hungry I was. “I’m at home.”
“Perfect! I’m right outside your door.”
I hung up and opened my door to find Ethan juggling several grocery bags, wearing a sheepish grin.
“Dinner delivery,” he said, stepping past me into my apartment.
“What’s all this?” I asked, following him to the kitchen.
‘Ingredients,” he replied, setting everything down. “I figured you might be skipping meals.”
I watched him unpack pasta, ground beef, tomatoes, and a French baguette. “You didn’t have to do this.”
‘I wanted to,” he said, washing his hands. “I called Astrid too. She’ll be here in about an hour.”
‘Smart move, I laughed. “Starting before she arrives.”
Ethan winked. “Astrid’s cooking is… an adventure.”
“That’s generous,” I said. “How’d you suddenly get free time? Aren’t you busy with your bartending job?
Ethan paused while rinsing vegetables. “I saw the news about Blake and Laurel’s engagement. Thought you might need company, so I got the night off.”
1/3
1 felt
my smile stiffen. “Why would their engagement bother me?”
“I think…” He studied my face carefully. “You and Blake still have feelings for each other.”
I brushed my bangs from my face, buying time to compose myself. “What makes you think that? What have I done to give you such a weird idea?
“That night at NYU, the way he held your hands,” he said, returning to his vegetables. “I could tell something’s unresolved between you two.”
He set down a cucumber and faced me. “Would you really be okay watching him marry someone else? Maybe there’s just a misunderstanding you could clear up.”
I shook my head with a bitter smile. “Not only am I not fighting for him, I’m designing their engagement rings.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “That was your idea?”
“No,” I moved beside him and took over washing vegetables. “Blake’s demand. So please stop saying there’s something between us. If he respected me at all, he wouldn’t ask me to do this.”
Ethan stood frozen. “I’m sorry, Audrey. I had no idea…”
‘It’s fine. Go relax, I’ll finish here.”
He nodded and headed to the living room.
The sound of keys announced Astrid’s arrival before she burst through the door.
‘Audrey, Ethan just called – She stopped mid–sentence, spotting Ethan sitting on the couch with Snow. Her eyes narrowed before she grabbed a throw pillow and flung it at him. “Making my sick friend cook while you lounge around?”
Ethan caught the pillow. “Audrey told me to take a break!”
“He’s right,” I called from the kitchen. “Come help me instead of harassing him.”
Astrid dropped her bag and headed my way. “On it.”
“I’m not a kid,‘ Ethan protested. “I’m twenty–two.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Twenty–two is still a kid.”
“Exactly,” Astrid agreed. “Since Audrey says you’re a kid, I won’t be too hard on you. Let your big sisters handle dinner tonight!”
As Astrid washed her hands, she casually mentioned, “I saw moving trucks downstairs. And I passed some movers coming from this floor. I think the empty apartment next door might have a tenant now.”
I looked up from chopping. “Really?”
“Yeah.” She frowned, grabbing a pot. “When I helped you find this place, the landlord specifically said no one else lived on this floor. I thought it’d be perfect – quiet, private, no neighbors.”
She filled the pot with water for the pasta. “It’s weird that less than a month after you move in, someone takes the empty apartment. This building has terrible soundproofing… I hope we don’t disturb them.”
I laughed. “You don’t even know who it is. Maybe they’ll disturb us.”
‘I asked the movers, Astrid explained. “They said the new tenant is some wealthy businessman. Seems out of place for this building, don’t you think?”
I shrugged, focusing on the vegetables. “Maybe he likes the character of old buildings. Not everyone wants sterile luxury.”
Blake’s POV
2/3
Chapter 229
“Sir, the apartment’s ready as requested.” Michael placed a set of keys on my desk. “Everything’s been moved in. Will you be staying there tonight?”
I looked up from my document, closing the folder. “No one from next door noticed anything?”
“No, sir. I specifically instructed the movers to be discreet about your identity. If asked, they were only to mention the tenant is mate
I nodded, picking up the keys, turning them over in my hand.
Michael shifted uncomfortably in the silence before clearing his throat. “Sir, I don’t quite understand why you’d want to live next to Miss Sinclair. The neighborhood isn’t what you’re used to.”
I stopped fidgeting with the keys. “Is that so?”
I looked up at Michael, my gaze sharpening. “If Audrey can adapt to living there, you think I can’t? Are you suggesting she’s somehow more capable than 1
am?
Michael’s face went white. “That’s not what I meant! I
“Enough,” I cut him off. “Get out.”
just-
Michael lowered his head. “Yes, sir.”
As he reached for the door, I spoke again. “This stays between us. Laurel doesn’t need to know. I’m only moving there because I’m concerned about Audrey’s safety.”
“Understood,” he nodded before slipping out.
I returned to the acquisition report on my desk, but the words blurred together. The proposals that had held my attention all morning suddenly seemed pointless.
I tossed it aside, then grabbed my jacket and the keys, heading out.
The drive to her apartment building took fifteen minutes in evening traffic.
route I’d never taken before Audrey moved there, but one I now knew by heart.
I parked my car and took the elevator up. As the doors opened, Astrid’s voice carried down the hallway.
“Audrey, admit it! If you hadn’t married Blake Parker, you wouldn’t be in this mess right now!”
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