Chapter 61
Audrey’s POV
Tears blurred my vision as I stood beneath the flickering street lamp. Ethan hovered nearby, his confident demeanor replaced by awkward concern as he watched me fall apart. He fumbled in his pockets, finally producing a crumpled tissue.
“Hey, don’t cry…” His voice carried a gentle uncertainty I’d never heard from him before. “We’ll find Snow, I promise. The search area might not be big enough…”
The kindness in his tone only made the tears fall faster. I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to stem the flow, but it was like trying to hold back the
tide.
“Audrey, please…” Ethan’s voice cracked slightly. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”
When I didn’t respond, he finally did what he’d clearly been wanting to do for the past hour – he pulled me into an awkward embrace. His college varsity jacket was soft against my tear–stained cheek as he patted my back with the careful uncertainty of someone who wasn’t used to offering comfort.
“Hey, um, maybe tone it down a little?” He gave a nervous laugh. “It’s past midnight. The neighbors might call the cops if they hear crying…”
The absurdity of the situation – a college student trying to comfort a dying woman over a lost cat – almost made me laugh through my tears. Almost.
“Listen,” he continued, his voice taking on an eager tone that suggested he’d just had an idea. “I’ve read about this – some cats have amazing homing instincts. They can find their way back to places they used to live.”
I pulled back slightly, hiccupping. “What do you mean?”
“Well…” He kept one steadying hand on my shoulder. “Maybe she’s going back to the place you lived before.”
“You really think that’s possible?” The words came out barely above a whisper.
Before Ethan could respond, harsh headlights suddenly flooded the street, temporarily blinding us. The deep purr of the engine filled the night air as a sleek car pulled up to the curb.
“Who drives like that?” Ethan raised one arm to shield my eyes from the glare, his other hand instinctively drawing me closer. “Ever heard of common
courtesy?”
The car door opened, and Blake Parker emerged like a predator from its lair. The glow of a freshly lit cigar illuminated his features as he leaned against the
hood.
“Well, well. His voice carried that dangerous edge I knew too well. “Weren’t you just insisting at Mayo Clinic that there was nothing between you two?”
“Audrey Sinclair. Each syllable dropped like ice. “Is this what you call ‘nothing“?”
I immediately tried to pull away from Ethan’s embrace, but he only held me tighter.
Ethan’s voice cut through the tension, carrying a defiance that made my blood run cold. ‘Earlier today, there was nothing between us.”
“But after watching you and your actress friend treat Audrey like dirt at the hospital?” Ethan continued, either oblivious to or ignoring the danger. “Yeah, things changed. Got a problem with that?”
‘Is that your answer too?” Blake’s brows furrowed, his gaze shifting to me, his expression unreadable in the shadows.
I frowned deeply.
I knew that Ethan was telling this lie to protect me. If I contradicted him now, it would be like stepping on his dignity.
But if I admitted it, Blake might trouble him in some ways.
As I was caught in this dilemma, Ethan let out a cold laugh. “You know what they say about silence being consent, Mr. Parker?” His mocking tone cut deep.
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Chapter 61
“Audrey’s made her feelings clear. Why keep pushing?”
Blake’s laugh held no humor. “So now you need someone else to speak for you?‘
He started walking towards us, ‘Very well.”
“Blake, I finally found my voice. “This is between us. Don’t drag Ethan into this!”
I moved to shield Ethan behind me, a wave of fear washing over me. I could hear the threat in Blake’s voice clearly now, Even New York’s most prominere socialites would meet a miserable end if they crossed him, let alone Ethan a regular college student.
W
Blake’s POV
I let out a cold laugh. “After saying these words? Impossible.”
As I advanced toward them, I saw his varsity jacket draped across her shoulders.
Something dark and primal stirred in my chest.
This scene instantly caught me, making me remember her face lighting up every time I’d draped my suit jacket over her shivering shoulders, the way she’d curl into my warmth with that mix of innocence and seduction that had been uniquely her. Those stolen moments in the garden, her lips finding mine with eager abandon, leading to nights where passion overwhelmed propriety the moment our door closed…
Those honeyed days when I’d almost forgotten who she really was. When I’d nearly lost myself to this marriage that should have ended before it began.
Now here she stood, wrapped in another man’s protection. Someone younger,
I narrowed my eyes as I studied them. I knew this boy’s words were deliberate – trying to stand up for Audrey, trying to provoke me.
But seeing her in his jacket now, uncertainty coiled in my gut like a serpent. Had I misread everything? Even James Collins, for all his corporate power, had never drawn this kind of vulnerability from her.
Could she actually…?
The thought drove me forward until I towered over them, my voice dropping. “Audrey Sinclair.”
“There’s nothing to do with her.” Ethan’s response was immediate one fluid motion pulling her behind him, shielding her with his body. “Back off!”
Audrey’s POV
Ethan’s grip was firm as he pulled me away from the brewing confrontation. Startled, I fought against his hold, my heart racing.
The memory of Blake and James fighting in the hospital room flashed vividly through my mind. Back then, there had been doctors and nurses to help break things up. But here, in the empty streets at night…
My stomach churned at the thought of how this could end–police statements, holding cells, hours wasted while Snow remained lost and alone in the city. The image of my cat wandering the unfamiliar streets sent a fresh wave of panic through me.
“Let me go!” I twisted in Ethan’s grip, but his athletic frame formed an immovable barrier between Blake and me.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured, his tone showing his determination. “I’ve got this.”
A dark chuckle cut through the tension. Blake stood watching us, hands casually tucked into his suit pockets, radiating the kind of dangerous calm that preceded his worst storms. The streetlight caught the cruel twist of his lips as he observed our struggle.
“How touching.” His voice dripped with lethal/amusement. “Audrey Sinclair, playing damsel in distress with a college boy? How… predictably desperate.”
His voice dropped dangerously low. “Stop making a scene. Seriously, if I truly wanted to deal with this boy.”
“You know I wouldn’t even need to soil my hands.”
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Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO
Chapter 62
