**Rachel's POV*

"What are you doing here?" Blake frowned at me.

I dropped my fake·smile. "If I hadn't shown up, how exactly were you planning to explain your leg to them?"

"And if I hadn't checked the rehabilitation center today, I wouldn't have known you ditched your session to come here!"

I turned toward the airport exit where Evelyn knelt before her daughter Emma. She was checking the little girl over, her face full of concern.Emma bounced back quickly, throwing her arms around her mother's neck.Astrid handed the child a bunch of sunflowers almost bigger than she was.

Astrid happened to glance in our direction, and when our eyes met,her smile vanished. She gave me a curt nod before leaning close to whisper something to Evelyn. Then all four of them walked away.

*Why is Astrid so tight with Evelyn Knox? They've met exactly once before on Long Island, when Evelyn pulled that stunt claiming she was Audrey. Now, just one month, they're acting like old friends? What happened to our friendship of years? Is it just because Evelyn has Audrey's face?*

Blake watched me staring after them, and pressed the control on his wheelchair. "Just needed some air. Let's go."

I hurried alongside him."You blew off rehab just to see her?"

"Blake,how many times do we need to go over this?" I pressed. "She's not Audrey. Audrey is gone. You -"

The wheelchair stopped abruptly. Blake's eyes were cold when he looked at me. "I know Audrey isn't coming back."

"I just wanted to see her. What, now you're policing where I go? Getting into character as the controlling wife already, Miss Hayes?"

My face went cold. I bit my lip. "That's not what I - "

"Go handle your work," Blake cut me off. "We're not even married yet,but even if we were, who I see and where I go isn't something you get to control."

He powered his chair forward,leaving me standing there.

Jonathan Rose's voice filled my head: *"Your sister's death might have been her choice, but if not for you, she wouldn't have tried to become Audrey Sinclair in the first place."*

*"This is your debt to your sister and to our family."*

*"If you keep the Parkers happy and help us through this crisis. I'll continue covering your grandmother's medical bills. I'll even treat you like a daughter."*

*"Laurel is dead. You're the only Rose heir now."*

I took a deep breath, pushed everything down, and caught up to Blake."Next time, at least bring an assistant when you go out..."

**Audrey's POV**

"Rachel's completely different now," Astrid sighed from behind the wheel.

I sat in the back with Emma, carefully peeling a banana for her.

"Remember how free-spirited she used to be? No one could tell her what to do."

She caught my eye in the rearview mirror. "Evelyn, you remember,right?All she wanted was to start that jewelry company with you. To bulld something that was truly hers."

Astrid laughed softly. "I always said you'd design, she'd handle business and when I made it big, I'd be your brand ambassador. The three of us would take over the world."

Her smile faded. "Well, she got her jewelry company."

"Gift-wrapped from Blake Parker. So much for building something herself.And from the guy who made your life hell, of all people..."

"Maybe Blake gave it to her because he knew it was her dream," I suggested, handing Emma a piece of banana.

Astrid stuffed the peel into a trash bag. "She could've said no."

"I told her exactly what he did to you," she said. "She knows how he treated you, and she.still takes his gifts and wears his ring?"

"She's turning into Laurel. The Rose sisters,two of a kind!"

"Astrid," I said quietly. "Rachel was our friend once. She's nothing like Laurel."

"You're too forgiving," she muttered. "You still care about her, but I doubt she remembers what friendship means. I barely recognize her anymore."

She changed topics."Was Adrian okay with you bringing Emma to New

York alone?"

I smiled, smoothing Emma's hair, "What's to worry about? Emma and I are inseparable."

"That's right!" Emma announced. "I like Mommy best! With Daddy gone.I get Mommy all to myself!"

Ethan laughed. "Emma's not just attached to you, she's downright territo-“

A flash of white darted in front of the car.

Ethan slammed the brakes and yanked the wheel. The tires screamed against asphalt before we crashed into a lamppost. The impact jolted us forward. I grabbed Emma, wrapping my arms around her small body to shield her. Pain shot through my head as it hit something hard. Ethan gripped the wheel, breathing hard.

*·Astrid's POV**

"What the hell happened?" I touched my throbbing head,"Ethan,you're usually so careful."

"Someone ran right in front of us."Ethan's voice shook. "Blew through the red light."

"Jesusl Were they trying to kill themselves??"I looked up and saw a woman in white sitting in the road.

I climbed out, blood boiling. "Running red lights to get yourself hit? What kind of scam is this?"

As I appronched, the woman lifted hor face, and I stopped short,"Victoria

Sinclair?"

"Astrid!" Victoria's face crumpled, "I finally found you!"

"I've been looking everywhere," she sniffled. "Your phone never connects.your agency says they don't know where you are..."

"If I hadn't spotted your ca today, I'd have thought you'd disappeared like my sister..."

"What do you want?" I crossed my arms. "We're not friends, Victoria."

Victoria had been hounding me for weeks, and I'd deliberately avoided her.The Sinclairs were nothing but trouble, and Victoria wouldn't be looking for me unless she wanted something. I'd blocked her number and told everyone at the agency to say they couldn't find me.

But running into traffic to stop my car? If Ethan hadn't reacted so quickly.someone could have died.

Her lips trembled before she burst into theatrical tears. "You were my sister's best friend! She's gone now, and who else can I turn to?"

She sobbed harder, right there in the middle of the street. "You're like family to me. When a little sister needs help, shouldn't she go to her big sister?"

Traffic was bumper-to-bumper here near downtown. Victoria's dramatic performance in the middle of the street was backing things up worse by the second.

A crowd materialized like they always do when there's drama. Phones came out, recording everything.

"Hey, isn't that the model from the nude photo thing?"someone called out.

Another voice joined in:′′Did she hit someone and run?"

"Nah, sounds like that's her sister on the ground. Says the model's been ghosting her, so she jumped in front of the car."

"Cold. Treats her own sister like trash and then acts surprised when her dirty laundry gets aired."

My knees went weak as memories crashed back - the scandal, the public humiliation, strangers throwing garbage at me. The sidewalk seemed to tilt under my feet.

"Astrid." Ethan appeared at my side, his arm steadying me before I could fall.

He turned to Victoria. "This isn't the place. Get in the car."

Like flipping a switch, Victoria stopped crying and stood up. She headed straight for the back door of our car.

"Front seat," Ethan said sharply. "Back's taken."

Without argument, Victoria redirected to the passenger side.

"What the hell?" I whispered, grabbing Ethan's arm. "Why are we letting her in? She keeps bringing up Audrey. If she sees her-"

"Evelyn's call." Ethan murmured. "If we leave Victoria here.this gets worse. More rubberneckers, more traffic, more videos. You'll be trending by dinner."

"Trust Evelyn. She knows what she's doing."