**Audrey's POV*

Dr. Clarke booked us a presidential suite with three rooms - a study and two bedrooms. Adrian surprised me by taking the single room, giving Emma and me the master without argument.

After getting Emma to sleep, I heated some milk and knocked on the study door where Adrian was still working.

He looked up when I entered, surprise flashing across his face as I set the glass on his desk.

"Thought you might want this before bed."

Adrian studied me, eyebrow raised.′′Isthis how you prepared things for Blake Parker?"

The question stung. I turned to leave.′′Iwas just thanking you for giving up the larger room. If you don't want it, throw it away."

"Wait." His sigh stopped me. "I'm sorry. It's Just... Evelyn would never have done something like this. It caught me off guard."

I shrugged without turning around. "It's nothing."

After a pause, he asked quietly,"Did you do this for Blake often?"

"No." A bitter smlle crossed my lips.

In the early days, I'd tried so hard with Blake. I wanted to be the perfect wlfe who walted up with something warm when he workod late. But he never gave me the chance, rarely coming home to Lunar Mansion、

preferring his penthouse near the office.

Even when he did work from home, his study was off-limits to me.

"There are business secrets in here," he'd say coldly. "Be careful not to get too close."

I believed him, carefully avoiding his private spaces until I saw Thalia waltz in without knocking. Then Olivia. Then Laurel.

It wasn't about secrets. It was just me he kept at a distance.

"Adrian." My voice was steady, my back still to him. "I know what you're worried about."

I watched his reflection in the window. "You're treating me as a substitute for Evelyn, wanting me to become like my sister, and you're afraid I'll treat you as a substitute for Blake."

Adrian's face darkened.

"Don't worry. I allow you to treat me as Evelyn's substitute. I'll play her role." I set down the tray. "But I cannot become my sister, and I won't treat you as Blake's replacement."

I stepped closer to the desk. "If I don't love him, I just don't. I won't transfer those feelings to someone ese."

"I'm being nice to you because you saved me, I don't want to owe you,and I want to help my sister take care of her child. That's all."

After a long moment, Adrian turned with a hollow laugh. "You make me feel like you're being honest while I'm being despicable."

I didn't argue, just left, closing the door quietly.

In the master bedroom, I found Emma sltting upright, wrapped in blankets, wide awake.

"Where'd you go?" she asked, blue eyes fixed on me.

"Brought your daddy a snack. Why are you up?"

She clutched her blankettighter.′′Ifelt you weren't beside me."

I sat down and she immediately climbed into my arms.′′thought you left.

" she whispered against my neck. "That you didn't want Emma anymore."

Her voice shook."I'm so scared of losing you again."

I gave a smile. "That won't happen."

I lay down, keeping her against me. "Sleep now. I'm not going anywhere."

Emma nodded, snuggling closer."Mm."

Under the dim wall lamp, I watched her sleep, still holding my arm like I might vanish. She looked so much like me - like Evelyn. Only those vivid blue eyes were clearly Adrian's.

My heart tightened thinking of the baby I'd lost. If that child had lived,would it be clutching my arm the same way,afraid I might disappear?

When I first met Emma,she was just a cute kid. Now I understood she was a little girl desperately missing maternal love. She had Adrlan and her grandparents, but that wasn't enough.

Looking at her peaceful face, I made a promise. If fate had glven us this chance to be mother and daughter. I'd embrace it completely. I'd treat Emma as my own because she was the most precious glft my sister left behind.

"Mommy,wake up!"

Emma's excited voice and small hands on my face pulled me from sleep.She stood beside the bed, already dressed, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Daddy made breakfast!"

"I've known Daddy four years and this is the first time!" She tugged my hand. "Get up!"

"He knows how to cook?" I pushed myself up,yawning.

Emma giggled. "Actually, it looks like he bought it. But he says he made it,so he made it!"

I smiled at her logic, quickly dressing and following her out. The moment I opened the door, I heard male voices from the living room.

"Mr. Parker came early just to tell me this?" Adrian's voice.

"What, Mr. Knox doesn't want to cooperate?" That was unmistakably Blake.

I froze, gripping Emma's hand. Of all places, Blake Parkcer was in our suite first thing in the morning?

"Oh, guests?" Emma slipped from my grasp and skipped ahead.

I had no choice but to follow. Blake looked up, his eyes widening when he saw me. Beside him, Rachel's face registered pure shock. Adrian walked over, scooping up Emma as he approached.

"Wow," Rachel stammered. "Your daughter is exactly like you!"

"After all, she carried her for ten months," he was saying. "No surprise they look alike."

Adrian slid his arm around my waist. "Before Emma was born, I worried.Thought a son might look too delicate like Evelyn, or a daughter too much like me."

He pulled me closer. "Instead, I got two beautiful women, one big and one small."

He leaned in, pretending to kiss my cheek but carefully angling so Blake would think his lips touched my skin. "Go eat," he murmured. "I've got Emma."

Of course, Adrian wouldn't actually kiss me - even if he'd wanted to,I wouldn't have allowed it.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, understanding his game. Then I smiled and returned the fake kiss toward his cheek. "I'll eat first. You handle our guests."

I walked to the dining room feeling Blake's eyes burning into my back.Part of me wanted to turn, to see his face,but I kept going.

**Blake's POV**

I couldn't tear my eyes from her back as she walked away. Those two kisses between Knox and her played on repeat in my head.

My fists tightened under the table.

The woman who looked exactly like Audrey had been holding a little girl

who couldn't be more than four. A chlld who was practically her carbon copy.

I'd seen photos of Emma Knox during my research and glimpsed her yesterday at the airport. But seeing them side by side hit differently.

The resemnblance was impossible to ignore.

Whatever hope I'd been clinging to vanished. Audrey never had children.There was no way she could have a daughter this age who looked just like her.

She really wasn't Audrey.

"Mr.Parker."

Knox caught me staring. He sat down with Emma on his lap, deliberately positioning himself to block my view of the dining room.

"About the deal between Parker Group and Knox Corporation." he said,his voice cool.′′I′'m interested, but the terms need work."

His words snapped me back to the present. I shifted my focus to him,pushing thoughts of her aside.

"What specífically concerns you?"

"The pricing." Knox adjusted Emma on his knee. "Q'elegant might be under Knox Corporation now, but my wife built that brand herself."

He leaned forward slightly.′′Ithad its own reputation and customer base before joining my company."

"If you want to work with Qelegant, treat it as Its own ontity. Nat just some subdivision of Knox Corporation..."