Chapter 51 Ointment
Audrey froze.
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She recognized the ointment. It was great for treating bruises, expensive, and hard to find.
“Audrey, I don’t have time to waste on your little pity act!”
Audrey looked up in shock. Her lips tightened as she stared at Theodore’s cold, sharp features. “You don’t have to worry about
me.”
“Not worry about you? So you can turn around and complain to Grandpa?”
Audrey opened her mouth to explain, but then thought better of it. It wouldn’t matter anyway. Theodore would never believe her. A wave of helplessness choked her, sharp and stifling.
Seeing her silence, Theodore thought he had called her out. He lost patience and yanked her toward him. “Audrey, I warned you about those tricks. Wait, you’re hurt?”
The phone’s flashlight illuminated Audrey’s face, so pale it was almost translucent.
Audrey pulled her hand back without a word, slowly moving. along the railing.
Theodore’s earlier pull had worsened the pain that had just started to subside. She didn’t have the strength to respond.
Chapter 51 Ointment
had hit him hard in the chest. He grabbed her wrist
instinctively. “If you were hurt, why didn’t you say anything from the start?”
Why didn’t she say anything?
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Audrey stopped, glancing at her wrist in his grip. She didn’t have the energy or desire to pull away. With a smile, she asked, “If I had said something, would you have believed me?”
The answer was obvious.
Theodore met her gaze. Those clear almond eyes, where even the sarcasm was plain to see.
His expression darkened, and he let her go.
Audrey hadn’t been expecting an answer. When he released her, she continued forward. After just one step, she suddenly felt weightless. Theodore had swept her into his arms.
From the corner of his eye, Theodore glanced down at her, frowning.
“How is she so light? Has she been eating?”
“Theodore, you…”
“Shut up. If you say one more word, I won’t hesitate to finish what we didn’t last night!” Theodore snapped. His face was dark with irritation, not wanting to hear another sound from her.
Remembering how he’d humiliated her on the sofa the night before, Audrey’s face paled. She didn’t doubt for a second that
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By the time the Maybach pulled into the underground garage of Kingwood Villa, the rain had finally lessened.
The ride was silent.
Once the car stopped, Audrey unbuckled her seatbelt, ready to get out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Theodore doing the
same.
She paused and asked calmly, “Are you staying the night at Kingwood Villa?”
She wasn’t surprised by her own question.
After all, Theodore rarely came back here, and he rarely stayed the night. Didn’t Ava just get discharged this morning? Shouldn’t he be with her, comforting her?
“Where I stay is none of your business,” Theodore said flatly, staring at her intently. “Are you afraid I’ll come back and catch her doing something shady behind me?”
Audrey had always felt that his gaze was aggressive, like he could see right through her.
“No,” she replied.
The image of that photo flashed in her mind again.
Theodore narrowed his eyes and warned coldly, “You’d better be telling the truth.”
Audrey looked away, saying nothing, then got out of the car and headed straight for the elevator without looking back.
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*****
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After nearly a day and night without rest and the shock she’d experienced, Audrey fell into a deep sleep not long after taking her medicine.
She slept until morning, only waking when the alarm rang.
She tried to sit up but immediately regretted it, pulling at her injured lower back. The pain made her gasp, and it took her a while before she could finally get out of bed and walk to the closet.
She had been too exhausted last night to check how bad her injury was.
That tug just now hurt even worse than last night. It had probably gotten worse from being left untreated overnight.
Standing in front of the full–length mirror, Audrey lifted her nightgown, turning to see the reflection. A large, dark bruise covered the right side of her lower back, stark against her pale skin.
Audrey sighed.
Her skin rarely scarred, but any bruise or mark took forever to fade. Last time, it had taken almost a week for the red marks on her wrist from Theodore’s grip to disappear. This bruise was much worse. It would take at least half a month to heal.
“Mrs. Ainsworth, are you awake? Breakfast is ready,” Hazel called through the door after knocking twice.
T
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before walking out of the closet.
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Something caught her eye just as she was about to open the door. It was a long, narrow box sitting on the nightstand.
It hadn’t been there before she went to bed last night.
She picked it up and opened it. A brand–new tube of ointment fell into her hand.
As a child, Audrey had been mischievous, always coming home with bruises after playing outside. Her father, Nicholas, oftent had people buy this ointment to keep at home.
It wasn’t strange for this ointment to be at the villa, but what was odd was how it ended up here.
Who had brought it?
Was it Theodore?
Her thoughts flashed back to what Theodore had said the night. before, but she quickly dismissed the idea.
Theodore wouldn’t be this considerate.
The ointment was probably from Hazel, who had noticed her walking strangely last night and figured she was injured. Hazel was always so thoughtful.
Thinking this, Audrey put the ointment away and headed downstairs to the dining room.
“Mrs. Ainsworth!” Hazel saw her and walked over, concern all
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her face. “Is your injury any better? I noticed you didn’t seem to walk comfortably last night.”
Audrey became even more certain that Hazel had left the ointment. “It’s nothing serious. I’ll be fine after using the ointment for a few days. Thank you, Hazel.”
After she finished speaking, Audrey glanced around the dining.
room.
Theodore wasn’t there. He had probably already left for the day.
Hazel looked puzzled at the sudden thank you, not sure what Audrey was referring to. Before she could ask, Audrey spoke again.
“Hazel, I have plans tonight, so there’s no need to prepare
dinner.”
“Alright.”
Audrey walked into the dining room and noticed four or five different types of breakfast dishes laid out. Surprised, she asked, “Hazel, why is there so much breakfast today?”
“I didn’t make these,” Hazel said with a smile. “Mr. Ainsworth hired a nutritionist. They came early this morning to prepare everything.”
Audrey frowned. “A nutritionist?”
“Yes, Mr. Ainsworth said that from now on, your three meals a day will be handled by the nutritionist,” Hazel explained, her smile widening. “Mrs. Ainsworth, I think he’s starting to care
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couldn’t stop worrying about Audrey and had gone to pick her up from work instead.
After waiting two years, Hazel was genuinely happy to finally see some improvement in their relationship.
“Hazel, I can’t eat all of this by myself, and I’m sure you haven’t caten yet either. Join me,” Audrey said with a soft smile, purposely skipping over Hazel’s earlier comment. She glanced at the nutritious breakfast spread, her smile fading slightly.
Caring?
She didn’t see it that way.
She just didn’t know yet what Theodore’s real motive was.
*****
It was just after lunch, and there weren’t many people at Misty Villa. Audrey entered and immediately spotted the person
sitting by the floor–to–ceiling windows. She walked over and sat down across from her.
“Audrey.”
Ava smiled faintly and handed her the menu. “Take a look. Want to order something?”
“No need. I’m not here to have coffee with you,” Audrey said, cutting straight to the point. “My competition entry was rejected. That was your doing, wasn’t it?”
Ava returned the menu and signaled the waiter, “A warm milk,
Chapter 51 Ointment please, and a cappuccino.”
Once the waiter left, she slowly said to Audrey, “The
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cappuccino’s for you. I remember the first time you brought me here. We had it. After that, I fell in love with the cappuccinos. here. Even during my two years abroad, I always thought about
that taste.
“Unfortunately, I can’t drink it anymore. Try it for will‘
you?”
me,
“If you called me here just to reminisce, Ms. Rosewood, don’t bother. There’s nothing between us worth remembering.” Seeing Ava dodge the question, Audrey’s expression grew cold, and she stood up to leave.
“That’s right, I was the one who rejected your submission.” Ava hadn’t expected Audrey to be so direct. Her eyes darkened as she admitted. “Audrey, I told you before I’m on the initial review panel for the Acasa Architectural Design Competition. As long as I don’t approve it, there’s no way you’re getting in.
“Now, can we sit down and have a proper conversation?”
