Chapter 6

A few minutes later, Audrey stepped out of Tree Hollow. Alexander studied her for a moment before lifting his hand, revealing the woven bracelet on his wrist. "You made this for me. But I just noticed that it's fading. Audrey, tell me—will your love for me fade too?" "Of course not!" Audrey's expression was earnest as she took his hand and pressed a reverent kiss to it. "My love for you grows stronger every day!" Alexander let out a humorless laugh. She claimed to love him, but she'd been lying all along, treating him like a fool. He'd planned to leave quietly, but now, he'd changed his mind. He decided that Audrey would pay for her fickleness, for playing him like a fool for two long years, for breaking every promise, for leaving him to rot in agony, and for giving him love, only to carve a wound into him that would never heal. Alexander pulled her into an embrace and said, "I love you, too, Audrey. So wait for me. When I come back, we'll celebrate our third anniversary together." "By the way," he said as he pulled out a document envelope and handed it to Audrey with deliberate gravity. "This is for you. But don't open it until two days from now." Inside were screenshots of the videos Gavin had sent him, along with their chat logs. By that evening, when news spread of his private jet crash, she would inevitably open the envelope. And then she'd understand that it was her betrayal that had crushed him and that she had killed the husband she swore she loved. Alexander wanted her to suffer every remaining day, drowning in agony and regret. "Okay. I'll wait for you to come back," Audrey said, her eyes bright with hope. "Let me drive you to the airport, honey." Alexander shook his head. She'd already walked beside him long enough. He didn't want her company for this last stretch before they went their separate ways. "No need to see me off. You're a busy person. Someone's probably looking for you already." Audrey froze, wondering if she had picked up mockery in his voice or if she was simply imagining it. A creeping unease settled in her chest. A moment later, her phone pinged. It was a message from Gavin. "Auds, that wasn't enough earlier, was it? Once you've sent your husband off, come back. Let's keep going, yeah?" Attached was a photo of him in Alexander's shirt. Audrey's breath quickened. The unease in her chest vanished, burned away by a sudden rush of exhilaration. The first time she slept with Gavin was after Ronan and Odette got her drunk. Back then, she felt so dirty that she wanted to die. But Gavin fell to his knees and shamelessly begged her. "You destroyed my family, but I still love you, Audrey. I can't live without you. I'll do anything to make you happy!" And he meant it. He had no limits when it came to pleasing her. Every kink, every twisted game—whether Audrey had heard of them or never even imagined them—he had tried them all. Then, finally, he slipped into Alexander's clothes and said, "Pretend I'm him. Whatever you can't bring yourself to do to him, do it to me instead." That was the moment he set Audrey's heart on fire. She'd had plenty of filthy fantasies about Alexander—wanting to whip him, hear him beg, and watch him crawl at her feet with his flesh torn open. But those thoughts made her feel sick whenever she got close to him. The fantasies would vanish, leaving nothing but pure, worshipful love. With Gavin, though, she didn't have to hold back. She could unleash every one of her dark desires on him. "Well then... I won't see you off at the airport, honey. Be careful." Before leaving, Alexander cast one last glance at Audrey, only to see her walking away. Under his breath, he muttered, "Goodbye, Audrey... and good riddance." Hours later, Audrey was tangled in the sheets with Gavin at Tree Hollow when her assistant, Freda Clarke, called. "You had better have a damn good reason," Audrey snapped, her voice sharp with irritation at the interruption. Freda's voice shook. "Ms. Scurfield, we just got word that Mr. Jarman's private jet... crashed into the ocean just after leaving the country." Audrey's pupils shrank, her blood turning to ice. "What… did you just say?"