Chapter 197
Audrey’s POV
“This is my home.” Before Ethan could answer, a middle–aged woman’s voice came from the doorway.
I turned to see Dr. Evans leaning against the doorframe in casual clothes, sipping from a teacup. Her eyes assessed me
carefully.
“You’ve been asleep for two days. How are you feeling?”
I glanced between Ethan and Dr. Evans, confusion clouding my thoughts. “What happened?”
Ethan straightened in his chair. “At the police station, I heard someone vomiting blood. When I saw it was you, I rushed over. You grabbed my hand and made me promise not to tell Astrid about your condition.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I realized Astrid has connections at every hospital in New York. She’d find you and
discover your illness. So after getting permission from the officers, I took you to Mayo Clinic and had Alexander contact
Dr. Evans.”
“But Dr. Evans was already on vacation.”
“When she heard you needed help, she had me bring you to her home…” Ethan finished, giving Dr. Evans a grateful look. “She turned her home into a hospital room and let me stay to h are for you…”
“Thank you,” I said to Dr. Evans, feeling a weight of gratitude despite my confusion.
“Don’t thank me.” She sent Ethan a pointed look. “Could you get her some hot water?”
Once he left, she turned to me with a sigh. “I told you to keep your emotions stable. Did any of that advice sink in?”
She handed me her teacup. “Late–stage cancer requires emotional stability. Especially gastric cancer.
I took a small sip, feeling like a scolded child.
“You scared me that night,” she continued. “You’re young. Why bottle up so much pain?”
“All those suppressed feelings came out at once, causing you to vomit blood.” She studied my face. “After two days of rest, you should be recovering. How do you feel now?”
I set down the empty cup, meeting her eyes sheepishly. “Better.”
“Good.” Dr. Evans stood and nodded toward my phone. “That’s been ringing constantly. Family or work, I couldn’t say. Now that you’re awake, you should handle it.”
After she left, I leaned back against the pillows and picked up my phone. Unlocking it revealed hundreds of missed calls – dozens from Astrid, about ten from Laurel, and the rest all from Blake.
Why would Blake call this many times?
My phone rang again. Blake’s name flashed on the screen.
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Chapter 197
‘Don’t answer!‘ Ethan rushed in, nearly spilling the tea as he lunged to stop me. “Whatever he wants, it can’t be good.”
I set the phone down. ‘What’s wrong?”
“Blake Parker’s been searching all over New York for you.” He pulled out his phone, showing me videos of men in black suits questioning people throughout the city. “Parker Group sent out thousands of security guards looking for you.”
I stared at the footage, my mind struggling to process it. Hundreds of calls? Thousands of guards? What was Blake trying to do?
“At first I thought he was worried about you,” Ethan said. “You were married for three years, and you got sick because of him. I figured he felt guilty.”
“But I was wrong.” He scrolled through his phone and handed it to me. “Look what Laurel Rose posted that night.”
On the screen was a photo of an old phone. It was my phone. Laurel was supposed to return it, but her maid messed up and gave me Rachel’s phone instead. So my phone was still with Laurel.
The caption read: “Miss Sinclair, being a thief and swapping phones isn’t nice. I’ll find you and get mine back.”
“Blake Parker is looking for me because of a phone?” The realization/stung more than it should have.
Ethan nodded. “In interviews, Laurel said Blake cares for her more than anyone and will help with anything she wants –
including finding people who’ve ‘wronged‘ her.”
His face flushed with anger. “She loses something and publicly calls you a thief! And the night Blake helped rescue me, I
thought he was impressive. Now he’s hunting you down over a phone!”
I couldn’t help laughing. “They’re perfect for each other.”
I reached for my bag and pulled out the old phone. “Though she’s not completely wrong. The phone she’s talking about is
with me.”
Ethan’s expression froze. “You actually took her phone?”
“Her maid grabbed the wrong one,” I said, pressing the power button on Rachel’s device.
I’d originally planned to keep this phone safe and search for contact information for Rachel’s family. But with Laurel’s public accusation and Blake’s manhunt, I needed to back up everything first.
“Do you have a laptop?”
Ethan handed me his computer, watching with curiosity as I connected the phone and started copying all its files. The
transfer would take about fifteen minutes!
While waiting, I checked the news reports. Everything matched Ethan’s description. Right after Laurel accused me of theft people spotted men in black suits driving Parker Group vehicles throughout the city.
I laughed bitterly. Blake’s devotion to Laurel was extraordinary – mobilizing an army of people at midnight just because
she asked.
Thank god we’re divorced. Otherwise, people might think he actually cared about me.
Chapter 197
“Audrey!”
Ethan’s sudden shout startled me.
“What?” I snapped, annoyed by the interruption.
He pointed at the screen, eyes wide. “Look at this photo!”
I leaned forward to see what had shocked him so much.
The image on screen made my breath catch. It showed Laurel standing stiffly on the left while Rachel leaned against her arm, smiling sweetly at the camera. Their slightly similar facial features were unmistakable in the high–definition photo.
The filename: “My Sister and I.”
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