Chapter 386
If I were Audrey, would he still be this indifferent?
I took a deep breath. “If Hartford’s your backer, then obviously Mr. Mei wouldn’t dare touch you.”
I forced a smile. “Though I’m surprised you know Hartford. He’s famously elusive in New York. Most people don’t even know what he looks like, let alone have his protection.”
I leaned forward slightly. “How exactly did you two become acquainted?”
The question wasn’t idle. In all my years networking through New York’s elite circles, I’d never met Hartford. Blake was one of the few who could contact him, and even he only managed occasional drinks during Hartford’s rare visits.
So how did Adrian Knox, an Australian businessman, command Hartford’s resources with a phone call?
Blake’s POV
Rachel’s question caught my attention. I opened my eyes, focusing on Adrian. I’d been wondering the same thing myself.
“Hartford and I go back five years, Adrian replied with casual confidence.
He glanced at Ethan before continuing. “When Parker was saved by Audrey Sinclair, he felt obligated to repay her marriage, devotion, all that.”
My jaw tightened at his words.
“Hartford had similar intentions toward his rescuer, Adrian continued. ‘But when Evelyn saved him, she was already engaged to me. So instead of marriage, he chose to protect both of us.”
I stared at him, stunned. “Are you saying… Evelyn Knox saved Hartford a life?’
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Adrian laughed quietly as he moved to Audrey’s side. ‘Funny, isn’t it? Two women saving two powerful men during the same disaster. Yet look at the different outcomes.”
He placed his hand on Audrey’s shoulder. “After Evelyn rescued Hartford, he didn’t just throw money at her. He attended our wedding, maintained contact for five years, and promised his help whenever needed.”
His eyes narrowed. “Compare that to how Parker treated Audrey Sinclair. The contrast speaks for itself.”
My face must have shown my shock, but it quickly gave way to excitement. The mysterious rescuer Hartford had mentioned all these years was Evelyn Knox!
Though Evelyn herself was gone, her husband, daughter, and adoptive parents remained. If I played this right, I could finally learn what truly happened during that maritime disaster the incident that killed my father.
Hartford’s words from his last visit echoed in my mind. He’d mentioned seeing his rescuer again, and I’d worried they might leave New York before he returned. I’d been searching far and wide, only to find the answer practically at my doorstep.
Beside the woman claiming to be Evelyn Knox stood someone who might hold answers about that night five years ago.
I pushed my wheelchair forward. “So Hartford’s mysterious rescuer has been Mrs. Knox all along.”
Adrian moved in front of Audrey the second I rolled closer. “Back off.”
“Relax,” I said. “Just talking”
Chapter 386
I wheeled around him until I could see her face. The connection was almost too obvious now. How had I missed it?
‘Mrs, Knox,” I said. “There’s something you need to understand.”
I kept my voice steady, though my heart was racing. “The same night you supposedly saved Hartford, Audrey Sinclair pulled me from that beach.”
“Maybe you don’t remember all the details. Five years is a long time. But your husband or the Parkers in Australia – they might know something. Anything.”
I couldn’t read her expression, but I pressed on anyway. “I need your help.”
“My father died on that yacht,” I said, the words still painful after all these years. “Whatever you might have photos, notes, memories – it could fill in the blanks I’ve been chasing for five years.”
“Someone who was actually on that boat might finally help me understand what really happened that night.”
