Chapter 176
Audrey’s POV
I caught a taxi straight from the Parker mansion to the police station. When I got there, the desk officer told me Jennifer had finished her initial statement and was already in a holding cell.
“Miss Sinclair.”
The female officer who’d been at William’s house spotted me and stood up. She walked me through the station, dropping her voice as we moved. “How’s Miss Rose doing? She seemed pretty shaken when we left.”
I gave a small smile. ‘She was fine.”
Laurel’s illness was fake from start to finish. Her dramatic show of nearly having an attack in front of the police was just to make them take Jennifer away faster.
The officer brought me into a small office, and we sat down on opposite sides of the desk.
“That Jennifer Carson is being difficult,” she said. “At the Parker mansion, she practically admitted everything she did was connected to Laurel Rose. But as soon as we got her here, she changed her story completely.”
She looked directly at me. “It’s obvious her interests are tied to Laurel Rose. Even though she was angry about being abandoned, once she calmed down, she decided to protect Rose.”
“In her statement, she’s taking complete responsibility. Claims she planned everything herself with no input from Laurel Rose. Says Rose is just an innocent victim who got dragged into this.”
She closed the file. “Don’t worry, though. As long as there are questions about the case, we’ll keep investigating to get to
the truth.”
I nodded, disappointed but not surprised. “Thank you.”
If Jennifer were the type to easily turn on Laurel, she wouldn’t have been trusted with so much for so many years. This will take time to unravel.
But time is the one thing I don’t have.
I took a deep breath. “Did Jennifer say anything about the phones? Where they are now, or where my friend’s phone came
from?”
The officer paused, then nodded. “She says both phones are with Laurel Rose. If you want them back, you’ll need to ask Rose directly.”
She checked her notes. “About your friend’s phone – she said Laurel Rose gave it to her. She went to that repair shop specifically to fix it for Rose.”
I felt a jolt of shock. Laurel has Rachel’s phone? How?
Could Laurel know Rachel? Or Rachel’s family? But even if they’re connected somehow, why would she have the phone of someone who’s been in a vegetative state for four years?
1/3
Chapter 176
“I need to go,” I said suddenly. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Can we finish this quickly?”
After completing my statement, I left the station and found a small park nearby. I sat on a bench watching children play while I called Astrid.
“Astrid,” I said when she answered, “we might see Rachel again!”
“Are you serious?” Her voice exploded with excitement. “You have news about Rachel? What country is she in? Is she doing okay? Any signs of her waking up?”
My hand shook as I gripped the phone. “I don’t know yet.”
I explained everything that had happened since the repair shop finding Rachel’s phone, Jennifer’s arrest, and discovering Laurel somehow had Rachel’s phone in her possession.
“What the hell?” Astrid sounded furious. “Blake just stood there protecting that woman while you were beaten black and blue? Are you okay? Did they check you for internal injuries?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
The image of Blake holding Laurel protectively flashed in my mind, sending a sharp pang through my chest. I’d been beaten at Laurel’s command, my face covered in bruises, yet the man I once loved sheltered her like she was the victim.
What was I holding onto all these years? Even if I’d stayed by his side for another decade, would Blake ever have cared about me at all?
“You’ve been sick a lot lately,” Astrid said more quietly. “Ever since the miscarriage, you haven’t seemed well.”
“I’ve already lost Rachel,” she added, her voice cracking slightly. “I can’t lose you too. Please take care of yourself.”
I swallowed hard, touched by her concern. She’d noticed something was wrong despite my efforts to hide it.
“Don’t worry,” I said, forcing my voice to sound light. “I’m just rundown from everything that’s happened. It’ll pass.”
I quickly changed the subject. “At William’s house, I heard Laurel mention going to visit her mother at some suburban villa. Can you find out which one Mrs. Rose stays at?”
“You really want to confront Laurel right now?” Astrid sounded concerned. “After everything that just happened? You sent her manager to jail – she’s not going to tell you anything about Rachel willingly.”
“Maybe we should wait a month or two
“I can’t wait,” I cut her off. “I’d rather face whatever she demands than wait.”
I only have three months left. I just want to see Rachel one more time before I die. Even if she can’t respond or speak, just seeing her would be enough.
“She’ll make you drop the charges against Jennifer,” Astrid warned. “Everything you’ve been through, all your efforts wasted. They’ll both escape consequences completely.”
“Can you really accept that? Just let yourself be victimized again?”
2/3
Chapter 176
I gripped the phone tightly. “It doesn’t matter.”
Astrid was quiet for a long moment before sighing. “Okay. I’ll have someone track down Mrs. Rose’s location.”
“But even if you have to drop the charges, I promise they’ll still pay for what they did to you.”
The call ended with Astrid hanging up, leaving me listening to the dial tone with my eyes closed.
I knew that tone of voice, that disappointed sigh. It was the same reaction she’d had whenever I’d swallowed my pride for Blake’s sake during our marriage. She was frustrated with me for not standing up for myself – again.
Half an hour later, my phone buzzed with Astrid’s messages:
“Found it. Mrs. Rose has a villa at Twilight Mansion in the suburbs. She stays there a couple days every week for ‘health
treatments‘.”
“Weird thing is, Mrs. Rose has always seemed perfectly healthy. No idea what treatment she needs weekly at a private villa.”
“The socialites gossip that she’s keeping a young lover there.”
“This rumor reached Mr. Rose once, but strangely, a man obsessed with image completely ignored it. Didn’t even deny it.”
“I doubt the lover theory though. Mr. Rose wouldn’t tolerate that scandal, and Laurel is staying with her tonight.”
“Maybe Mrs. Rose really does have some secret condition.”
I smiled slightly. When Astrid was upset with me for not fighting harder, she’d text instead of call, but couldn’t help sharing all the gossip she’d found.
I replied:
“Thank you, Astrid.”
“Don’t be mad. I just really need to find Rachel.”
“Why I can’t wait even a month…”
“You’ll understand in two months.”
Her response was immediate:
“It’s okay. I miss Rachel too.”
Chapter Comments
LIKE
