Blake’s POV
“Grandfather!”
I stood in the hospital corridor facing Grandfather. His wheelchair seemed more like a throne the way he sat there with his jaw set against my explanations.
“I’ve already told you,” I said, keeping my voice measured. “I’m only getting engaged to Laurel to help her weather this scandal.”
Grandfather’s eyes narrowed skeptically.
“The engagement is just a formality, not real,” I continued. “It’s just an engagement, not marriage. It won’t harm anyone.”
Grandfather scoffed, “A fake engagement?”
“You say you’re deceiving others, but who knows if you’re deceiving me?” His voice rose slightly. “Now you use the excuse of silencing gossip to get engaged. What’s next? Will you use the same excuse to marry her? Will you show me a marriage certificate and claim it’s fake too?”
I stayed silent.
“Don’t try that with me!” Grandfather jabbed a finger my way. “I didn’t come here for this nonsense. I came because I want you to properly apologize to Audrey!”
My stomach tightened at her name. Grandfather’s fingers tapped against the wheelchair.
“You promised her a birthday celebration and kept postponing it. Now you’re divorced, and you got the date wrong. You’re really something! Three years married, and you can’t remember when her birthday is!”
Howered my eyes. The truth was I had checked the date. I’d noted the 15th when planning, but carelessly wrote the 17th when booking. A simple mistake that revealed how little attention I’d paid to my wife.
Grandfather sighed heavily when I didn’t respond. “Fine, since your Miss Rose is so ill, I won’t stay longer. Mayo Clinic is for cancer patients. Someone my age shouldn’t linger here.”
He turned toward the elevators. “I’ll head back now. As for the engagement, I don’t approve, so forget it.”
His parting words landed firmly: “Remember to apologize to Audrey!”
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I watched him wheel away, an idea forming in my mind. It was manipulative, perhaps even cruel bat
it might work.
“Grandfather,” I called, my voice dropping.
He paused but didn’t turn back.
“What if…” I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “I’m just saying what if, what if Audrey Sinclair came to beg you? Begging you to agree to let me get engaged to Laurel.”
The words hung in the air between us.
“Would you agree then?”
Audrey’s POV
I stood at the fire exit door, watching through the crack. When I heard Blake’s question, I was so shocked I almost lost my grip on the handle.
What is Blake thinking?
My eyes widened in disbelief.
He wants me to beg William to approve his engagement to Laurel Rose?
Has he lost his mind?
I gripped the door handle tighter, biting my lip to stay silent.
William’s wheelchair stopped abruptly. He turned back, looking stunned.
“What are you trying to do!?” His voice echoed in the empty corridor. “Do you realize what you’re
saying?”
His voice trembled with anger:
“When you were with Audrey, it was bad enough that you made her come beg me for everything. Now you’re divorced, getting engaged to another woman, and you still want to make things difficult
for her?”
Blake stood expressionless, his yoice cold: “You just need to tell me, if Audrey Sinclair comes to beg you, would you agree or not.”
William slapped his armrest. “You ungrateful child! This is between you and me. Why drag Audrey
into it?”
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Compassion filled his voice: “Hasn’t she done enough for you? You’re divorced can’t you leave her
alone?”
A cold smile formed on Blake’s lips. “About the divorce, she tricked me.”
His voice turned resentful: “She promised to remarry me. That’s why I agreed to divorce. I didn’t expect she’d go back on her word.”
He lifted his chin. “She owes me this.”
My grip tightened until my nails dug into my palm. I gritted my teeth, struggling to stay quiet.
This man twists everything!
My eyes filled with anger.
The divorce was his idea – to protect precious Laurel from being called a homewrecker. Now he claims I
tricked him?
I took a deep breath and kept listening.
William studied Blake suspiciously. “What do you mean? When you divorced Audrey, you were planning to remarry her?”
“Yes.” Blake’s voice went hoarse. “Audrey… is a good wife. I never intended to separate from her.”
I bit my lip harder, his words cutting deep.
He doesn’t say he loves me or even likes me.
Just that I’m a good wife.
He didn’t want the divorce not because of feelings, but because I was useful.
William looked skeptical. “You didn’t plan to separate, yet you’re with Laurel, planning to get engaged? Do you think this will make me agree to your fake engagement?”
He shook his head firmly. “Not a chance!”
With that, he reached for the elevator button.
“You still haven’t answered,” Blake persisted. “If Audrey came to beg you, would you agree?”
William’s hand paused. He sighed deeply.
“Blake, we all know Audrey loves you beyond reason, willing to do anything for you. But don’t push it
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Chapter 143
too far.”
His tone grew serious. “If she begged me, I might agree. But have you considered if you force her to do this, you two would truly have no chance in this lifetime.”
His eyes held Blake’s. “You claim your engagement to Laurel is fake, but is losing any chance with a good woman like Audrey forever worth it?”
The elevator opened. William wheeled himself in without looking back, leaving Blake alone in the corridor, his expression unreadable.
After a moment, the hospital room door opened. Jennifer Carson hurried toward Blake, looking anxious.
“Mr. Parker, Laurel’s emotions are unstable,” she said. “Even with sedatives, she’s still talking about suicide.”
She lowered her voice. “You mentioned proposing… was that true?”
Her eyes pleaded. “If you’re certain, I’ll tell her. If not, it would only make her worse.”
Blake exhaled after a long silence. “You can assure her the engagement will happen.”
Jennifer’s face lit up. “That’s wonderful! I’ll tell her right away. When she hears this, she’ll be so
happy her illness might improve!”
She turned toward Laurel’s room.
“Wait,” Blake called. “Tell her the proposal timing might need to be delayed. My grandfather… there
are still issues to resolve.”
Jennifer’s smile faltered slightly. “I see… That’s fine. With your abilities, family issues are solvable. Laurel will wait.”
-She hurried back to the room.
Blake frowned, staring after her. Then suddenly he turned, looking directly at the stairwell door.
My heart skipped. I stepped back, trying to hide.
Why did he look here?
My heart raced.
Has he discovered me?
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Chapter 143
That’s impossible…
“Audrey Sinclair!”
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