Chapter 11
Audrey’s POV:
“Think whatever you want,” I sighed, trying to step around her.
I’d been through enough tonight and had zero energy left to deal with her petty provocations.
But clearly, she wasn’t about to let me off the hook.
‘Drop the act,” she blocked my path, “who brought you home? Your sugar daddy or-”
“Enough, I cut her off, suddenly feeling irritated as hell.
“So what if I’m hooking up with rich guys? At least I’m using actual talent, not playing dirty like some people. You’ve always wanted my spot, right? Well, now it’s all yours. Still not satisfied?”
Sienna’s face turned ashen in an instant: “You! How dare you talk to me like that?”
I stepped forward, closing in on her, my voice dropping to a threatening whisper.
“Listen up, Sienna. I’m not the same pushover Audrey from four years ago. You’d better not mess with me. I’m in a shit mood today, so don’t push me to drop the gloves.”
Without waiting for her response, I turned and strode toward the elevator.
Behind me came her shrill, desperate voice.
‘You’ll always be nothing but the Bailey family’s unwanted reject! I’ll make sure you stay beneath me forever!”
I didn’t look back, just pressed the elevator button.
Even as the doors closed, I could still hear the cursing and the sharp click of heels stomping on marble echoing through the lobby.
Back in my room, I let out a long breath.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
I decided to pull out one of my treasured horror movies to unwind.
Those fictional scares always helped me temporarily forget the real–world pressure.
But tonight, something was off.
The black–haired ghost on screen somehow morphed into Caspar Thornton’s face.
His ice–cold stare seemed to pierce through the screen, looking directly at me, while I became the unlucky heroine being relentlessly hunted in the darkness.
1/3
8:03 pm P M
Chapter 11
“I don’t care what methods you use. Tomorrow morning, I want to see whoever leaked our acquisition plans.”
“I can tolerate failure, but I will never tolerate betrayal and deception.”
Throw them into the sea to feed the fish.”
His words echoed in my mind, cold and dangerous.
1 frantically grabbed the remote and killed the TV, plunging the room into silence.
“Damn it, Audrey, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?‘ I muttered to the empty living room.
That night, I tossed and turned.
When I finally fell asleep, my dreams were filled with Caspar’s icy stare and Noah’s longing gaze–two completely different emotions intertwining, giving me
no peace.
When my alarm went off in the morning, I felt like I’d barely slept at all.
The mirror showed me sporting two massive dark circles under my eyes, looking like I’d been in a bar fight.
“Perfect,” I said sarcastically to my exhausted reflection, “just the look I was going for when teaching the son of ‘New York’s most dangerous man.
I sighed and started getting ready for work at Luminous Gallery.
Maybe Noah’s innocence could help me temporarily forget the fear his father instilled.
When I arrived at the gallery, my mood had improved slightly. The artistic atmosphere here always helped me find some peace.
However, when I pushed open the door and saw the tall figure standing at the entrance, my heart rate spiked instantly.
Caspar Thornton was standing there, holding Noah’s small hand.
Shit.
I quickly looked down, pretending I hadn’t seen them, and hurried in the opposite direction.
Maybe I could take the back way to the studio and avoid this encounter altogether.
“Miss Lane?”
His voice came from behind me, low and clear. I pretended not to hear and picked up my pace, practically jogging now.
‘Audrey?”
Hearing him use my first name made me panic even more. My thoughts scattered and my steps became unsteady.
Suddenly, a wave of intense dizziness hit me, and the world started spinning.
Oh no… I realized something was seriously wrong. Not only had I pulled an all–nighter, but I’d also skipped breakfast this morning.
2/3
8:03 pm P M
Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon.
Chapter 12
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
