Chapter 37
“Audrey, come here. I have something to discuss with you. Seamus’s face was calm, showing no trace of anger. In fact, there was a gentle, almost pleading smile on his lips.
Lucy had no choice but to steel herself and walk over. Seamus headed toward the door, clearly wanting to talk away from Duncan.
But Duncan grabbed Lucy’s hand. “Audrey,” he called, his voice trembling. His hand shook slightly he was afraid. He didn’t even trust his own father to be alone with her.
Lucy smiled at him, trying to reassure him. “It’s okay. I’ll be right back.”
Duncan hesitated but finally released her hand, though his gaze remained fixed on her, as if terrified she would vanish the moment he blinked.
Outside, Seamus had already been waiting for a moment. Although he hadn’t spent his life in the cutthroat world of business, he was a man in his fifties, and it was easy for him to see through Lucy’s intentions. He knew she wanted something from Duncan. But for now, as long as she could make his son feel alive again, Seamus was willing to tolerate it.
“I’m not here to accuse you of anything,” Seamus began, his tone still gentle. “Duncan’s mind is not well. He’s forgotten about Audrey’s death, but the rest of the city hasn’t. I’d prefer it if you could keep him from going out too much.”
Lucy exhaled in relief, finally relaxing a bit. “Of course, I’ll do my best to keep him at home.”
“It’s not just that,” Seamus continued. “Duncan believes you’re Audrey. But Audrey had thallium poisoning–it was chronic, affecting multiple organs. Duncan will want to take you to get treatment. You need to find a way to stop him.”
Lucy was shocked. “The news only said Audrey had died, but I had no idea it was because of…” She trailed off, realizing she had said too much.
“It was Heather who poisoned her. She wanted to steal Duncan from Audrey. When Audrey realized something was wrong with her health, she quietly left for France to get treatment, not wanting to drag Duncan down with her,” Seamus explained, knowing that if Lucy wanted to maintain the charade in front of Duncan, she needed to know the full story of what had happened between him and Audrey.
Seamus himself didn’t know all the details, but he told Lucy everything he did know.
all that news about Audrey running off with six million and some other man–it was all lies?” Lucy asked, still processing the gravity of it all. She wasn’t exactly a saint–she was greedy, yes, and vain too. But she’d never poison someone or create fake news to destroy a relationship.
At least, she thought, Heather had gotten what she deserved. Poisoning someone was unforgivable, and Heather’s miserable end–dying alone with no one to claim her body was fitting karma.
Once Seamus finished, he left. Lucy stood there for a moment, looking back at Duncan, who still had his eyes fixed on her with a look of concern. Her heart ached. She had never imagined that the love story between Duncan and Audrey had been so tumultuous. Heather had truly deserved her fate.
Lucy ran back to Duncan and wrapped her arms around him, her voice choked with emotion. “Duncan, I want to hear everything about you and Audrey.”
Duncan, hugging her close, playfully tapped her nose. “Silly girl, aren’t you Audrey? Do I really need to tell you the story of us?”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 37
“Yes, I want to hear it from you. I want to know how much you remember,” Lucy said, secretly relieved she hadn’t slipped up earlier.
Duncan smiled warmly, enjoying her playful request. He led her over to the couch, and they sat down together.
“We grew
grew up together. Your uncle and my dad both loved paduting, and they’d always get into heated arguments over whose work was better. We’d sneak off and laugh at them for it. One time, your uncle brought you over to our house, and we played on the swing set in the backyard. You kept begging me to push you higher and higher. Then you fell, scraping your knee. But you refused to cry because you didn’t want your uncle to find out. You were only five years old, but you were already so strong
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
