Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO

Audrey’s POV

Blake’s question hung in the air. Nora stood paralyzed, mouth working silently,

Scarlett jumped in with a smile. “Blake, you misheard! Nora meant to say second floor. She was just flustered.”

She turned to Nora, her smile vanishing. “Since Laurel’s awake, go tell her to come down. Mr. Parker and Miss Sinclair have been waiting.”

Relief washed over Nora’s face. “Yes, of course. I’ll bring Miss Rose down right away.”

She backed away, then practically ran from the room.

Scarlett sighed. “I thought she’d sleep longer. Since she got sick, her sleep patterns have changed completely.”

Blake watched her with an unreadable expression. “Mrs. Rose, do you think I’m deaf? She said ‘basement. Should I go see what’s down there myself?”

When Scarlett didn’t respond, he prompted, “Mrs. Rose?”

I could see panic building behind her composed facade. Her hands were clasped tightly inside her sleeves.

“Laurel stays on the second floor,” she finally said. After a pause: “About the basement…”

She took a deep breath. “Laurel was extremely close to her sister.”

“After her sister passed away, Laurel carried tremendous guilt. She believes if she’d noticed the depression sooner, everything might have been different.”

Blake’s expression softened slightly. “Why bring this up now?”

“Laurel kept all her sister’s belongings,” Scarlett continued. “Whenever she misses her, she looks through them.”

She sighed. “But with her condition…”

“I worried these items would trigger emotional distress, so I moved everything to the basement. But Laurel keeps sneaking

down there to mourn.”

She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “When Nora mentioned the basement… I suspect Laurel went there again, became

emotional, and her condition flared up.”

Blake stood, guilt softening his features. “I should check on her, then.”

clearly not

at me. “Stop drinking. Didn’t

witness Miss Rose’s sisterly grief firsthand. Maybe I’ll

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cold look. “Where’s the entrance to the

lunged forward, blocking my path with

go!”

I stared at her,

her arms but remained between me and the door. “What I mean is, you’re guests. I can’t allow you into a dark, damp

the staircase. “Besides… it’s filled with her sister’s belongings. It’s cluttered and gloomy.

“Mrs. Rose, it’s fine,” he said quietly. “We’re

She’s been gone for years,

clearly intending to search for

his arm. “Blake, I understand you wanting to pay respects.

have no connection to Laurel’s sister My daughter took her own life

“I don’t mind

I’d heard mentions of the Rose family’s second daughter during conversations with wealthy women. She’d died four years

after death.

she was Mr. Rose’s child with another woman. Though

I could learn about this

“Mom?”

called from the staircase. “I

supported by Nora as she

“Audrey

Blake and me standing together, his

away, glaring at me. “I go upstairs to rest

I almost laughed.

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threatened Ethan’s safety to make me convince William to approve their engagement. At the Parker mansion, he’d reminded me not to forget our deal.” Their engagement wasn’t even close to being

turned to Blake. “When did you two get engaged? I must have missed

caught my sarcasm

not true,” he said

Laurel pouted, linking her arm through his. “Blake darling, have you forgotten what you promised

don’t have a formal

a general who’d just won a