Audrey had wasted three years playing the fool, but she was never actually stupid.

Other than feeling a little out of step her first day back at Blucean Tech, she slid right back into the rhythm within a few days.

She and Ian had built this company from scratch. How out of practice could she really be?

Hayden was so relieved by the change in her that he nearly cried from joy.

He called an emergency meeting to announce he was giving the CEO title back to Audrey. Then, almost without pause, he reserved the most luxurious hotel downtown for a celebration dinner.

Most of the guests showed up curious. Blucean Tech had always kept a low profile, so why the sudden celebration?

Those who'd worked close to Blucean Tech already had an idea, and they kept their voices down.

"Word is, one of Blucean's founders, the one who never shows up, just took the reins again. Mr. Frost signed over contr

Audrey was honestly impressed by how easily Macie could lie through her teeth. And, of course, Cameron swallowed every word.

He stormed over, fury written all over his face. Then he seized Audrey's wrist and snapped, "You're coming with me."

He'd actually been worried about her these past few days, only to find out she'd supposedly been running around with another man. He wondered if this marriage meant nothing to her.

Audrey let out a short, derisive laugh, jerked her hand free, and looped her arm through Hayden's.

"Wow, Macie, you got me. Yeah, I'm divorcing Cameron for Hayden. At least he treats me right. Unlike someone who's too blind and too dumb to stop clinging to his own sister-in-law all day."

Hayden slipped right into character, gazing down at her with that gentle, adoring look of his. Acting was his element. "As long as you're happy, Audrey."

They sold it perfectly, like

Just as Cameron's and Audrey's lips finally met, a sharp ringtone sliced through the air, snapping him out of it.

He picked up, and Macie's voice came through, thin and unsteady, like she was fighting back tears. "Cam, I'm scared. I left the hospital, and I keep thinking someone's following me. There's a car behind me. I'm too afraid to go home…"

Cameron's expression hardened, worry flashing in his eyes. He shot Audrey a look that left no room for argument. "Go home. We'll finish this later."

Audrey leaned back against the cold wall, watching his retreating figure disappear without a hint of hesitation. Then, out of nowhere, she laughed.

The story never changed, not once in three years, through more than 1,000 days and nights. Big deal or small favor, it was all the same. The moment Macie called, Cameron dropped everything and ran to her.

There was a time when it tore Audrey apart. Nights she'd lie awake, aching, waiting for him to come back and offer some kind of excuse she could cling to. Now, she just found it absurd.

Maybe that was for the best. Maybe Audrey needed to feel this disappointed before she could finally leave Cameron for good.

Just then, Hayden came rushing back. His eyes darted over her, head to toe, like he was afraid she'd been hurt. "Aud, are you okay? That Baker guy didn't try anything, did he?"

Audrey snapped out of it. Whatever emotion had flickered in her eyes vanished, replaced by a calm, steady resolve Hayden had never seen before.

"I'm saying yes to what you asked me before," she said.

He blinked at her. "What are you talking about?"

She fixed her clothes. "You told me to take over Blucean, didn't you? I'm saying yes."

Blucean Tech was the company she and Ian had built from the ground up. Hayden had been keeping afloat for her all these years.

She'd been a fool to let go of the place that held her and Ian's memories for a stand-in.

Hayden froze for a split second before pure joy burst out of him.

Finally, Audrey was actually coming back to Blucean Tech. He could finally breathe again!

No one had any idea how hard it'd been. He wasn't as sharp as Audrey or Ian, and just keeping the company steady had already stretched him to his limit, let alone trying to grow it.

He'd been living with this constant fear of screwing up and wrecking everything the two of them had built. But now, at last, he could stop tiptoeing around.

Hayden was genuinely thrilled. Today was supposed to be about helping Audrey unwind, but somehow he'd ended up pulling her right back into work.

He gathered his things from the CEO's office in a rush, then hauled out every major project file from the past three years and set the whole stack in front of Audrey.

"Aud, this is everything. It's not that much. Take the next couple of days to look it over, and then I'll hand the reins back to you for good!"

With that, he bolted, like he was afraid she'd pull him right back in if he stayed a second longer.

Audrey stared at the pile of files on the desk, then glanced around the office that still felt so familiar. For a second, it didn't even seem real, like she'd been away for a lifetime. She hadn't set foot in here in three years.

She used to be naive enough to think that if she just stayed away, kept her head down, and found someone to fill the space Ian had left, he'd somehow still be around.

But she'd been dead wrong. Ian was gone for good. Cameron wasn't him, no matter how close the resemblance.

Whatever fragile comfort Audrey had been holding onto shattered in an instant. She buried her face in her hands and finally broke, sobbing so hard it felt like she was crying out three years of missing Ian and everything she'd endured.

Out in the hall, the senior staff exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them knocked or stepped inside. They just let her cry. If it helped ease even a fraction of what she'd been carrying, then so be it.

The past three years had been pure hell for Audrey.

Audrey had wasted three years playing the fool, but she was never actually stupid.

Other than feeling a little out of step her first day back at Blucean Tech, she slid right back into the rhythm within a few days.

She and Ian had built this company from scratch. How out of practice could she really be?

Hayden was so relieved by the change in her that he nearly cried from joy.

He called an emergency meeting to announce he was giving the CEO title back to Audrey. Then, almost without pause, he reserved the most luxurious hotel downtown for a celebration dinner.

Most of the guests showed up curious. Blucean Tech had always kept a low profile, so why the sudden celebration?

Those who'd worked close to Blucean Tech already had an idea, and they kept their voices down.

"Word is, one of Blucean's founders, the one who never shows up, just took the reins again. Mr. Frost signed over control and decided to celebrate."

"You're serious? You mean Rey? The legend who came out of nowhere thr

Chapter 7 She Chose to Sink This Low