Chapter 356
“Audrey! If you’ve got a problem with the Price family, go deal with them directly. Why the hell are you going after my dad’s company?”
Sharon’s voice trembled with emotion, her eyes red–rimmed. She clenched her fists and craned her neck forward, looking ready to fight.
“What’s that mutt barking about?”
“You, obviously!”
“Oh? And what’s that mutt got to do with the Hartwell family?”
It hit Sharon a second too late. Audrey had just called her a mutt.
Her rage flared instantly, and she lunged forward with her fists raised, only to be shoved aside effortlessly by a bodyguard.
She stumbled back a few steps, nearly losing her balance. That only made her angrier.
“Don’t think you’re untouchable just because you’ve got bodyguards! Once you’ve had that kid, Yann won’t even look at you! You’ll be fat and disgusting. How are you supposed to compete with me then?”
Audrey simply laughed.
Sharon never did know when to quit. She couldn’t win an argument, and her connections didn’t measure up, yet she kept coming back, itching for a
fight.
What she failed to realize was that the once–prospective alliance between the Price and Hartwell families had already disintegrated, thanks to Blair’s reckless maneuvering. The two families were now locked in open hostility.
Aaron, always the weak link, had stumbled into several traps set by the Hartwells, narrowly avoiding disaster. As a result, control of the Price family business had shifted into Edmund’s hands.
Michael, feeling his father no longer trusted him, buried himself in work, desperate to prove his worth. Irene, meanwhile, suspected he had a bastard child outside the marriage, someone he intended to raise up in place of his legitimate heir. Her paranoia sparked conflict at every turn.
Sharon, hopelessly romantic, ignored everyone’s objections and married Aaron in secret.
To protect himself from the fallout, Rex went so far as to publicly sever ties with her. It had no legal weight, but his intention was unmistakable. He wanted nothing more to do with her.
After the statement hit the press, the Hartwell Group stabilized.
The Price family, meanwhile, suffered a series of devastating blows. They suspected sabotage and retaliated, convinced the Hartwells were behind it.
Sharon returned to the Hartwell home, hoping to broker peace, but was turned away at the door. Back at Price Manor, her in–laws met her with nothing but cold mockery.
She was on the edge of losing her mind.
She’d only gone out today haping to clear her head. Instead, she ran into Audrey, and all the fury she’d been bottling up came spilling out.
“Is this still about that bag? I gave it to you, didn’t I? I even sent you a ton of gifts. Can you stop holding a grudge over nothing? God, you’re so petty!”
It took Audrey a moment to even recall what she was talking about.
That had been ages ago,
And in any case, the bag hadn’t been given out of generosity. Irene, worried things were about to explode, had shoved the mess in Audrey’s tap just to
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keep the peace.
As for the so–called gifts, those had been apologies from the brand itself, sent as compensation. They had nothing to do with Sharon.
But this wasn’t the time to explain, and frankly, Audrey couldn’t be bothered.
Justifying yourself was the most foolish waste of breath.
“Sharon,” Audrey said suddenly, her tone shifting, “you knew you were never going to keep that baby, didn’t you?”
The words hit like a slap. Sharon froze, her face contorted with anger that quickly drained into shock.
It didn’t take long for her to recover. Her gaze flickered, and she bit her lower lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, please. You knew. And so did Mrs. Price.” Audrey gave a cold laugh. “If you’d eaten that ice cream that day, you would’ve blamed the miscarriage on
- me.
“That way, the Price family wouldn’t owe the Winifreds anything. Instead, they’d make it look like the Winifreds owed them.”
As long as the Winifred family bore the blame, Irene could use it as leverage to bargain for Talia’s rights.
Even if she couldn’t improve the girl’s living conditions, she could at least keep her from being bullied, maybe even let her sleep away from the toilet, so she wouldn’t have to wake up to the stench of piss and shit.
Sharon, of course, had her own plans. That bag had already made things worse between the Prices and Yann. But if she could make Audrey owe her a favor, she might just help ease tensions between the two families and be hailed as a hero within the Prices.
The baby couldn’t be saved either way, so why not use the loss to her advantage?
Unfortunately for them, both Irene and Sharon thought they were being clever, blind to the fact that Audrey had seen right through them from the start.
“You… you’re making things up! I never…” Sharon’s face drained of color orice more.
This time, Audrey was certain it was guilt that gave her away.
She took the glass of water Sylvie handed her, took a sip, and then went on calmly, “My business with Talia is finished. She stole from me. I made sure she ended up in prison. I don’t forgive easily, but I don’t go after innocent people either.”
A sharp pang shot through Sharon’s chest.
There was no mistaking the layered meaning behind Audrey’s words.
First, anyone who crossed her would pay the price.
-Second, she had no interest in dragging the rest of the Price family into this, and certainly not the Hartwells, who had nothing to do with it.
If Audrey was targeting the Hartwells, then there could only be one reason, her,
A wave of anxiety and dread swelled within Sharon,
She had always believed her father’s declaration of severing ties was nothing more than a moment of rage, something time would soften. Eventually, when things settled down and when they were living comfortably, her parents would forgive her.
She imagined herself taking the humble route, asking Dexter to mediate, and the family, once broken, would be whole again.
But if Audrey’s grudge extended to the Hartwell family because of her, not because of the Prices, then her parents might truly cut her off for good.
Without their support, Irena, always the opportunist, would waste no time turning against her. Aaron, too weak to stand on his own, would be left at the mercy of his parents, and in the end, he would side with them without hesitation.
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The more she thought, the more terrifying the future seemed. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Just as Audrey opened her mouth to speak, she suddenly spun on her heel and fled, nearly tripping over the curb in ker partic
“She just ran off?” Audrey turned to Sylvie, momentarily stunned.
She had barely gotten started, her anger still simmering beneath the surface, and the confrontation had already ended.
A strange tightness pressed against her chest, a mix of frustration and incompletion.
Sylvie calmly screwed the lid back on the glass, slipping it into her bag,
She thought to herself, ‘This is Yann’s beloved, pregnant and sharp–tongued. Who in their right mind would dare provoke her? Only a spoted food like Sharon would run headfirst into that.’
But all she said aloud was, “She’s out of her league. Not even worth the energy.”
“You’re right,” Audrey replied, glancing toward the direction Hugo had gone.
It had been a long time since she’d seen Hogan. The figure from earlier looked a lot like him, though she wasn’t entirely sure. At Hugo’s pache should’ve caught up by now, but he still hadn’t returned.
“Let’s wait in the car,” Sylvie suggested, noticing Audrey pressing her hand against her lower back.
Audrey nodded, and the group made their way toward the parking lot.
As they passed a narrow alleyway, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
The scent of sauerkraut hot dogs hung in the air.
Sylvie twitched slightly at the sight of Audrey inhaling deeply, eyes half–closed, her throat visibly gulping. Tentatively, she offered, “Want me to grab you one?”
Street food wasn’t exactly hygienic, but once in a while wouldn’t hurt.
Besides, if she denied Audrey and Audrey went home complaining to Yann, her high–paying job might be on the line.
Audrey’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
It wasn’t long before Sylvie returned with one, topped with cheese, onions, and pickles.
Audrey hadn’t even taken a bite, and already her mouth was watering.
She swallowed hard, took a generous bite, and the explosion of flavor hit her instantly.
With a satisfied nod, she went in for another big mouthful.
But after only a few chews, her face twisted, and a sudden wave of nausea overtook her.
AD
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