Chapter 166
Ethan’s POV:
My heart nearly stopped when I heard Audrey’s voice cut through the
ambient noise of the restaurant.
She stared directly at us from her table with Clara, her eyes narrowed
in suspicion.
“What a coincidence,” Audrey said, her voice carrying a sharp edge.
I exchanged a quick glance with Finley.
We’d been caught red–handed.
“Audrey,” I managed, forcing what I hoped was a casual smile. “Lovely
to see you again.”
“I thought Finley was tied up in meetings all day,” Audrey said,
looking pointedly at Clara, who seemed to shrink in her seat.
“At least, that’s what Clara told me.”
Finley cleared his throat.
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Chapter 166
“I was meeting with Ethan and some other partners,” he explained
smoothly.
“We just wrapped up and decided to grab a quick drink.”
Audrey’s expression remained skeptical.
“Here? Of all places in Manhattan?”
“The restaurant came highly recommended by one of our clients,” I
added, trying to bolster Finley’s explanation.
“Pure coincidence, I assure you.”
Clara nodded vigorously. “Absolutely. What a funny surprise!”
I could tell Audrey wasn’t buying it.
Her protective instinct toward Clara was evident in the way she subtly shifted her body, creating a barrier between my brother and
her friend.
“I’d better not find out that you’re deceiving Clara,” Audrey said, her voice deceptively light but her eyes cold as she looked between us.
“Not at all,” I assured her quickly. “Finley would never-”
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Chapter 166
“I would never let anything happen to Clara,” Finley interrupted, his
voice suddenly firm.
“Or allow anyone to use her, even my own brother. You have my word
on that, Audrey.”
Something in his tone must have resonated with her because her
posture relaxed slightly.
Still, the tension at the table remained palpable.
“Well,” Audrey said after an awkward silence, gathering her púrse.
“I should get going. I have other things to attend to.”
She turned to Clara. “Thank you for lunch and the lovely gift.”
She rose gracefully, nodded to us with cool politeness, and walked
away.
Clara waited until Audrey was safely out of sight before slumping in
her chair.
“That was mortifying,” she whispered.
I glanced toward the exit where Audrey had disappeared, then turned
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Chapter 166
back to face Clara. “Did you manage to…?”
Clara shot me an indignant look. “Not now, Ethan.”
Finley looked around nervously. “Maybe we should discuss this
elsewhere.”
We quickly left the restaurant and got in the car.
Clara turned to us and said, but there was no real anger in her voice.
“That was ridiculous. You two were supposed to wait in the car.”
“We got hungry,” Finley admitted sheepishly.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Actually, Finley was just nervous and
couldn’t sit still in the car any longer.”
“Me?” Finley protested.
“You’re the one who said, ‘Let’s just peek in to make sure everything’s
going well.“”
Clara shook her head, but a smile was tugging at her lips.
“You two are impossible. Like overgrown children.”
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Chapter 166
Despite the tension and stakes involved, there was something
reassuring about their normalcy.
Clara’s laughter finally broke through, and the atmosphere in the car
lightened considerably.
“So,” I ventured cautiously. “Were you successful?”
Clara’s eyes sparkled as she reached into her purse and pulled out a
tiny plastic bag, holding it up discreetly.
Inside was a single strand of dark hair.
“Mission accomplished,” she whispered, a hint of pride in her voice.
Relief flooded through me. “Clara, you’re amazing.”
“I’ll handle the DNA test,” Finley offered, reaching for the bag.
I intercepted his hand. “No, I should be the one to do it.”
Finley looked like he wanted to argue but ultimately relented.
“Fine. But keep me updated every step of the way.”
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Chapter 166
Clara handed me the small bag, and I carefully tucked it into my inner
jacket pocket, treating it.
This tiny strand of hair could be the key to answering questions that
had haunted our family for decades.
“I’ll drop you two off first,” I told them as the car neared Clara’s
home.
After a quick goodbye, I continued to the Cole family’s Upper East
Side residence, my mind racing with possibilities.
The doorman greeted me as I entered the building.
When I stepped into our apartment, Daisy was waiting in the living
room, her face lighting up at the sight of me.
“Ethan! You’re back early,” she said, setting aside the fashion
magazine she’d been flipping through.
“I thought you’d be out all day with Finley.”
“Change of plans,” I replied, deliberately not removing my jacket.
The precious sample in my pocket felt like it was burning a hole
through the fabric.
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Chapter 166
“Did you find anything?” Daisy asked, her voice dropping to a near
whisper. “About… you know.”
I hesitated, not wanting to get her hopes up–or fears triggered-
before I had concrete proof.
“Some progress,” I said vaguely. “Nothing definitive yet.”
Daisy nodded, though her eyes lingered on me a moment longer than
necessary.
“You know,” she said softly, “I’ve been thinking a lot about how lucky I
- am. To have been adopted by the Coles.”
Her words caught me by surprise. “Daisy…”
“No, let me finish,” she insisted. “I know I don’t always show it, but
I’m grateful. For everything. And if you do find your sister, I want to
help welcome her. She’s family too.”
The sincerity in her voice made my chest tighten.
“That means a lot, Daisy. Really. But no matter what happens, you’ll
always be my sister. Blood or not.”
Daisy smiled, but there was something guarded in her expression.
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“Promise?”
“Promise,” I affirmed.
As I,headed upstairs to shower, I couldn’t suppress the excitement
bubbling inside me.
The hot water cascaded over my shoulders, but all I could think about
was Audrey.
I was almost certain she was my sister.
Today at the restaurant, I’d taken the opportunity to really study her features, the way she carried herself, the subtle mannerisms.
She looked so much like our mother.
Dad had actually mentioned it when he first met Audrey at Clara’s wedding, though none of us had given it much thought at the time.
I turned off the shower, feeling lighter than I had in years.
After all this time, after all the dead ends and disappointments, we
might finally have found her.
When I emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed and optimistic,
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Chapter 166
I found Daisy standing in my bedroom doorway.
My blood ran cold as I realized she was holding my jacket.
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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.
