Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO

Chapter 281

Astrid’s POV

Me, CEU

In these three days, James, Ethan and I completed Audrey’s funeral while dodging Blake’s search teams.

Following her wishes, we took her ashes to the coastal village where she grew up, to NYU, to Pinehaven Village where she met Blake and Rachel, to the nursing home where she cared for William, even past Lunar Mansion.

Half a day’s journey covered her entire twenty-something years of life. After our pilgrimage, we laid her to rest in a cemetery overlooking the coast.

When Blake found me, I was burning Audrey’s journals in an empty lot.

He grabbed my arm hard. “Where is Audrey?”

I looked him over

unshaven, dark circles under bloodshot eyes, that perfect suit rumpled. Not so polished now.

I shook free and kept tossing notebooks into the flames.

What’s the point of hating him now? Audrey’s gone. She made it clear she didn’t want his tears afterward.

He seized my arm again, fingers digging in. “Where is Audrey? Three days ago, I had Michael call you to check on her. Where did you take her?”

I tried pulling away but couldn’t break his grip. Instead, I grabbed the remaining journals and dumped them all into the fire at once.

The flames leaped higher, lighting my face as I smiled coldly. “Who are you asking about?”

His grip tightened, desperation creeping into his voice. “Stop playing games. I need to see her. I have something important to tell her.”

“You won’t find her,” I laughed, the sound harsh even to my ears. “Whatever you wanted to say, save it. Audrey won’t hear you anymore.”

“How would you know?” he demanded. “Just tell me where she is, I’ll find her myself.”

“Where will you find her, in heaven?”

His grip went slack. “What do you mean?”

I stared directly into his eyes. “Audrey is dead.”

Thunder crashed somewhere in the distance.

stumbled back like I’d hit him. The color drained from

he muttered. “Three days

forward, grabbing my shoulders

This is just another

is this? You’re her best friend

1/4

Really? This performance now? Where was this concern when she was alive? When he kept her locked up, refused her

me where she really is,”

pulling Blake’s hands off me. He wrapped

“Fine,” I said calmly.

pointing at the fire barrel. “You want to find Audrey? Jump

toward the flames, his

ahead,” I taunted. “Why don’t you? You never cared when she was alive. Now you’re putting on this show, pretending you

Blake’s POV

I stopped hearing Astrid.

the burning pages. The elegant handwriting on one journal cover

Audrey’s handwriting.

on

my skin, burned through my sleeve, but I felt nothing as I

Parker, stop!” Ethan tried to pull me back, but I

spreading them on the ground. Each page contained

remember me. Could Rachel be right that someone like him would

the nursing home. Still can’t let

vegetative patient now. I’ll marry him, care for him. Hope

after all.

than the burns on my

looked. If I’d bothered to read these, would

Astrid, voice raw, “Where is

to be another way to avoid

everything I need to. Believe

turned to

2/4

Chapter 281

me a worried look before helping Astrid to

the ground, piecing together burnt fragments of Audrey’s heart, reading

lot emptied. I sat alone with the

pulled up. Ethan