Chapter 54
Audrey’s POV
My heart skipped a beat. “Blake?“.
“Yeah, I thought I’d found you a place secluded enough, but he still managed to track you down!”
I sat up straighter, gripping the phone tighter. ‘What’s he doing at my place?”
“Says you stood him up, came to settle scores – he’s completely lost it!” Astrid’s voice still carried her heavy anger. He somehow convinced himself you were home, and when he didn’t have a key, he just kicked your door in!”
“When I got there, he was standing in your apartment with his precious Laurel Rose. That scene is just too disgusting so I kicked them both out!”
She continued, apparently trying to tidy up my apartment. “They’ve turned your whole place upside down. Were they looking for something specific or just being destructive?”
As Astrid’s words sank in, my mind went blank for a moment.
Snow!
The name burst into my mind with such force I nearly dropped the phone. “Astrid,” I cut through her tirade, panic clawing up my throat. “The cat – check for Snow! I’m not home when this happened – she must be terrified!”
“Oh god, I could hear her moving, voice shifting as she searched. “That’s what felt off! Under the couch? The bed?”
“Anywhere!” The word came out sharp enough to make Ethan jump. “She hides when she’s scared, and with strangers breaking in-
Who’s Snow by the way?” Ethan’s question floated past me, barely registering.
My chest felt too tight. “My cat,” I managed, though the words felt inadequate. How could I explain that Snow was the only pure thing to come out of my marriage? The only warmth in those endless nights when Blake’s side of the bed stayed cold and empty? That in a life where I’d learned to expect nothing, she’d been my one constant?
I could walk away from the Parker fortune. The mansions. The cars. All of it. But Snow…
“Audrey, I can’t find her. Astrid’s voice had gone soft in a way that made my blood run cold. “I’ve looked everywhere under the sofa, under the bed, in all the closets…” She paused. “Usually when I visit, she comes running as soon as I call. Today, nothing.”
The possibility that Snow might have escaped when Blake kicked in the door sent waves of nausea through me that had nothing to do with my illness. She was an indoor cat, completely unprepared for the streets of New York. The thought of her lost and frightened made my chest constrict painfully.
“I need to come there,” I said, already trying to push myself up from the hospital bed. “Ethan, help me up…”
He frowned, moving closer to my bed. His concern was too obvious. “Are you sure? You look really pale…”
The line went quiet for a moment, then Astrid’s sharp intake of breath cut through the silence. “What’s going on? Audrey? Where are you – in a hospital?”
I bit my lip, still struggling to push myself up despite the way the room tilted around me.
Seeing my determination, Ethan gently took the phone from my trembling hands. “Hey Astrid, this is Ethan we met at The Underground, remember?”
Of course I remember you, but what are you doing with…” Her voice trailed off, confusion evident.
“Listen,” Ethan took a deep breath, keeping his voice steady. “Audrey had a medical emergency last night. She’s stable now, but still under observation. The doctors won’t let her leave yet.”
“I’m here looking after her. She’s in no condition to be discharged, let alone searching for Snow, but she’s insisting on getting up…
1/2
Chapter 54
“Wait, what?” Astrid’s voice rose sharply. “Audrey, you’re sick and you didn’t tell me?!”
“Now I get why you missed the divorce proceedings – you’re stuck in observation! Does Blake know about this?”
Chapter Comments
✅ 1
