Chapter 236
Audrey’s POV
William sat across from me, clutching his will with that stubborn look.
o document. “It’s legally binding. You already promised you’d take what I’m giving you.
“I’ve signed and sealed it,” he tapped the
He pushed the will toward me. “Keep
safe. After I’m gone,
it
to
claim your sixty percent of my estate.”
I stared at the document but didn’t react
for it.
“William,” I said softly, “I can’t accept something this significant.”
He sighed. “If you don’t want the money, donate it after I’m gone.
whatever you like with it.”
His voice dropped. “I just don’t want to leave everything to people
who
be bothered to spend time with me while I’m still here.”
The raw honesty in his words hit me. This
about money it was
–
bout appreciation. I took the will and tucked it into my purse.
“William,” I asked, “will you attend Blake and Laurel’s engagement ceremony?”
He leaned back. “Do you want me to go?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I’ll be there too.”
His eyebrows rose slightly.
“And I need your help,” I continued, lowering my voice. “I want to take a patient away from the ceremony.”
The moment I walked out of the mansion, I pulled out my phone and called Michael.
“William’s decided to attend the engagement,” I told him when he answered.
After a pause, Michael cleared his throat. “About your designs..! Miss Rose doesn’t like them. She wants you to –
“There’s no time,” I cut him off. “The ceremony’s in three days. Even if I redesigned everything, the workshop couldn’t finish in time.”
I kept my voice level. “If she hates my work that much, find someone else.”
I hung up and hailed a taxi to Original Studio.
I originally wanted to see my jewelry designs released while I was still alive – fulfilling the dream Rachel and I shared. But after seeing those photos of Rachel, everything’s changed.
Across from the studio, James stared at me from/o
coffee shop table.
“You want to give me rights to all your designs?” His voice was incredulous. “Audrey, this is your life’s work!”
He shook his head. “These might be the only designs you ever create. How can you just hand them over?”
“If I cared about having my name on them, I wouldn’t have used Rachel’s in the first place,” I said, sliding the folder toward him. “I trust you
with this.”
I gave him a small smile. “Blake separates business from personal matters. He likes these designs. The rest is up to you.”
Chapter 236
James took the folder, his expression pained. “Audrey, are you… [raving?
“Yes.”
I looked out the window. “I don’t have much time left. I want to leave New York, find somewhere peaceful to spend my remaining dare with friend.”
“I wonder if I’ll still be around when these designs finally launch. I turned back to him. *If I’m gone by then, have Astrid place one at my grave. So I can see it.”
“Audrey… James’s voice cracked. “Isn’t there any hope? Didn’t someone offer to help with your treatment?”
“Time’s run out.”
I’d already confirmed the timeline with Dr. Evans. Dr. Clarke’s team would arrive the day after Blake and Laurel’s engagement. But by then, Rachel and I would be long gone.
“Couldn’t you just hide somewhere until after seeing the doctor?” he pressed. “What if they can actually eure you?”
I shook my head. “Even if they could, I can’t stay in New York for treatment.”
Dr. Evans had given me Dr. Clarke’s contact info. Once Rachel and I get settled somewhere far away, I’ll reach out to his team myself. Maybe they can still help us both my cancer, her vegetative state. It’s worth a shot.
But first things first. Getting Rachel away from New York more than any treatment right now.
Blake and Laurel’s chosen venue sparkled with crystal and gold. Though Astrid and I arrived two hours early, the lobby was already filling with
guests.
“I thought we’d beat the crowd,” Astrid muttered, scanning the opulent space. “This is ridiculously over–the–top.”
She gestured at the elaborate decorations. “If he’s doing all this for an engagement, what’s the wedding going to be? Will he buy out
Manhattan?”
“Maybe,” I smiled faintly. For Laurel, there wasn’t much Blake wouldn’t do.
Astrid glanced around the room. “Have the Roses brought Rachel yet?”
I checked my phone. “They’re on their way.”
I showed her Michael’s latest photo of Rachel. The sight made Astrid’s face flush with anger.
“Those bastards,” she hissed. “This is what they call taking good care of someone?”
Her voice shook. “They barely kept her alive for four years and call that care?”
I pressed my lips together, staring at Rachel’s frail form slumped in the wheelchair. She looked even worse than I feared.
Astrid squeezed my shoulder. “The driver’s waiting in the garage. Once you get Rachel down there, you’ll see him
She looked me in the eye. “He’s completely reliable. I promise.”
My phone vibrated with a message from my “neighbor“: “Silentia, have you arrived?”
away.
I knew Blake hired this guy to spy on me, but I’d still shared my plans with him anyway. Made his job easier. No point making him suffer just because Blake was paranoid
2/3
Chapter 236
But we’d gotten weirdly comfortable with each other over time. Behind his stiff, awkward texting style, there was something gentle about him. Something that reminded me of Blake from five years ago. Sometimes talking with him felt like getting small glimpses of the Blake I first fell for
I stared at it briefly before typing: Tm here. After tonight, your job is done. Take care.”
Blake had him monitoring me, probably worried I’d cause a scene. Now that the ceremony’s starting, it’s all ending.
Strangely, I feel a fleeting sense of loss at the thought of never chatting with him again. But the feeling passed quickly.
Then I deleted him from my contacts. This final connection to Blake was surprisingly easy to sever.
Blake’s POV
I stood at the window of the second–floor lounge, staring at my phone. The notification that I’d been deleted from Audrey’s contacts list shouldn’t have affected me, yet I found myself closing my eyes against an unexpected wave of emotion.
My conversations with her over the last few weeks kept replaying in my head.
I never imagined chatting with Audrey would bring back how I felt with Laurel five years ago. Something about their responses felt eerily
similar.
Being deleted stung, but I wouldn’t send another request. Some doors were better left closed.
“Blake darling, what are you looking at?”
I turned to find Laurel behind me in her elaborate gown, a vision in white.
“Silentia,” I answered without thinking.
Laurel’s expression froze. “Silentia? Who’s that?”
I studied her face. “You don’t remember?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “I… should I know who that is?”
“Silentia…” she ventured cautiously, “was that one of our old friends?”
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