Chapter 328
Astrid’s POV
–
Mrs. Knox winked at me, and I couldn’t help smiling back. No doubt about it this woman was Audrey. My best friend was alive!
‘Don’t fall for it, Astrid,” Rachel grabbed my arm, her voice tight with concern.
“Look how she walks,” Rachel insisted, pointing. “That’s nothing like Audrey’s posture. This is all just a misunderstanding.”
I almost laughed. Rachel had no clue that what she was pointing out actually confirmed everything. After four years in a hospital bed, she hadn’t seen how cancer had ravaged Audrey’s body, shifting her center of gravity, changing her walk completely.
What Rachel saw as proof against Audrey was actually the final piece of evidence I needed. Evelyn Knox was definitely my best
friend.
S
ン
A few yards away, Blake lay stretched on a medical gurney. Despite the paramedics working on his mangled leg, his eyes stayed locked on Audrey’s retreating figure.
“Mr. Parker, we’re ready to transport you,” the doctor said, securing the last bandage. “No broken bones, but you’ll need surgery for the soft tissue damage.”
Blake barely nodded, then suddenly called out, “Astrid.”
His voice was strained with pain. “Is that woman Evelyn Knox or Audrey Sinclair?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why ask me? What answer are you fishing for?”
“Just tell me what you think,” he said coldly.
“She’s Audrey,” I said with a smile. “Obviously I’d want my best friend to be alive.”
Blake frowned. “I’m being serious here.”
“So am I. I say she’s Audrey, but you don’t believe me anyway, so what’s the point?”
“You know her better than
”
“Better than you?” I cut him off. “We’re just friends. You were her husband for three years. Shouldn’t you know your own wife better
than I would?”
“Astrid!” Blake’s eyes flashed with anger.
“What? Did I hit a nerve?” I laughed without humor. “Sorry, I forgot – you weren’t much of a husband. You couldn’t even tell when she was sick or pregnant.”
So just months after Audrey supposedly dies, you meet her doppelgänger and can’t figure out if it’s her. You had to drag me here to confirm it by giving away her cat. Real smooth, Blake.”
“Astrid, stop.” Rachel grabbed my arm again. “You know Blake and Audrey had their issues.”
“He never meant to hurt her,” she continued. “And look how much he’s suffered since she died.”
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As for Mrs. Knox, Blake’s had doubts from the start. But there are real inconsistencies with her identity.”
*Blake had to bring you here. If she’s not Audrey, we’ll back off. But if she is and just won’t admit it because of the past… we want to make things right.”
I yanked my arm away. “I gave you what you wanted. I said she’s Audrey, and she confirmed it herself. You’re the ones in denial.”
I looked pointedly at Blake’s bloody leg. “You wanted to atone for what you did? Consider that wound your penance. You’re even now. Stop chasing her.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and headed after Audrey and Adrian.
Audrey’s POV
Adrian was helping me into the car when I heard someone calling.
“Mr. Knox! Mrs. Knox!”
I turned to see Astrid hurrying toward us, the hem of her red dress caked with mud from the forest floor.
“Astrid,” I said, relief washing over me at the sight of my friend.
She stopped a few feet away. “Mrs. Knox.”
“Mrs. Knox?” I asked, confused by her sudden formality.
“I think that name suits you better,” she said with a slight smile. “Though you might want to consider changing the husband that
comes with it.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “That’s not exactly an option.”
“Miss Wilson,” Adrian’s voice turned cold, “I’ve overlooked your harassment about the cat because you’re Evelyn’s friend. But suggesting my wife find another husband? That crosses a line.”
“Does it?” Astrid raised an eyebrow, unfazed. She took my hand and pulled me toward the car. “Let’s talk somewhere safe.”
I nodded and turned to Adrian. “Let’s go.”
He followed behind us, hands in his pockets, face unreadable.
Once inside the car, Adrian told the driver to head back to the hotel. No one spoke until we were well away from the forest.
“Your cancer…” Astrid finally broke the silence. “Is it really gone?”
“Completely,” I said. “Between Dr. Clarke’s experimental treatment and my own determination, I beat it.”
“So you…” Astrid’s eyes widened.
I took a deep breath. “I have a twin sister I never knew about.”
I explained everything – my near-death, Dr. Clarke’s treatment, waking up in Australia to discover my identical twin had been brain- dead. Astrid listened, her expression shifting between amazement and disbelief.
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“This sounds like science fiction,” she finally said. “A brain transplant?”
“That didn’t happen, Adrian interjected flatly. “But the fact that Audrey is sitting here proves everything worked out.”
After a moment, Astrid sighed. “Your sister must have been amazing.”
She looked at Adrian. “And you and her parents… what you did was remarkable.”
“It wasn’t charity,” Adrian replied coldly. “Her treatment cost millions. And now Evelyn’s parents and our daughter need her to step
in as Evelyn.”
I studied Adrian’s profile as he stared out the window. His love for my sister seemed intense, possibly obsessive. And Emma’s immediate attachment to me suggested she hadn’t spent much time with her mother.
What had really happened between Adrian and Evelyn? He’d never tell me directly, but if I played along and earned his trust, maybe
I could uncover the truth.
“That’s only fair,” Astrid nodded. “Taking her sister’s identity means taking on her responsibilities too.”
“But…” Astrid hesitated, then asked what was clearly bothering her. “Do you have to be his wife in every sense?”
The car went silent. Adrian frowned but said nothing. I couldn’t find words either.
Yes, I was Adrian’s wife on paper, but he was my sister’s husband. I could help with her parents and raise Emma, but I couldn’t – wouldn’t – replace Evelyn in his bed. His heart belonged to her, not me.
As for me, I’d only loved one man in my life, and I didn’t think I could fall for someone else, though I didn’t love that guy anymore.
I’d spent years in a loveless marriage with Blake. I wouldn’t make that mistake again, especially not with a man who only saw me as
a substitute for my sister.
After an uncomfortable silence, Astrid cleared her throat. “Audrey….. can I still see you? Still be your friend?”
My heart sank. Astrid was my best friend. I’d never planned to hide who I was from her.
“Why would you ask that?” I said.
“I know you want a fresh start with this new identity,” she said carefully. “But if I stay in your life, Blake will never stop suspecting who you really are.”
She took a deep breath. “Maybe we shouldn’t see each other again.”
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