Chapter 195
Caspar’s POV:
A flash of tension crossed Audrey’s features.
“If you’re concerned about her safety,” I offered, keeping my tone
casual, “she could stay here at the estate. ”
Audrey’s reaction was immediate and vehement.
“Absolutely not,” she said, shaking her head emphatically.
“That’s out of the question.”
The force of her rejection surprised me.
“Why? If she’s in danger-”
“She can take care of herself,” Audrey insisted.
“Trust me on this, Caspar.”
Trust. There was that word again, the one she seemed to invoke
whenever she wanted to avoid giving me actual answers.
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A troubling theory began forming in my mind.
Emma’s mysterious background, Audrey’s secrecy about her
medication, their synchronized movements when evading
surveillance… It painted a picture I couldn’t ignore.
“Are you two working for British intelligence?” I asked bluntly.
Audrey blinked, then let out a startled laugh.
“What?”
“It’s a reasonable question,” I continued, my voice hardening.
“You lived in London for four years. Your friend has
counterintelligence skills. You both maintain a high level of secrecy.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, and a gleam of amusement
appeared in her eyes.
She looked up at me, her eyes wide and uncertain.
“And if I were a spy?” she asked, a hint of teasing in her voice despite
the serious undertone.
“What would you do then?”
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I traced the line of her jaw with my thumb, feeling her pulse quicken
beneath my touch.
“Then I’d have to keep you where I could see you,” I murmured.
“Lock you away somewhere private, where you’d see only me, day
after day.” I let my voice trail off suggestively.
Audrey’s eyes widened slightly before she cleared her throat with two
deliberate coughs, taking a small step back.
“Well, you’ll never have that opportunity,” she said, her voice steady
but with a hint of color in her cheeks.
“Because I’m not a spy, and neither is Emma. We’re just two normal
women.”
I glanced at my watch, noting the late hour.
The conversation had wound its way through suspicion, tension, and
into something almost playful, but we weren’t getting anywhere new.
Besides, seeing the slight shadows under her eyes reminded me of Dr.
Morrison’s diagnosis.
Whatever illness she was battling, she needed rest.
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“It’s getting late,” I said, softening my tone. “We should turn in for the
night.”
She nodded, the exhaustion visible in the slight droop of her
shoulders.
I took her hand and led her toward Noah’s room.
“I’ll be staying with you and Noah tonight,” I announced.
She glanced at me, confusion crossing her features.
“In Noah’s room? His bed is tiny, Caspar.”
“We’ve slept in smaller spaces,” I reminded her with a slight smile.
“That bed in your Chelsea apartment was barely bigger than a postage
stamp, if I recall correctly.”
Audrey let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and an
exasperated sigh, shaking her head.
“As you wish,” she murmured, but didn’t argue further.
She seemed too tired to argue.
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We checked on Noah, who was sleeping peacefully, his small chest
rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
I watched as Audrey gently brushed his hair from his forehead, her
touch so tender it made my chest ache.
We settled into the cramped bed, Noah between us like a small, warm
barrier.
Despite the discomfort, there was something profoundly right about
having both of them within my reach.
Audrey’s eyes closed almost immediately, her exhaustion claiming
her.
I watched her face in the dim light, wondering what battles she was
fighting in secret.
I would protect them both, no matter what it took. The thought
crystallized in my mind with absolute clarity.
It was time to accelerate my plans.
The next morning, James called with an update while I was reviewing
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quarterly reports in my office.
“Sir, we’ve located Ms. Clarke,” he reported.
“And?” I prompted, setting aside the financial documents.
“There’s definitely another team watching her,” James said, his voice
lowering.
“We’ve identified them as part of New York’s more sophisticated
criminal organizations.”
My grip tightened on the phone. “How did you get this information?”
“I managed to… convince one of their lieutenants to talk,” James said
carefully.
“According to him, they’re acting on orders from London. Apparently,
there’s some kind of professional hit organization pursuing Ms.
Clarke. They’ve put out a significant bounty for her location.”
I felt a chill run through me.
Hit organization? Bounties? What the hell had Audrey gotten herself
involved with?
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“Are you certain about this?” I demanded.
“Yes, sir.
I hadn’t expected this. Audrey and her friend Emma were connected
to this dark underworld.
I leaned back in my chair, the weight of this revelation settling over
- me.
But whatever trouble Audrey was in, whatever demons from London
were pursuing her friend Emma, they were now my problems too.
One by one, I would identify these threats and neutralize them.
I would untangle whatever web had ensnared her in London.
And when it was all done–when every shadow had been banished and
every threat eliminated–she would have no reason to escape the
future.
“Continue observation,” I ordered, my mind racing.
“Make sure she isn’t harmed, but maintain distance.
”
“Yes, sir. Is there anything else?”
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I paused, then continued.
“I want another DNA test performed between Noah and Amelia
Harrison,” I said, my decision made.
Amelia had said that she returned to New York “for Noah,” but
something about her behavior didn’t align with her words.
For a woman claiming to be his biological mother, she had shown a
curious lack of urgency about actually seeing her son.
What kind of mother doesn’t immediately demand to see the child
she claims to have given birth to?
James hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Sir, are you suggesting you doubt the original paternity test?” he
asked carefully.
“That was conducted at Thornton Medical Center.”
I fixed him with a cold stare that immediately wiped the questioning
look off his face.
My voice was low, dangerous.
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“When I give an order, I expect it to be carried out, not questioned.”
James straightened his posture, his expression quickly reverting to
professional neutrality.
“Of course, sir. I apologize. I’ll arrange for the new test immediately.”
