**Laurel's POV**

"Sure, I don't think I've ever had a private chat with Miss Sinclair before,"I replied,reluctantly letting go of Blake's arm.

I turned to Blake. "Blake darling, it's getting late. Why don't you stay for dinner tonight? Nora can show off her cooking skills. It's been a while since you've tasted her dishes, hasn't it?"

"Fine," Blake nodded.

Mom immediately stepped in. "I'll have dinner prepared right away." She glanced at me before turning to Audrey. "As you've noted, it's getting late.Whatever business you have with my daughter, please handle it quickly.We wouldn't want to delay your return home for dinner."

"Don't worry. I have no interest in your family dinner." Audrey yawned and walked toward the garden. "I'm just here to retrieve something from Miss Rose and ask a few questions. Once that's done, I'll be on my way."

I frowned,following after her. "Retrieve something from me? What exactly?11

Audrey didn't answer, continuing toward the garden. Twilight Mansion's garden was in full bloom, filled with flowers I'd instructed my mother to plant. As we entered the central gazebo, the evening breeze had grown cooler.

Once we were alone, Audrey turned to face me, her casual demeanor replaced by sharp focus.

"You should know why I'm here." she said. "My phone. And Rachel Hayes'

s phone."

The name hit me like an electric shock. I stood frozen, completely unable to move or speak.

*How does she know about Rachel? How does she know Rachel's name?And how does she know about the phone?*

"Jennifer told me everything. Both phones are with you."

Terror gripped my chest as I struggled to find my voice. "So Jennifer told you... your phone and Rachel Hayes's phone are with me?"

I needed to know how much damage was done. "Besides the phones,what else did Jennifer tell you?"

"Nothing else at the moment," Audrey replied.

Relief washed over me. *Thank god. That useless woman still has some brains left.*

I understood Jennifer's game now. She'd told Audrey about the phones to bring her to me, but hadn't revealed Rachel's secrets. It was a warning-Jennifer was leveraging Rachel to force me to get her out of jail.

The evening grew darker as I studied Audrey's face. My initial shock gave way to calculation.

"Yes. I have both phones," I admitted. "I can return yours, but I won't give you Rachel's phone. That phone doesn't belong to you anyway."

*Four years ago, I discovered Rachel's phone and the detailed notes she'd kept in her memos. Every day, every conversation, every interaction between Audrey and Blake during those days when she was caring for

him in that village- Rachel had recorded it all.*

*That discovery was the moment I decided to pretend I was Blake's savior.When Blake recovered from his blindness, I immediately approached him.As long as I memorizedI the details from those memos, I could perfectly play Audrey's role.*

*Without Rachel's notes, I would have made countless mistakes over these four years. I never could have fooled Blake for so long.*

*I'm not officially Mrs. Parker yet. I still need that phone. I can't possibly give it to Audrey. If she sees those memos, she'll understand everything,and my entire charade with Blake will collapse.*

"But it doesn't belong to you either," Audrey countered. "That phone belonged to my friend. My best friend. Four years ago, she fell from a building and became a vegetative patient."

"Her family always disliked her ordinary friends like me,so after her accident, they took her abroad for treatment and cut off all contact with us.

Audrey looked directly at me. "I know it's odd to be telling you this, given our relationship. But Miss Rose, I need to know where you got that phone,and if you have any contact with her family."

"And I hope you'll give me that phone... it means a great deal to me.I'll do anything you ask in return."

I stared coldly at her. "A vegetative patient? Is that worth coming here to beg your rival?"

**Audrey's POV**

"Yes, it's worth it," I answered,looking down.

"Audrey Sinclair, do you have some kind of obsession with vegetative patients?" Laurel's voice was sharp. "When Blake was in a vegetative state.you were desperate to marry him and be with him."

"Now that Blake has recovered and divorced you, you're searching for another vegetative patient?"

I kept my head down, hands clenched into fists.

"How pathetic. Do you think everyone has Blake's vitality? The miracle of a vegetative patient waking up - do you think you'll witness that twice in one lifetime?"

"Or perhaps you believe Blake woke up because of you,so now you want to awaken another vegetative patient?"

I bit my lip hard, then looked up. "I don't think Blake waking up had anything to do with me, and I don't want to wake Rachel up. I just... want to see her once."

*With late-stage gastric cancer, I don't have much time left.*

*I want to see Rachel one last time before I die.*

*I want to show her the jewelry designs I've created, to tell her that I never forgot our promise.*

*I want to tell her that in our next life, we'll be sisters again1...*

"Seeing her or not, she's still just a vegetative patient who can't speak or move." Laurel said. "Even if you see her, you'll only be satisfying your own sentimentality. It serves no purpose."

"Give up on this. I won't give you that phone, and I won't tell you anything about Rachel."

She turned and started walking away. "It's just gotten dark. If you go to the roadside now, you might still catch a taxi back to your apartment in the city."

I lunged forward and grabbed her wrist.

"Please," I begged. "I told you, if you give me that phone and tell me anything about Rachel... Even if I can contact her family but never see her,I'll do anything you ask!"

Laurel stopped. "What could you possibly do for me?"

I hesitated, then took a deep breath. "I can help convince William to approve your engagement to Blake!"

I knew I needed to offer more. "I can even make William agree to your marriage!"

*I have less than three months left anyway.*

*In two months, Blake might just have time to prepare an engagement ceremony with Laurel.*

*As for their wedding... by then, I'll be nothing but ashes. Even if William opposes their marriage, Laurel won't dig me up from my grave to yell at me,will she?*

Laurel turned back, suspicion in her eyes. "You'll help convince William to let me marry Blake?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "You know how much William adores me.I'm

confidont I can make him agree to your ongagement with Blake in the shortest possible timo,"

I saw a flash of interest in her eyes,

"You came to me for the phone and Rachel's contact information," she said."If I glve you everything now.. and lator that old man refuses to allow our marriage. I'd have no way to hold you accountable."

I took a deep breath and proposed a solution. "Then let's make a deal. We can do this in stages. First, return my phone and give me the Hayes family's contact information. I'll convince William to approve your engagement."

"After William agrees to your engagement with Blake, you can give me Rachel's phone."

Laurel considered my offer, a smile spreading across her face. "Alright,deal!"

I felt a surge of hope."So-"

"However," Laurel interrupted. "I have one more condition."