Chapter 271
Audrey’s POV
A phone’s shrill ring dragged me from deep sleep. I blindly reached out, grabbed it, and hit answer without checking who was
calling.
“Hello?” My voice was rough with sleep.
After a brief silence came an ear-splitting shriek. “Who the hell is this?”
“Why do you have Blake’s phone?” The woman’s voice rose with each word. “It’s barely eight in the morning! What are you doing together at this hour?”
I blinked, suddenly wide awake as I recognized Laurel’s voice.
“You sound half-asleep! You bitch! How dare you steal my man!”
I panicked and hung up, putting the phone down and mentally kicking myself.
Great job, Audrey. Just brilliant.
I’ve been so careful to keep up the illusion I’m dead – keeping my phone off, only using that old phone to talk to Felix occasionally. And
now I answer Blake’s phone like an idiot.
I glanced over at Blake, who was still sleeping soundly. For a guy with normally razor-sharp senses, he seemed completely
undisturbed by the noise.
That’s weird, I thought. After being blinded five years ago and then the whole vegetative state thing, Blake barely sleeps at all. Usually if I so much as breathe too loud, he wakes up.
The phone was blaring and Laurel was screeching like a banshee… how is he still asleep?
The phone started ringing again. Laurel’s name lit up the screen. After a moment’s hesitation, I nudged Blake’s shoulder.
“Miss Rose is calling,” I said.
Blake’s eyes opened immediately. He took the phone from my hand without a word.
“Laurel,” he answered, his voice perfectly calm.
“Blake darling!” Her voice was so loud I could hear every word. “I just called you, and some woman answered! Who is she? Why is she with you this early?”
“She sounded like she just rolled out of bed,” Laurel continued, her voice taking on that practiced tearful quality. “Are you seeing
someone behind my back?”
Blake glanced at me before answering. “It was just the cleaning lady. She answered when she saw it ringing.”
“How could I possibly have another woman?” he continued, his voice dripping with sweetness. “If you’re upset, I’ll come to the hospital today and stay with you. I won’t leave your side. Would that make you feel better?”
I couldn’t help but feel disgusted. Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was explaining to him how Laurel was faking her illness. Now he was rushing to comfort her like nothing had changed.
What a joke. I actually thought he might start questioning her.
I gave Blake an awkward smile and slipped out of the bedroom with Snow in my arms.
Blake’s POV
After finishing my call with Laurel, I headed downstairs. The scent of warm milk and toasted bread stopped me mid-way down the stairs.
Before Audrey left, I woke up to this smell almost every morning. I stood there, oddly transfixed. After she was gone, this place just felt… empty.
Now, smelling this again after almost a month…
Something tightened in my chest. This is what home feels like. This is my home.
I saw Audrey at the dining table. She noticed me watching her and quickly looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
I walked down the remaining steps and joined her.
“Mr. Parker,” she said cautiously. “Did you manage to calm Miss Rose down?”
“Yes,” I replied. “But I won’t be coming back here for the next few days.”
Her face immediately brightened. “That’s great!”
My mood darkened instantly. “You seem pretty eager to get rid of me.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to see you,” she said. “It’s just that Snow and I are used to having this place to ourselves. Having a man around is… weird.”
“Audrey,” I said, my voice hardening. “Don’t forget that this is our marital home. This property is under my name. What do you mean you and the cat got used to being alone’?”
“Well, Mr. Parker,” she replied with an edge to her voice, “do you even remember how often you came here when we were married? All those nights you didn’t come home, it was just Snow keeping me company. So yeah, we got used to the quiet.”
“When this is all over and we remarry,” I said firmly, “I’ll come home every day.”
“Sure, whatever,” she said dismissively. “Here, take this. Eat it on the way if you want. If not, just toss it.”
She pointed to the warm milk and sandwich she’d prepared, then picked up Snow and headed upstairs without looking back.
Her words hit me like a slap. I stood there watching her leave, annoyed at how much it bothered me.
She’s right, I admitted to myself. When we were married, I rarely came home.
I’ve got that penthouse near the office. When work got crazy, I’d just crash there instead.
Sometimes I’d come back once a week, sometimes only once a month or two.
After she disappeared upstairs, I picked up the milk and sandwich.
Back in my car after breakfast, I was about to start the engine when my phone rang. Thalia’s name appeared on the screen.
6.1
“Blake, how could you cheat on Laurel?” she demanded immediately.
“She finally got close to you, and you’re already messing around before you’re even married?” she continued. “What’s wrong with
you?”
“Laurel told you I’m cheating?” I asked calmly.
“Uh, not exactly,” Thalia backpedaled. “I went to Mayo Clinic to check on her, and she looked like she’d been crying. I badgered her until she told me. Who is this woman, Blake?”
“What if I told you it was Audrey?” I asked.
“Audrey?” Thalia laughed in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
“Audrey’s shark food! They couldn’t even find her body! How could she be with you?”
“Just tell me who she is,” she pressed. “I won’t do anything to her, I just ”
“Thalia,” I cut her off.
“Don’t think being my sister gives you the right to meddle in my business,” I warned. “I’ve always let you get away with things because you were young when Dad died, but don’t push it.”
“I haven’t even dealt with you for what you did to Audrey before, and now you’re interfering again?”
My voice turned cold. “If you want to keep your allowance, just be the Parker heiress and stay out of my relationship with Laurel.”
“Otherwise, I’ll have no problem cutting you off completely.”
“Okay, okay!” she said quickly. “I’ll behave! I promise!”
Thalia’s POV
I hung up, my hands still shaking.
Screw Blake and his threats.
Yeah, he said to stay out of his business, but this was about Laurel too. Her future. Her happiness.
I stared at my phone for a second, then made up my mind. Blake wouldn’t scare me off that easily.
I scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I needed and hit call.
“Yeah, it’s Thalia Parker,” I said when they picked up. “I’ve got a job for you. I need you to follow someone…”
