**Audrey's POV**

I hadn't even opened the car door when Rebecca, Thalia, and Rachel emerged from the police station and immediately separated. Rebecca and her daughter headed toward a distant gazebo in the park, while Rachel walked purposefully toward the underground parking garage.

"Damn," Astrid slapped her thigh. "We can't see which one's crying harder from here. Is our bet still on?"

I shrugged. "Let's just forget it."

"No way," Astrid grinned. "You follow Rachel and snap a pic. I'll do the same with Rebecca and Thalia. Then we'll compare and see who wins."

I couldn't help smiling at her persistence. "You're ridiculous."

"Fine," I said,reaching for the door handle. "I'll find Rachel."

I stepped out and gave Astrid one last look before heading toward the underground garage where Rachel had disappeared.

**Astrid's POV**

After watching Audrey leave, I turned my attention to Rebecca and Thalia.They'd reached the park. Rebecca leaning dramatically on her daughter's arm. A female officer hovered nearby, but Rebecca waved her off.

"Thank you, officer, but we don't need any more help," Rebecca said. "My daughter's got me. We just need some space."

The officer nodded and left. I ducked behind some parked cars and
slipped into the park, keeping my distance. Perfect - I'd sneak a quick photo and settle our bet.

I was about to move closer when Thalia'svoice stopped me cold.

"Mom, something's off with Rachel Hayes!"

I immediately ducked behind a massive tree, my heart racing.

"My brother's body was just identified, and she's already talking about taking over Parker Group. Her crying looks fake. I bet she had something to do with his death."

*Holy shit.* Was Thalia actually accusing Rachel of murder?

I silently pulled out my phone, switched it to silent, and hit record.

"Mom, we need to look into Rachel Hayes," Thalia continued, her voice rising. "A few days ago she's the one who pushed Blake to get that marriage license early. Now he's dead, and she's suddenly his legal heir?Before the wedding even happened?"

She smacked the gazebo railing.

"Something stinks here! We need to find out what really happened. We can't just let this go!"

I pressed against the tree trunk, straining to hear Rebecca's response.Through the gazebo slats, I could see Thalia pacing while Rebecca slouched on a bench, scrolling through her phone.

"Take it down a notch," Rebecca said, not even looking up.

Thalia's face flushed red. "How can I? Blake and I weren't close, and yeah,he sent me away because of that bitch Audrey, but he's still my brother!"
She threw her hands up.

"Plus he built Parker Group into something huge. He never cut our allowances. You think Rachel Hayes is gonna keep paying us? Mom, we need to find out what happened! If Rachel killed him, we need payback!"

Rebecca finally looked up, her expression ice-cold. "What payback? Isn't Blake's death convenient?"

I pressed my phone harder against thetree,afraid I'd miss something.

"Didn't you just hook up with that new guy?" Rebecca continued casually."Slept with him after what, five days? Think I wouldn't find out?"

Thalia's face turned bright red. "Mom, why are you bringing that up? How did-"

"Because I set it up," Rebecca interrupted, setting her phone down. "That boyfriend of yours? I picked him. Top of his class at NYU Finance, hot,great body, brilliant business mind."

She crossed her legs. "I vetted him for weeks before sending him your way.Didn't expect you'd jump into bed with him so fast, though."

I flattened myself against the tree. *What the actual hell?* I came for some fake tears and stumbled into... whatever twisted family drama this was.

Thalia had gone pale. "Mom, who cares about that right now? My brother just died!"

Rebecca's mouth curled into a cold smile.′′Γ'm talking about his death too."Her expression hardened. "Actually, let me rephrase that. Blake Parker's death.Because Blake... he's not your brother at all."
I almost dropped my phone."WHAT?*

Thalia's eyes went wide. "That's crazy talk! How could he not be my brother? We have the same parents -"

"Who says I gave birth to him?" Rebecca cut in, her voice emotionless. "He's your father's son, yes. But I didn't have him."

"Mom, what are you saying?" Thalia's voice had shrunk to a whisper.

"Figure it out," Rebecca tilted her head. "When I married your father,I wasn't pregnant. Leonora Sterling was."

*Holy. Shit.* I pressed closer, terrified of missing a word.

"That's not funny," Thalia stammered. "Everyone knows Dad picked you because you were pregnant. He dumped Leonora for you. If Blake was really their kid... wouldn't Leonora have known she was pregnant? Why would she-"

"She wanted to surprise him," Rebecca smirked. "When Leonora found out,she didn't tell your father right away. Wanted to surprise him on his birthday."

She smoothed her pants. "I was already planning to fakea pregnancy,so r'd gone to the hospital to learn what I needed to know. That's where I spotted pregnant Leonora. Since your father's birthday was still weeks away, I jumped the gun and announced I was pregnant first."

Rebecca touched her stomach absently. "After tricking everyone into the marriage, I planned to fake a miscarriage and be done. But then I discovered Leonora was secrety continuing her pregnancy."

Her voice dropped. "Couldn't have that. So I had someone watch her.
When she gave birth, I pretended to go into labor too. My people brought me her baby and swapped it with a stillborn, making her think her child had died. She went crazy afterward. Eventually died of grief."

Rebecca looked almost proud. "And I became a real Parker family member thanks to her baby. If anyone checked Blake's DNA against your father's,it would match. I made some rookie mistakes faking the pregnancy,but since Blake really was Leo's son, nobody questioned it."

I pressed against the tree, my heart hammering. Henry had mentioned the Parker-Sterling drama before - Leo Parker's love for Leonora, Rebecca cutting in, pregnancy complications. But this? This was beyond anything I could've imagined.

How did Rebecca pull this off? How did Leonora not realize what happened?

"But I didn't want to raise someone else's brat forever," Rebecca continued,gazing across the park. "So after a few years of marriage, I finally drugged your father. That's how I got pregnant with you."

She turned to Thalia and stroked her cheek, her smile chilling.

"Thalia, you are my only daughter, do you understand?"
r###Chapter 300: You're As Naive As Your Siste Audrey

**Astrid's POV**

Thalia stared at Rebecca, her face blank with shock. "Mom... is all this true?I..."

She could barely get the words out, her voice cracking like dry wood.

Rebecca smiled, stroking her daughter's hair with surprising tenderness."Of course it's true. I never told you before because you can't keep secrets.You would've acted weird around Blake, and he would've figured it out."

I stayed frozen behind my tree, barely breathing, my fingers cramping around my phone as I kept recording.

"But now Blake's dead, so there's no reason to keep hiding it," Rebecca continued. "And don't worry - I won't let that outsider Rachel Hayes take over Parker Group."

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked.

Rebecca leaned back, confident as a cat. "Once you're married, Parker Group will have a new son-in-law. Rachel Hayes will have to step aside for your husband. The power comes back to us, where it belongs."

I watched understanding dawn on Thalia's face. The family resemblance between them had never been clearer - same calculating eyes, same cold smile.

"If this guy's your pick," Thalia nodded firmly, "I'll marry him after Blake's funeral and when William's gone. Let Rachel deal with the mess first,
then we take back what's ours."

Rebecca squeezed her daughter's hand, looking deeply satisfied. "That's my girl."

Thalia threw herself into her mother's arms. "Mom, you're brilliant. I've wanted to take Blake's power for ages."

My stomach turned watching their tender moment. They were discussing deaths like social events.

"I know, sweetie," Rebecca said, returning the hug. "Three years ago, your last business-savvy boyfriend was also my selection. When things looked promising between you two, I arranged Blake's car accident..."

She said it so casually. I felt sick.

"But he didn't die - just became a vegetable," she continued,disappointed like she was discussing an undercooked meal. "While he was a vegetable, I tried to finish him off multiple times, but William had Audrey marry him.That bitch never left his side - I couldn't get near him!"

I had to cover my mouth to stay silent.

"And you," Rebecca added, her tone slightly scolding, "you cheated on your boyfriend after Blake's accident. Once you broke up, I had to put my plans on hold. Never thought Rachel Hayes would be more impatient than me..."

Thalia squeezed tighter. "Sorry I messed up."

′′It2s fine," Rebecca patted her back. "Things worked out anyway."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Rebecca caused Blake's accident?
Tried to kill him in his coma? Now planning to use Thalia's boyfriend to take control after Rachel did the dirty work?

I needed to tell Audrey. This wasn't family drama - this was attempted murder.

Without thinking, I stepped back. A dry branch snapped loudly under my foot.

*Crack!*

They broke apart instantly, heads whipping toward me. "Who's there?!"they shouted together.

*Shit.*

**Audrey's POV**

"Miss Hayes."

Rachel turned when I called, her eyes narrowing as she spotted me in the parking garage. Despite her reddened eyes from the police station performance,her face showed zero actual grief.

"Mrs. Knox," she sneered. "Here to claim your daughter's body? Finally accepted she's dead?"

I kept my face neutral. "I'm not identifying anyone. Just thought I'd deliver this myself rather than sending a courier."

I held out Blake's phone.

Rachel's hostility immediately gave way to barely contained excitement.After confirming it was Blake's limited edition model, she quickly powered it on.
She immediately pulled a USB drive from her coat and connected it to the phone.

I watched her begin transferring data. Five years ago, I would've been outraged. Now I just observed her like an interesting specimen.

"Heard you rejected your adoptive parents' help in Sydney," Rachel said.eyes on the screen. "Trying to start from scratch with Adrian? I'll admit. Q.elegant's impressive for a jewelry startup, but so what?"

She looked up triumphantly.′′I′m about to control all of Parker Group.An empire that rivals your adoptive parents' entire business. Something you'd never acheve on your own."

I smiled bitterly at the irony. "None of it came from your own work. What's there to be proud of?"

The Rachel I knew five years ago would've been disgusted by what she'd become. I remembered her at a bar, ranting passionately about her stepsister.

*"Audrey,"* she'd said, face flushed with righteous anger, beer in hand,*"we need to build something ourselves! What's the point of everything she has? None of it came from her own work! We'll show her up!"*

Her passion had been infectious back then. I'd chugged my beer and agreed, *"You're right! I'll design, you'll manage, and we'll become jewelry stars - no handouts, just hard work!"*

Rachel caught my expression and laughed. "Only losers with no options talk about 'hard work.' Evelyn, you're as naive as your sister Audrey."
A notification interrupted us. Rachel looked down, satisfaction spreading across her face.

"Blake was so paranoid about his phone security," she mused,scrolling through the contents. "But what good did it do? He died protecting your worthless kid. No matter how well you guard secrets, death takes everything."

She glanced up, almost pitying. "Blake was pathetic. Never appreciated Audrey when she was alive. After she died, he died saving the daughter of a woman who just looks like her..."

Rachel slipped the phone into her purse. "Since he was so sentimental... I ll manage everything he left behind. Thanks for the phone."

She got in her car, slammed the door, and drove away.

I watched until her car disappeared, then called Astrid.

The call went straight to voicemail: "Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently powered off..."

That made no sense. Astrid was a modeling agency executive - her job required 24/7 availability. Plus, she always fully charged her phone before going out.

My heart sank. I hurried to find better reception and tried again.

Same mechanical voice. Fear crept up my spine as I walked back to the police station.

"I need to report a missing person," I told the officer inside.

He looked up, eyebrows raised."Who?"
"My friend, Astrid Wilson. I can't reach her."

He frowned. "Mrs. Knox, your friend's been unreachable for what,fifteen minutes? Isn't a missing persons report extreme? Her phone probably died or got lost."

"Check places she might go first," he suggested. "If you still can't find her after looking everywhere, then file a report. If I take your report now and she shows up at home in five minutes, wouldn't that be embarrassing for everyone?"