Chapter 353
“Sharon has feelings for Aaron. If they call off the engagement, and if it turns out the Winifred family had nothing to do with it, then the‘!..
Dexter hesitated, then added, “Let’s get our facts straight first. I’ll give a friend a call and see what he knows.”
Dexter reached out to a contact, who, in turn, brought the question to Keith.
Since Talia’s arrest, Keith had only visited the Price family once.
Shortly after, Pantheon Films began a new project with Audrey, and he hadn’t returned since, nor had he paid any further attention to their affairs.
When the news reached him, his first reaction was instinctive denial.
If Audrey had really wanted revenge on the Price family, she wouldn’t have waited this long to act.
Besides, Yann had given his word–as long as the Prices stayed out of Audrey and Talia’s conflict, it wouldn’t affect their business ties.
And even if Audrey did hold a grudge and wanted to strike back, the Hartwell family certainly wouldn’t have been her target of choice.
Still, since he had been asked, Keith agreed to make a few discreet inquiries.
Later, Yann received a call from Keith while on the way home.
“How’s Audrey doing these days? Any cravings I should know about? Whatever she wants, I’ll make sure she gets the best.”
“Ten–head peacock abalone, two blue lobsters, and a wild large yellow croaker.”
Keith rolled his eyes on the other end.
Peacock abalone was near extinction, harvested only a few tons annually.
Blue lobsters, a rare genetic variant, sold for thousands per pound in Michelin–starred restaurants and were practically impossible to find, only one in twenty thousand.
And a wild large yellow croaker? Worth tens of thousands apiece and almost never available on the market.
Yann clearly didn’t want to talk. The message was unmistakable.
“Fine, I got it. I’ll track them down and send them to her. But there’s something I really need to ask…”
“Ask when you’ve found them.”
And with that, the line went dead.
Keith knew something wasn’t right.
This might actually have something to do with Audrey after all.
Running a hand through his greasy hair, days of filming had left him with no time to clean up, he wiped his fingers on the corner of a notepad, trying to make sense of the situation.
Meanwhile, Dexter received a call back. “He’s not sure, but there’s a decent chance Darkshell International is involved.”
Rex, too, got a tip.
Someone revealed that after Hawdia Group canceled their order, they immediately secured a major contract with Darkshell International
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When Rex and Dexter compared notes, it all clicked. Yann was standing up for his wife, punishing the Price family, and the Hartwell family had gotten caught in the fallout because of the engagement.
Without further hesitation, Rex called Blair and told her to bring Sharon home.
The engagement was officially off.
At Price Manor, Sharon was still recovering. When she saw Blair and Mona arrive again, this time to take her back, she snapped.
“I’m not going back! You’re canceling the engagement? How am I supposed to face anyone after this?”
“Your reputation isn’t more important than Rex’s business! Just be sensible…” Mona tried to grab her hand.
Sharon yanked away and burst into tears. She looked at her mother, her voice shaking with anger. “What are you doing to me? You barged in here and humiliated me once already. Now you want to call off the engagement too? Do you even care how I feel?”
“I know this is hard, but…” Blair turned toward the maid who had come to deliver food. “Could you give us a moment?”
Once the maid had stepped out and Mona shut the door, Blair began her explanation.
But Sharon wouldn’t listen. She covered her ears, refusing to hear a word.
Just then, Aaron returned. Finding the door locked, he pounded on it furiously. “Sharon! Open the door!”
Sharon shot a warning glare at Blair and Mona. “Don’t say a word!”
Only then did she open the door. “Aaron.”
He took one look at her tear–streaked face, her eyes red and swollen, and turned sharply toward the two women. “Did you upset her?”
Mona looked to Blair, hesitant. Her husband had been firm that Sharon had to be brought back, no matter what.
Blair, feeling cornered and fed up, stepped forward and pulled Sharon away from Aaron.
“Her father’s sick. She needs to come home.”
“She’s still recovering!”
“We’ll take care of her!”
“No way!”
The argument quickly escalated. Sharon broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Hearing the commotion upstairs, the rest of the Price family rushed in.
No one knew who made the first move, but in moments, the confrontation turned physical, and the two families were soon entangled in a full–blown
brawl.
Audrey remained blissfully unaware of the escalating conflict between the two families, and even if she had known, she likely wouldn’t have cared.
Her days were simple, almost idyllic–good food, long naps, and afternoon strolls with Celeste.
The two expectant mothers, both radiant in their third trimester, made quite the spectacle wherever they went, trailing behind them were a nutritionist, a chauffeur, and an ever–present security team.
Yann had long declared that pregnancy came with inevitable mood swings. Irritability, sudden tears, or bursts of laughter were to be expected.
As far as he was concerned, Audrey was free to do whatever she wanted, as long as she was never upset. He would take care of everything else.
If money could fix it, it wasn’t really a problem.
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And if it couldn’t? Then obviously, you weren’t spending enough.
Lucia had expressed interest in joining their walks too, but Logan shut that idea down immediately. He insisted she accompany him instead, not wanting her to impose on Audrey.
At Hillcrest Gardens, the nursery was almost complete. Three cribs, identical in design, two soft blue and one blush pink, had been assembled and
arranged.
The babies hadn’t even arrived yet, and already their wardrobe filled two entire closets. High–end strollers were delivered daily, each one carefully unpacked, assembled, polished, and parked in the basement.
Then came an unexpected snowstorm in Ashbourne, heavy and unrelenting. Roads were blanketed, tree limbs snapped under the weight of the snow, and the city ground nearly to a halt.
Celeste, out for a short walk in her garden, slipped on the ice and went into labor prematurely.
The baby was only eight months along.
When Audrey heard the news, she immediately asked Quentin to send the best doctors to assist. Fortunately, both mother and child pulled through
safely.
The scare, however, had shaken Yann. From that moment on, he refused to let Audrey go out alone. He insisted she use a wheelchair even inside the house and kept a close watch on her every move.
Audrey, now seven months pregnant herself, looked as though her belly were filled with air, round and firm, seemingly growing by the hour. The stretch mark cream she used worked wonders, and her stomach remained flawlessly smooth.
But one evening, while showering, she noticed faint stretch marks beginning to form on the outside of her thighs, just beyond her usual line of sight.
They had nearly escaped her notice.
As Christmas approached, the production team went on hiatus, and Lena returned from filming.
But instead of heading home, she made a beeline straight for Hillcrest Gardens.
“Yann! Where’s Audrey?
“Audrey!”
Before she could get too close, someone yanked hard on her scarf, tightening it around her neck and cutting her off mid–step.
“You’re cold. Stay back from her,” Yann said, tossing her onto a nearby couch with the ease of moving a pillow.
Lena huffed, adjusting her scarf and sticking out her tongue behind his back. But the moment he turned around, she flashed him a sweet, well–practiced
smile.
Once Yann retreated into the kitchen, she hurried to Audrey’s side and reached out to touch her belly.
“Hey, little ones! It’s me, your Aunt Lena. I missed you so much! Did you miss me, huh?”
A sudden kick beneath her palm made her jolt back as though electrocuted. She stared at Audrey, wide–eyed.
Audrey simply smiled and nodded.
Lena eagerly placed her hand on the bump again. “If you missed me, give me another kick. Oh my god! He kicked again! He really missed me! Audrey, he… Yann, stop pulling…!”
Yann had returned just in time to grab her scarf and haul her away again. She landed on the couch with a dramatic sigh, cheeks puffed in protest, lips pursed into á sulky pout.
Chapter 353
Yann sat down beside Audrey, placing his warm, steady palm on her belly.
The baby didn’t move.
“He didn’t kick because he missed you,” Yann said, deadpan. “Your hand was just too cold.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
