Chapter 361
Chapter 361
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After making sure the man wasn’t following him anymore and he was finally in the clear, Clayton headed back to his room at the budget hotel and called Audrey.
He’d thought telling her about everything would change her feelings toward him, but getting tailed by the strange man and hearing Audrey kissing Yann
hit him hard.
When the call ended, Clayton didn’t feel discouraged. Instead, he was more fired up than ever.
Based on what he’d heard, Lucia must be hiding something huge from Audrey, so she was shelling out money to the older man and his son to keep them
quiet.
He thought, ‘If I can find out what that secret is, can I threaten Lucia into helping me get back with Audrey?‘
‘And if reconciliation is out of the question, maybe I can blackmail her just like those two men?‘
They had a point. Lucia’s husband was Yann’s dad, living the high life. Even a fraction of her money would be enough for him to get top–notch medical
treatment and make the most of his remaining time.
With a new plan, Clayton started packing his things, ready to rent that room.
He figured that being close by would make it easier to snoop around.
The money he invested in Cora’s Lunessé facial mask business had paid off. Sure, he didn’t put in much, so his earnings were small, but Cora had become a regional agent and even bought a house with a down payment.
Clayton couldn’t wrap his head around it. ‘What is so special about these masks that made them such cash cows?‘ he wondered.
He also couldn’t figure out why Audrey, who clearly had a head for business, never got into this during their marriage. ‘Was it because I’d asked for a prenup?‘ he wondered.
He thought, ‘I wasn’t being unfair.‘
When they divorced, he let her keep the house she bought during their marriage.
And when Audrey had a rough time at Ashwood Mental Hospital, he compensated her. Even when Valerie and her mom trashed Audrey’s place, he made things right.
‘I wasn’t overly greedy, either,’ he thought.
‘If Audrey wanted to take on this project, she could’ve just been upfront with me. I would’ve provided the startup money and sorted out a proper profit- sharing arrangement.’
‘Before our breakup, as a lawyer, I could’ve easily become Lunessé’s consultant. After all, compared to me, Emilia is an outsider.”
As Clayton stuffed his sweater into his duffel bag, he thought about why Audrey had left her job to start her own business—he’d been the one to send her to Ashwood Mental Hospital.
He thought, ‘She must have been mistreated there so she’d grown cautious of me, scared I’d use the money she earned to keep helping Valerie and her
mom.‘
When he looked at it that way, her caution made sense.
Clayton sighed inwardly, ‘Ugh, it all boiled down to Valerie.‘
‘If she hadn’t lied to me, if I hadn’t helped her get divorced, if I hadn’t felt sorry for her and brought her back to Ironhaven, if she hadn’t been completely, unable to live independently, how could Audrey and I have grown so distant?‘ he thought.
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Chapter 361
Clayton managed to talk himself into a better mood.
He believed now he just needed to find out Lucia’s secret and use it to win Audrey over and make her change her mind.
He knew very well which was more legal and reasonable–blackmailing Lucia for money or honestly using his wife’s earnings.
When Clayton went to the front desk to cancel tomorrow’s room reservation, his phone rang. It was an unknown number.
He got so many random calls that he didn’t think twice about answering. “Hello?”
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Clayton’s eyes suddenly widened. “Yes, yes, I’m in Ashbourne. It’s hard to explain on the phone. Let’s meet in person. Let’s set the meeting place at… Okay, I’m on my way right now.”
Audrey had called him back. And she’d agreed to meet!
‘I knew it. Audrey isn’t cold–hearted. She still has feelings for me!‘ he thought.
Clayton felt as excited as a child as he got into his rented shared car and drove straight to the meeting spot.
The location was pretty secluded. Maybe Audrey is being careful, worried that meeting me will upset her current husband, Clayton thought. The more out–of–the–way the place was, the happier he was.
To save gas, he turned off the car engine after parking. By the time Audrey arrived, Clayton was practically freezing.
Audrey pulled up in a black passenger van. Hugo got out first, holding the door open and offering his arm for her to steady herself.
Audrey was wearing an oversized puffer jacket, a face mask, and a beanie. Her disguise was just like Lucia’s.
簪
“Audrey.” Clayton rushed over, trying to help her, but Hugo’s sharp stare made him take two steps back.
Once Audrey was out of the van, she motioned for Clayton to follow.
Up ahead was a restaurant they’d chosen as the meeting place.
“I need to talk to Audrey alone,” Clayton said, not wanting Hugo around.
Audrey stopped to think, then seemed to agree. She gestured to the van, motioning for Hugo to wait by the car.
Hugo shot Clayton a warning look before stepping back to lean against the car door.
Clayton hurried over, trying to put an arm around Audrey, but she pulled away.
As they neared the restaurant entrance, passing through a dark patch, Clayton suddenly hugged her tightly.
He said, “Audrey, after you have the babies, we should get ba… Ouch!”
A hard slap cut him off. Before he could react, she kicked him in the stomach–the highest she could reach in her bulky coat.
“Audrey, you…” Clayton said. He thought, ‘How could a pregnant woman hit so hard? And so fast?‘
“You’re asking for death! How dare you touch Audrey!” Lena yanked off her beanie and started punching Clayton with angry fists.
Hugo rushed over when he saw the scuffle and kicked Clayton hard in the lower back.
Clayton stumbled forward and fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
Lena quickly stepped in to stop Hugo, signaling that they shouldn’t waste energy on a dying man.
Clayton was so weak he could barely take Lena’s hits. One punch from Hugo could kill him.
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Chapter 361
“Tell me, what’s going on?” Lena snapped.
Clayton felt like his back was broken. It took him a long time to gasp out. “I can’t tell you. I need to see Audrey.”
“Dream on!” Lena slapped him again, left and right.
She thought, ‘As if Yann would ever let Audrey meet him! That’s more absurd than a fantasy.
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Not only was Audrey heavily pregnant and unable to handle stress or anger, but even if she were perfectly fine, Yann, such a jealous guy, might agree to the meeting verbally, but who knew what sneaky moves he’d pull behind the scenes?
At first, Clayton tried to hold out, but then he couldn’t take it anymore.
His newly fitted fake front teeth were about to fall out.
“Stop hitting me. I’ll talk. I will,” he said.
Lena, sweaty from the beating, stood up, exhaled, and stared down at him. “Spit it out!”
“I can’t see her in person, but I need to talk to her on the phone.”
Lena raised her fist again.
Clayton quickly covered his head. “I’ll only tell you if Audrey gives the okay. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t say a word otherwise.”
“Oh, so now you’ve got guts?” Lena pulled out her phone and called Audrey. “Audrey, that piece of trash Clayton says he’ll only talk if he gets your permission.”
‘That piece of trash Clayton? So that’s how Audrey refers to me to others?‘ he thought.
After speaking, Lena put the call on speaker, and Audrey’s voice came through immediately. “I sent Lena there. She can act on my behalf.”
“Audrey, can we just…” Clayton said.
Beep beep beep. The line went dead.
A flash of malice crossed Clayton’s eyes.
He thought, ‘Since Audrey won’t give me a chance, I’ll have to get my hands on Lucia’s worst secret and use it as leverage.‘
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.
