Chapter 75

Blake's POV

My grandfather's words hung in the air, cold and heavy. The hospital room had fallen into a deafening silence. His knuckles were white around his walking stick, a testament to his mounting frustration.

I stared back at him, my jaw clenched. Audrey had been pushing every boundary lately. She had made a series of unilateral decisions about our marriage and our future, and then there was the matter of her constant association with other men. And now, this—a marriage certificate leaked online, accompanied by a narrative that painted Laurel and me as the villains of New York.

"William, Blake doesn't owe me anything."

Audrey’s voice was steady, cutting through the tension. She sat straight in her chair, though the exhaustion was evident in the faint shadows under her eyes.

"I’ve always wanted a clean break," she continued, turning her gaze toward me. "Mr. Parker, I don't know who leaked those photos, but it wasn't me. I have no interest in public spectacles."

Something about the calm, direct way she spoke made me pause. There was no flicker of guilt in her eyes.

"However," she added, "since the photos appear to have been taken inside my home, I will find out who is responsible."

Before I could respond, my phone vibrated. Laurel’s name flashed on the screen.

"I need to take this," I said to my grandfather, stepping into the hallway. My voice automatically softened the moment I answered. "Laurel, how are you feeling?"

All I heard were soft, broken sobs from the other end.

"I’ll be right there," I promised, heading straight for the elevator.

Audrey's POV

Blake's footsteps faded, leaving behind the heavy scent of his expensive cologne. William sighed, looking older than his years under the fluorescent hospital lights.

"Audrey," he said quietly. "You really didn't have anything to do with this?"

I shook my head. "I wouldn't even know it was circulating if Blake hadn't confronted me. My phone was at the repair shop all afternoon."

"Then who has access to your apartment?" William reasoned. "Could it be your friend Astrid?"

"Not Astrid," I said firmly. "She’s impulsive, but she would never sneak around. If she wanted to expose the truth, she would have done it to your face."

I frowned, mentally retracing the past few days. Suddenly, a name surfaced. James Collins. He was the only person who had been in my apartment alone recently, on the night I had collapsed.

"I think I have a lead," I told William.

He nodded. "Find the truth and set the record straight, Audrey. Whoever did this might have had good intentions for you, but the fallout is hitting everyone." He looked at the screen and huffed. "They're calling me a 'matrimonial architect.' Do I look like I have the energy to force people into marriages?"

The image of the formidable William Parker pouting over an internet comment was so absurd that I couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time I had felt a genuine spark of joy in weeks.

"I’ll miss that laugh," William said softly, his expression turning serious. "I wanted you two to reconcile, Audrey. I truly did."

"I know, William. But it's time."

"Then use this mess," he suggested, his eyes gleaming with his old strategic brilliance. "Announce the divorce officially. Make it so that stubborn grandson of mine has no choice but to let you go."

Blake's POV

Laurel looked small and fragile against the hospital pillows, the IV in her arm a stark reminder of her condition.

"Did Audrey admit to it?" she asked weakly.

I didn't answer immediately. I was looking through her recent medical chart, and something wasn't making sense. "Laurel, I thought your doctors in Europe were very clear about your diet."

She looked confused. "Yes, they were."

"Then why does this record show you've been hospitalized three times this month for complications related to... spicy food?"

Her face went a shade whiter. "I... I was just curious. I saw Audrey eating it, and I thought maybe I could too."

"Why would you compare yourself to her?" I couldn't hide my frustration. "Audrey doesn't have a compromised system. You have a serious chronic condition. This is reckless, Laurel."

She bit her lip, tears welling up. "I just wanted to be normal for a day."

I rubbed my temples, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. I had a choice to make. The company’s stock was dipping, and the public was demanding an explanation. To protect the Parker Group and Laurel's reputation, I would have to frame the divorce in a way that placed the burden on Audrey.

Just the thought of it made my chest ache. This wasn't how I imagined our end.

I looked at Laurel. She looked away, a strange, fleeting expression crossing her face—one that I couldn't quite place. "I understand," she whispered. "Just do what you have to do to save the company."