**Rachel's POV**

The heavy girl sprawled on the ground was still running her mouth,despite Adrian's kick.

"You'll regret this!" she shrieked through her tears. "My father will destroy you, and Miss Hayes won't let this slide either!"

She locked eyes with me, desperation mingling with entitlement.′′Mss Hayes is about to be a Parker! Do you have any idea what that means in New York? Let me go now or you're done!"

I dug my nails into my palms, watching this disaster unfold. My miscalculation was painfully obvious. I'd picked these girls because their family connections should have made them untouchable. Adrian would have to swallow whatever they dlished out to his wife.

But I'd underestimated Adrian's nerve and overestimnated these girls'intelligence.

"How annoying," Adrian muttered, his voice chillingly calm.

Without warning, he delivered another kick. The girl grunted once and went limp.

Her friends huddled together, not daring to move or speak.

Audrey knelt beside the unconscious girl, checking her pulse. "She'll be fine. Just passed out."

She adjusted the girl's position and glanced at Michael."Get someone to

take her to the hospital."

Michael hesitated, looking to Blake for confirmation.

"Do it," Blake nodded. "She's George Mei's daughter. We can't have her dying on hotel property."

Michael arranged for two men to carry the girl away while the others remained kneeling, terrified of becoming Adrian's next target.

I stepped forward, desperate to regain control of the situation. "Mr. Knox,you're in New York as a wedding guest. This behavior is completely inappropriate."

Adrian barely glanced up. "So was sending these girls to attack my wife.You started this, Miss Hayes."

He finished wiping his hands and looked directly at me. "Playing the protective future Parker already? I'm ready whenever you are."

My face burned. I glanced at Blake, hoping for backup, but he just sat there, watching with detached interest. My heart sank as reality hit me -he wouldn't step in.

I'd orchestrated this whole thing to pull attention back to me and Blake,away from Adrian and his wife. Instead, I'd created a scene that exposed my pettiness and desperation.

Audrey stood behind Adrian, her composed smile unchanged. That smile used to hide fear when she was Audrey Sinclair. Now it concealed something far more dangerous.

"Mr. Knox," I warned, trying to salvage my dignity, "even a dragon can't overcome local snakes. You're in New York with no protection,so l

wouldn't get too-"

The rumble of engines cut me off as several black cars pulled up. At least a dozen men in dark suits poured out. forming a wall behind Adrian and Audrey.

"Mr. Knox," one announced, "Mr. Hartford has arranged security for you and your wife. We're at your disposal."

I froze at the distinctive"H"'emblem on their uniforms. Henry Hartford was the only person in New York who rivaled Blake's influence.

Adrian's smile widened. "Still think I'm unprotected, Miss Hayes? Can your Mr. Mei compete with this?"

I clenched and unclenched my hands, struggling to process this development. After composing myself, I met his gaze.

"So Hartford's backing you," I said, unable to hide my bitterness.

"He is," Adrian replied. "Without him, we might have been driven out by the local... whnat did you call them? Snakes?"

He stepped closer. "Now, about those threats you were making..."

My eyes darted to Blake, who was absently playing with his fingers,seemingly bored by the entire confrontation. When he noticed me looking.he offered a faint smile before closing his eyes.

That smile said everything. *Handle this yourself.* The same expression he used whenever he needed me to deal with Parker Group problems alone.Even now,with Adrian threatening me, Blake wouldn't intervene.

If I were Audrey, would he still be this indifferent?

I took a deep breath. "If Hartford's your backer, then obviously Mr. Mei wouldn't dare touch you."

I forced a smile. "Though I'm surprised you know Hartford. He's famously elusive in New York. Most people don't even know what he looks like, let alone have his protection."

I leaned forward slightly. "How exactly did you two become acquainted?"

The question wasn't idle. In all my years networking through New York's elite circles, I'd never met Hartford. Blake was one of the few who could contact him, and even he only managed occasional drinks during Hartford's rare visits.

So how did Adrian Knox, an Australian businessman, command Hartford's resources with a phone call?

**Blake's POV**

Rachel's question caught my attention. I opened my eyes, focusing on Adrian. I'd been wondering the same thing myself.

"Hartford and I go back five years," Adrian replied with casual confidence.

He'glanced at Ethan before continuing. "When Parker was saved by Audrey Sinclair, he felt obligated to repay her - marriage, devotion, all that."

My jaw tightened at his words.

"Hartford had similar intentions toward his rescuer," Adrian continued."But when Evelyn saved him, she was already engaged to me. So instead of marriage, he chose to protect both of us."

1 stared at him, stunned. "Are you saying... Evelyn Knox saved Hartford's life?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Adrian laughed quietly as he moved to Audrey's side. "Funny, isn't it?Two women saving two powerful men during the same disaster. Yet look at the different outcomes."

He placed his hand on Audrey's shoulder. "After Evelyn rescued Hartford,he didn't just throw money at her. He attended our wedding, maintained contact for five years, and promised his help whenever needed."

His eyes narrowed. "Compare that to how Parker treated Audrey Sinclair.The contrast speaks for itself."

My face must have shown my shock, but it quickly gave way to excitement.The mysterious rescuer Hartford had mentioned all these years was Evelyn Knox!

Though Evelyn herself was gone, her husband, daughter, and adoptive parents remained. If I played this right, I could finally learn what truly happened during that maritime disaster - the incident that killed my father.

Hartford's words from his last visit echoed in my mind. He'd mentioned seeing his rescuer again, and I'd worried they might leave New York before he returned. I'd been searching far and wide, only to find the answer practically at my doorstep.

Beside the woman claiming to be Evelyn Knox stood someone who might hold answers about that night five years ago.

I pushed my wheelchair forward. "So Hartford's mysterious rescuer has been Mrs, Knox all along."

Adrian moved in front of' Audrey the second I rolled closer."Back off,"

"Relax1′′Isald."Just talking."

I wheeled around him untll I could see her face. The connection was almost too obvlous now. How had I missed It?

"Mrs, Knox," I sald, "There's something you need to understand."

I kept my voice steady, though my heart was racíng. "The same night you supposedly saved Hartford, Audrey Sinclair pulled me from that beach."

"Maybe you don't remember all the details. Five years is a long time. But your husband or the Parkers in Australia - they might know something.Anything."

I couldn't read her expression, but I pressed on anyway. "I need your help.11

"My father died on that yacht," I said, the words still painful after all these years. "Whatever you might have - photos, notes, memories - it could fill in the blanks I've been chasing for five years."

"Someone who was actually on that boat might finally help me understand what really happened that night."