Chapter 330
After he left, Astrid touched Ethan’s arm. “You shouldn’t have asked that.”
Ethan’s confidence vanished. “Did I say something wrong?”
“It’s not your fault,” I said. “But I’ll only explain this once. After tonight, no one brings it up again. This never happened, understood?”
“Got it,” Ethan nodded quickly.
With Adrian gone, I turned to my friends. “When I woke up in Australia, I saw news about scandals involving both of you. You seem fine now. Who helped?”
Ethan and Astrid exchanged uncomfortable glances.
“Blake Parker did,” Ethan admitted.
“What?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“After you died,” Astrid explained, “Blake camped at your grave for days. When I finally told him to get lost, he took sleeping pills
instead.”
“The cemetery caretaker found him in time. The Parkers saved him, but he was in a coma for over a month. With no one to stop her,
Laurel kept attacking us.”
“I thought my career was over before it started,” Ethan added.
“When Blake woke up,” Astrid continued, “he had Laurel jailed, shipped Thalia and Olivia abroad, and buried all our scandals.”
“Don’t feel obligated because of it,” Ethan said quickly. “He said himself he was just making amends.”
“Exactly,” Astrid nodded. “This is your second shot, Audrey. Don’t get mixed up with him again. He’s with Rachel now – let those two
have each other.”
“Don’t worry,” I assured them. “After dying once, I’m done with relationships. When I finish my business here, I’ll go back to Australia to care for my sister’s parents and Emma.”
I glanced toward where Adrian had gone. “I’ll manage Q-elegant and repay him for the surgery. When Emma’s older, how about we travel the world together, Astrid?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes! I’ve wanted to do that forever!”
“Hey, what about me?” Ethan pouted.
“You just graduated,” Astrid punched his arm. “Find a job first! Besides, this is a girls’ trip. Why are you crashing it?”
As they bickered, I smiled, enjoying a warmth I hadn’t felt in months. But my thoughts kept drifting to Blake – how he’d thrown himself between me and danger, his leg caught in that trap meant for me.
If not for him, that trap might have shattered my leg. He’s so sensitive to pain, yet he didn’t make a sound…
1/2
Chapter 330
I caught myself. What am I thinking? He’s the one who caused my death. He’s just paying his debts. I shouldn’t waste emotions on him.
As the night deepened, I finally stood to find Adrian and head back to our hotel.
“Wait!” Astrid jumped up, grabbing my arm. “Emma’s already asleep. If you move her now, you’ll wake her up.”
She looked toward the bedroom. “I’ve watched my cousin’s kids before. Once they’re disturbed, they never go back to sleep. You should stay here tonight.”
“Ethan and I can get another room,” she added. “You can have this one.”
Ethan nodded quickly. “Astrid’s right. You should stay.”
They left together.
When the door closed, I exhaled and splashed some water on my face in the bathroom before pushing Emma’s bedroom door open.
Emma clutched her white bunny to her chest, lost in peaceful dreams. Adrian lay beside her, his body curved around her tiny form like a protective barrier.
I leaned against the doorframe, watching them. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach, remembering the baby I never got to meet. I’d imagined this exact scene during my pregnancy – walking in to find my child and… Blake… sleeping soundly.
Yet here I was, looking at someone else’s husband and a child who wasn’t mine, though she had my face.
“Evelyn…” Adrian’s voice startled me, though he was still asleep. “Don’t leave me…”
“I’ll give you anything… just stay…”
“This wasn’t what I meant to…”
“Please don’t go…”
