Chapter 185
Audrey’s POV:
The hotel employee’s concerned voice pulled me back from the abyss
of memory I’d been falling into.
I blinked rapidly, finding myself still frozen in the middle of the Plaza
Hotel’s corridor, one hand pressed against the wall for support.
“I’m fine,” I managed, straightening my posture and offering a
reassuring smile.
“Just a slight dizzy spell. Thank you.”
The young man in the crisp hotel uniform looked unconvinced but
nodded professionally.
“Of course. Please let us know if you need anything.”
I watched him walk away before releasing the breath I’d been holding.
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and I stepped inside,
grateful to be alone.
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Chapter 185
As I descended to the lobby, I tried to organize my thoughts about the man who had fathered my child.
In five years, I’d never been able to recall his face clearly.
My child was gone too.
Sometimes it all felt like it had never happened, like a dream I
couldn’t quite remember upon waking.
Still, as I walked through the opulent lobby toward the exit, I couldn’t
shake the heaviness in my chest.
My lost child remained the greatest unresolved wound in my life.
A wound that never seemed to heal, no matter how much time
passed.
The cold winter air hit my face as I stepped outside, clearing my head.
I fumbled for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found
Sienna’s number.
I hesitated only briefly before hitting call.
She answered on the third ring.
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“Audrey?”
“Sienna, have you found anything about my child?”
I asked without preamble, sliding into the back of my car.
There was a pause, followed by a sigh.
“I’ve been trying, Audrey. But George and Eleanor keep insisting the
baby died from complications after an early delivery.”
Sienna replied with a hint of reluctance in her voice.
“They’re completely adamant about it. Are you sure you’re not
overthinking it?
I let out a cold, internal laugh.
Just as I thought. I should never have put my hopes in Sienna Bailey of
all people.
“Well,” I said, my voice dropping to a frosty tone, “if you can’t help me
with this, I suppose I won’t be able to help you with those film and
fashion resources connections we discussed.”
“Audrey, please,” Sienna’s voice instantly shifted to pleading.
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“I’m already 27 years old. If I don’t make it in the entertainment
industry, I’m truly done.”
After speaking, she suddenly seemed to remember something and
hastily opened her mouth.
“Actually, a man and a woman came to the Bailey house separately a
while back, asking questions about you. I think they might have been
your biological family looking for you.”
“Eleanor sent the man away immediately,” Sienna continued quickly.
“But the woman who came later–she offered Eleanor thirty million to
reveal information about you. Made her promise not to tell anyone
more.”
1
I didn’t speak.
Sienna continued. “Look, I can try to track down who these people
were-”
“Don’t bother,” I cut her off.
“My biological parents have already found me.
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
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Before she could respond, I added coldly, “I will introduce you to
several opportunities related to movies and fashion resources. After
that, you’re on your own. Don’t contact me again, Sienna.”
I hung up before she could protest, slipping my phone back into my
purse.
I stared out the window, processing what I’d just learned.
The woman who had paid Eleanor must have been Daisy.
Thirty million dollars just to get information about me and ensure
Eleanor’s silence.
I almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
Daisy Cole had actually paid a fortune just to learn about me, then
worked to keep me from connecting with my own family.
How ironic, I thought with a bitter smile.
I never wanted to compete with her for anything.
My car pulled up to the Thornton estate just as twilight was settling
over the manicured grounds.
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As I walked toward the imposing front entrance, my mind was still
tangled in thoughts of Sienna’s revelations, the Plaza Hotel, and my
lost child.
Edward greeted me at the door with his customary formality.
“Good evening, Ms. Lane. You’re back so early.”
“Has Caspar returned?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I handed
him my coat.
“No, Miss. Lane, he has not yet returned.”
I nodded, trying to push away the flicker of unease that rose in my
chest.
Dinner with Noah should have been a welcome distraction, but I
found myself struggling to stay present.
He sat across from me at the massive dining table, his legs swinging beneath his chair as he enthusiastically recounted his day at school.
But my responses became increasingly automatic–nods and smiles offered at appropriate intervals while my thoughts wandered back to Caspar meeting with Noah’s mother.
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“Audrey?” Noah’s small voice pulled me back to the present. “You’re
not listening.”
I blinked, guilt washing over me as I met his disappointed gaze.
“I’m sorry, Noah. I was thinking about something else. What were you
saying about your school life?“.
He studied me with those perceptive eyes.
“Is it because Daddy’s not home?”
Before I could answer, Noah pushed his chair back.
“I’ll call him! I want to know when he’s coming back.”
Edward appeared almost instantly at Noah’s side, placing a gentle but
firm hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Noah, I’m afraid your father is in an important business meeting. We
shouldn’t disturb him right now.”
I noticed the slight twitch in Edward’s expression, the way his eyes
refused to meet mine directly. There was a tension in his shoulders.
Obvious signs of lying.
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“But I want to talk to Daddy,” Noah protested.
“Your father will be home soon enough,” Edward replied, his voice
unnaturally even.
“In the meantime, you should finish your dinner.”
Noah reluctantly climbed back into his chair.
I said nothing during this exchange, but felt a knot forming in my
stomach.
Whatever Caspar was doing at the Plaza Hotel, he had clearly
instructed Edward to keep it quiet.
The secrecy bothered me more than the meeting itself.
I took a sip of water, trying to wash down the unpleasant feeling of
being kept in the dark.
