Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
However, Erick had taken care of things by having witnesses at the restaurant who testified that the client had indeed drugged Elin’s drink. By the afternoon, they had presented the evidence to the police, and the client was arrested.
Audrey was astonished. “Elin, this is serious! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Audrey scrutinized Elin, relieved to see the latter wasn’t physically hurt. Angered, she declared, “That creep harassed you? Are you okay? Where is he now? I’ll have my lawyer sue him to the point of getting rotten in the prison!”
Elin felt a rush of gratitude. “It’s alright. He didn’t get to me, thanks to Erick. Erick had taken care of everything.”
Knowing Audrey was going through a tough time, Elin had decided not to burden her with the upsetting news.
Knowing Erick’s intervention, Audrey felt at ease, casually saying, “Alright, if Erick’s calling you, it’s probably about this. Go ahead and call him back. Stefan will drive me back. Don’t worry about me.”
Elin thought to herself that there was more to it than just a phone call. She remembered Erick’s message urging her to return early.
He’d taken advantage of her, and now he wanted to settle accounts after the fact. Did he think he was that special? Despite it being her first time, she hadn’t made a fuss. Couldn’t Erick just drop it?
It was so awkward to even mention.
Elin walked gloomily toward her car, contemplating going back to the studio to work a bit. That way, Erick wouldn’t be patient enough to wait for her to return.
As Elin reached to unlock her car door, a man from behind gripped the handle.
Still shaken from last night’s groping incident, Elin was on high alert and tried to use the self-defense techniques she had learned, aiming an elbow at the man’s chin.
But the man anticipated her move and quickly grabbed her wrists, pinning her hands against the car window and pressing her against the car door with a nimble stretch of his legs.
“What’s this? Trying to use the self-defense moves I taught you against me?” Erick’s familiar voice calmed Elin’s racing heart.
“How did you get here?” Elin asked, caught off guard.
Before Erick could respond, a whistle echoed from across the street.
A man, flushed from drinking, stumbled forward and exclaimed, “Bro, that’s wild! A car sex right out in the open, awesome!”
Initially, Elin was confused by the drunk man’s words. Then, she caught their reflection in the car’s side mirror. Erick, who was tall and slender, held her wrists from behind, both pressed against the car door. It did appear as though they were involved in intimate moments.
Elin’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“Woo-hoo!” The drunk man continued to whistle. Erick released Elin and started walking toward him.
The drunk man’s friend hurried over, clamping a hand over the drunk man’s mouth and repeatedly apologizing to Erick. “I’m sorry. Please don’t take his words to heart. He’s just drunk…”
Cap?tulo 845:
Elin stepped forward, her face still flushed, and whispered, “It’s okay. He didn’t know what he had said. He was just drunk. Let’s go.”
Elin definitely didn’t want this to turn into a spectacle. What would she say if Audrey asked about it? That she and Erick were mistaken for being involved in intimate moments by the roadside? Just the thought made her squirm.
The drunk man’s friend, noting Erick’s commanding presence and refined air, realized Erick was not someone to provoke.
He repeatedly bowed deeply, saying, “I’m sorry. I apologize to you and your girlfriend on his behalf! Please, you’re a great man. Don’t lower yourself to argue with a drunk man like him. I’ll make sure to speak with him later.”
Erick’s stern expression eased slightly at the mention of “girlfriend.”
He responded calmly, “If your friend is drunk, you should take him home to rest. It’s better than letting him out to cause trouble you might regret.”
This clearly showed Erick was ready to move past the incident, and the drunk man’s friend thanked him profusely before leading the drunk man away.
Erick then turned, his eyes settling on Elin’s hand as she clutched the edge of his coat. A flicker of uncertainty passed through his gaze.
Elin paused, suddenly aware, and quickly released his coat. She shuffled her feet, sensing the tension in the air, and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Taking you home,” Erick stated simply, taking the car keys from her and heading to her car.
“But…” Before Elin could refuse, Erick had already opened the passenger door for her, and she hesitantly climbed in. “Where’s your car?” she inquired.
“The driver took it,” Erick answered, leaving a lingering silence.
Elin hesitated and said, “I really don’t need you to take me home. I still have to go to the office.”
“It’s late. Whatever it is can surely wait until tomorrow.”
Elin really didn’t want to leave with Erick, so she quickly made an excuse. “No, I still have some documents to finish…”
Just then, Erick took out his phone and called Audrey.
“What are you doing?” Elin exclaimed, startled. She leaned over in a hurry to hit the end call button.
Erick didn’t try to stop her. He just looked down at her and asked, “Just wanna ask her whether the studio will shut down when you’re not there?”
“Don’t you dare!” Elin’s voice spiked with panic. She had always been reserved around Erick, but since last night, things had changed slightly, making them feel a bit closer. Now, she resembled a flustered little rabbit, almost ready to snap.
Erick gave a mischievous smile. “Alright, then give me a reason.”
Elin fell silent.
During the silence, the car had already started moving.
In the sleek black car parked in front of the restaurant, Cornell’s lips were pressed tightly together as he watched the car carrying Audrey pull away.
The atmosphere inside Cornell’s car turned icy.
Matteo inquired, “Mr. Clement, where are we heading?”
Cap?tulo 846:
“Just follow them.”
Matteo complied and began tailing the car carrying Audrey.
They continued until the car pulled up at West Lake Villa. Matteo parked a little way off, keeping a low profile.
Stefan, behind the wheel, moved with an elegant ease and swiftly went around the vehicle to open the door for Audrey.
Standing by the car, Stefan and Audrey exchanged a few brief words before Stefan nudged Audrey, urging her to go inside.
Audrey gave Stefan a warm smile. “Thanks for everything, Stefan. I’ll treat you to dinner someday.”
“There’s no need for formalities,” Stefan responded.
As Audrey started to walk away, she paused and turned back to face Stefan. “Did you come across any new leads during your trip to Aurora?”
“I did. I investigated the Maxwell family’s migration details, and the timings for five individuals lined up.” Stefan had intended to talk about this the next day, but Audrey’s question prompted him to pull out a burner phone.
Stefan then showed Audrey the images of the five individuals.
Audrey’s eyes widened when she spotted a man with a scar near his eye, and she gasped in shock, “That’s him!”
Audrey hadn’t noticed the concern etching Stefan’s brow as she excitedly clutched his wrist, exclaiming, “It’s him. These eyes I remember! He has heterochromia!”
Five years ago, amid Audrey’s car incident, as the car she was in on the verge of falling down to the river, this man thrust the car off the bridge just before rescue arrived.
Audrey remembered distinctly because, even though the man was disguised with a cap and mask, the lighting had caused his eyes to reveal their unique colors: one light blue, the other light red.
In the photo Audrey pointed at, it was only the man’s eyes that stood out, immediately recognizable.
After five years, seeing those eyes again stirred a deep sense of dread in Audrey. They reminded her of the calculating gaze of a venomous snake, giving anyone he looked at a chilling sense of danger.
Audrey’s grip on Stefan’s arm trembled with the intensity of her emotions. “Stefan, do you know who he is?”
Stefan’s frown deepened. “This man is connected to the Maxwell family, recently sent on a mission. His current location is unknown. I’ll circulate this photo among the Clifford family to be vigilant. The moment this man returns to Aurora, we’ll apprehend him to uncover the truth about what happened five years ago.”
“It’s not just about five years ago,” Audrey insisted. “He was also involved in the recent bombing.”
Audrey recognized the man’s accent from the voice-altering device in the car loaded with explosives. She was convinced he was the same man who had altered his voice during the car incident five years ago.
Stefan was aware of Cecilia’s kidnapping Audrey, as Erick had briefed him.
At the time, a hacker had infiltrated the car’s system, and after using satellite technology to trace the signal, Erick sent the code to Stefan to help find someone to crack where it was sent from.
Ultimately, Stefan’s hacker acquaintance discovered that the signal was sent from Ardlens.
With the evidence linking back to the man with heterochromia, Stefan’s expression turned grave.
Cap?tulo 847:
Stefan chose not to burden Audrey with his concerns, opting instead to reassure her gently, “I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll have someone keep an eye on him.”
Audrey nodded, grateful for his support. “Thank you, Stefan.”
Audrey was aware that even if they located this man, proving his crimes would be difficult after so much time. The fact that the man was from Aurora only complicated matters further. Without conclusive evidence, law enforcement wouldn’t be able to pursue extradition or make an arrest outside their jurisdiction.