Chapter 176
Daisy flinched, staring down at her hands.
“What hair sample?” Sara asked, confused. “What are you talking
about?”
I exchanged glances with Finley before explaining.
“When we suspected Audrey might be our sister, Clara obtained a
strand of her hair for DNA testing. Daisy found it and replaced it with
her own, trying to sabotage the test.”
Sara gasped, looking at Daisy with disbelief. “Is this true?”
Daisy nodded almost imperceptibly, tears welling in her eyes.
“I was scared,” Daisy said, her voice breaking as she turned to Sara
with a trembling lower lip.
“I thought if she came back, everyone would forget about me. That I
wouldn’t matter anymore.”
She reached for Sara’s hand, squeezing it. “I made a mistake. I know I did. I was just so afraid of losing my family.”
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Chapter 176
The tears spilled down her cheeks now, and Sara’s expression
immediately softened.
She wrapped an arm around Daisy’s shoulders, pulling her close.
“She’s still just a girl,” Sara said, looking up at me with pleading eyes.
“We all make mistakes.”
U
“Sending her to Europe is excessive punishment.”
“This isn’t about punishment,” Finley interjected. “It’s about
consequences and growth.”
Dad, who had been silent until now, stood up.
“Ethan, Daisy has acknowledged her error. Perhaps we can find
another way forward that doesn’t involve sending her away.”
I looked at Daisy, her tear–streaked face lifted toward me in silent
pleading.
Then at Finley, whose expression made it clear he thought I was
being too soft.
“You need to understand there are consequences for your actions,
Daisy,” I said, crossing my arms.
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“Even if I’m not sending you to Europe, you’re not getting off that
easily.”
Daisy straightened up, wiping her tears quickly.
“Anything. I’ll do anything.”
“First, you’re going to write a formal letter of apology, promising
you’ll never attempt to sabotage or harm Audrey in any way,” I said
firmly.
“And your allowance will be reduced by half for the next six months.”
“That’s fair,” Daisy nodded eagerly, relief washing over her face.
“I’ll write the letter tonight. And I don’t care about the money, really.
Just… thank you for not sending me away.”
“One chance,” I warned. ”
Daisy nodded quickly. “Yes. I promise. Thank you, Ethan.”
Sara squeezed Daisy’s hand, relief evident on her face.
Later that evening, I retreated to my bedroom, closing the door
behind me with a quiet click.
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Chapter 176
The muffled sounds of my family’s conversations still filtered through
-they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
Not now that they knew about Audrey.
I sank onto the edge of my bed, massaging my temples where a
headache was beginning to form.
With my parents here in New York, the pressure to arrange a meeting
with Audrey would only intensify.
I pulled out my phone, scrolling to Audrey’s contact.
My thumb hovered over her name for several seconds before I scrolled
past it.
No, calling her directly felt too intrusive. Too presumptuous.
Instead, I tapped on Caspar Thornton’s number.
If anyone could gauge her readiness for such a meeting, it would be
him.
After three rings, his cool, measured voice answered.
“Cole.”
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Chapter 176
I took a deep breath. “Thornton, I need to ask a favor.”
A brief silence stretched between us before he replied, “Get to the point.”
I paced across my bedroom, choosing my words carefully.
“My parents flew in from Chicago today. They know about Audrey.”
I paused. “They’re eager to meet her, naturally. Could you… would you
mind asking if she’d be willing to see them? ”
“I see.” His voice remained neutral, but I could sense the underlying
caution.
“I’ll pass along your request to Audrey, but that’s all I’ll do. I won’t
pressure her either way.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” I replied quickly.
“This has to be entirely her decision.”
“Understood,” Caspar said.
“Thank you, Thornton,” I said. “I appreciate it.”
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Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon
