Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
The image of those weary eyes briefly flickered in Audrey’s mind.
Then, in a burst of defiance, she dug her sharp nails into Cary’s frenzied wrist, tearing at his flesh.
Cary winced in pain and released her. He then raised his hand to strike her. “Damn you! Ah!”
Pushed to the brink, Audrey tapped into a deep well of strength.
With no hesitation, she grabbed his arm and bit down hard. His scream of pain echoed through the corridor.
Desperate to save herself, Audrey then dashed toward the elevator.
Just as the elevator doors were closing, she gathered all her remaining energy and yelled, “Darryl! Save me!”
Darryl noticed a slender hand reaching out to stop the elevator’s closing doors.
Lazily, Darryl stuck his foot out and inquired, “Who called me?”
The next second, Audrey threw herself into his arms, pushing him back a couple of steps.
“Damn it!” Darryl grumbled, visibly annoyed. He quickly tried to push her away, wanting to keep his distance. “I’m telling you I’ve met countless women. I’m not easily swayed anymore. Don’t try any tricks with me,” he warned.
Despite his reluctance, Audrey clung to him. Her slender and soft arms wrapped around him with all her remaining strength fueled by her strong sense of escaping danger.
“Damn it!” Darryl cursed under his breath, again and again. He found himself blaming her alluring scent for his hesitation to push her away.
Then, Audrey’s perfume struck him as familiar. Upon lifting her chin, her beautiful face emerged from beneath her disheveled hair.
Darryl’s eyes widened in surprise. He asked in a low voice, “Audrey?”
Audrey’s light fragrance intoxicated Darryl. He had never smelt such an aroma from any other woman.
Unbeknownst to him, Audrey never wore perfume. The scent was naturally hers.
Feeling uneasy, Darryl turned his head and muttered, “Let me go. I’m suffocating…”
Just as the elevator doors were about to shut, Cary charged at Audrey again. His eyes reddened, giving him a fierce appearance.
“Give her to me… Just give her to me!”
Cary’s fierce look and his odd behavior suggested something was wrong with him, Darryl, with a hand on Audrey’s back, straightened up quickly. His tone was icy and haughty. “Try me.”
Cary froze momentarily upon hearing this. Just as he was about to attack Darryl, Darryl delivered a hard kick.
Bang! A loud noise was heard.
The power of a grown man like Darryl far exceeded Audrey’s who was under the drug’s influence.
Darryl effortlessly overpowered Cary.
Once the elevator doors finally closed, Darryl hit the ground floor button. He thought about getting Audrey to the hospital quickly. Her unusual state suggested she might be drugged.
Now, it was just the two of them within the confines of the elevator.
Audrey, on some level, trusted Darryl wouldn’t hurt her. After all, he wasn’t interested in her, and he knew she was part of the Foster family, so he wouldn’t dare do anything.
As her fear faded, Audrey’s thirst grew, and she felt her body burning up due to the effects of the drug. She felt so weak that she could only lean against Darryl for support.
Meanwhile, Darryl was unsure how to react. Their proximity was evident. With a beauty like Audrey nestled against his chest, he felt his composure waning. Sweat beaded profusely on his forehead as if he were being grilled.
Though Audrey’s eyes remained open, she wasn’t quite herself. Her breathing grew heavier, and her body felt like it was on fire. The drug was taking effect, and she was losing control.
In a daze, she tugged at her blouse collar and gazed at Darryl. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice shook as she pleaded, “Please, take me to the hospital…”
The move was simple, but it had a profound effect on Darryl. He was so agitated that he wanted nothing more than to push Audrey away immediately in case he lost his composure completely.
Knowing the effects of the drug kicked in, Audrey managed to finish her sentence with efforts.
“Shit!” Darryl cursed under his breath, his eyes blazing. He wasn’t the one who was drugged, yet he felt as if his entire body was engulfed in flames.
Just then, the elevator doors opened.
A rush of fresh air entered, and Darryl breathed a sigh of relief.
Being confined in the elevator with Audrey had been excruciating. He felt like he was about to lose control at any moment.
As Darryl prepared to exit the elevator, a chilly male voice halted him. “Let go of her.”
Darryl, taken aback, looked up to see Cornell addressing him with a stern expression.
“Cornell?” Darryl was stunned.
Cornell’s eyes held a complex mix of emotions, rendering his gaze unusually detached.
“Audrey…” Darryl, clearing his throat, said, “Miss Foster appears to have been drugged. I need to get her to a hospital.”
Unaware of the nature of Audrey and Cornell’s relationship, Darryl assumed Cornell preferred not to be involved. He offered, “It’s no trouble at all. I’ll take her to the hospital myself.”
Cornell’s eyes, long and narrow, narrowed further, giving Darryl an intimidating, almost frightening look. “I said let go of her,” he demanded.
As he spoke, Cornell walked into the elevator and strode over. He seized Audrey’s wrist and pulled her into his embrace.
Audrey found herself in a cool embrace that felt surprisingly safe.
Her instincts told her she could trust him despite her lack of looking up to check the man’s identity. She felt even safer than in Darryl’s arms.
With Audrey in his arms, Cornell pressed the button for the garage.
Darryl felt a wave of annoyance as he watched Audrey now lay in Cornell’s arms without resisting.
Darryl cursed silently. How could Audrey not resist in Cornell’s arms?
Observing Cornell’s cold, rigid expression, Darryl hesitated. Just as he was about to speak, the elevator doors reached its destination.
Cornell exited the elevator quickly, carrying Audrey in his arms.
“Cornell!” Darryl shouted, rushing to stop him. “This isn’t right, is it? Imagine if someone sees you and snaps a photo…”
At Darryl’s words, Cornell paused, casting a cold look at Darryl, whose hands had just been on Audrey. “Stay out of it!” he said sharply.
Darryl was at a loss for words. For a brief moment, Darryl thought Cornell looked like he wanted to chop off his hand with that glare.
Just then, Matteo arrived, looking serious. “Mr. Clement, my team has kept the reporters away.
Out of a blue, rumors spread about the boss of Pinkorps Media having slept with a female boss of a design studio to gain the contract.
With this, paparazzi swarmed the restaurant, hoping for a scoop.
If Audrey stepped out at this time, she’d be swamped by them as a suspicious figure.
Cornell settled Audrey in the back seat of his car and then hopped in, leaving Darryl standing there, bewildered.
As Darryl was about to get in Cornell’s car, Matteo stopped him. “Mr. Cullen, we’ve got a bit of a situation. Could you escort the lady over there outside? We need to distract the paparazzi and reporters so we can get Mrs… Uh, I mean Miss Foster to the hospital quickly.”
Understanding the urgency, Darryl nodded, ushered the woman into his car, and sped off, successfully drawing most of the paparazzi away.
Meanwhile, Cornell’s black luxury car slipped out another exit, unnoticed.
On their way to the hospital, Audrey was heavily affected by the drug. She felt unbearably hot and uncomfortable, as if flames were raging inside her. Her thirst was overwhelming, and her limbs felt weak.
A hollow feeling gnawed at her, shaking her already fragile nerves.
She felt like a fish gasping for air on dry land, her mind overwhelmed by an intense sexual desire that was torturous.
“Don’t move.” Cornell stopped Audrey from approaching him any closer.
Realizing she was overwhelmed with a strong desire, Cornell gently turned her away with his hand, trying to prevent her from clinging to him. He knew she would only crave more if he didn’t.
Yet, Audrey leaned her head against him, her eyes unfocused, resembling a kitten seeking comfort. She seemed to believe that Cornell’s presence could satisfy her yearning, and she found herself rubbing his chest through his shirt.
Cornell’s well-built chest and masculine physique only heightened her senses. She grew warmer in his embrace, making Cornell feel as if he was sitting on a bed of needles.
With a noticeable swallow, Cornell placed his hand on Audrey’s shoulder, his voice laced with urgency. “Matteo, how much longer until we reach the hospital?” he asked.
Matteo, checking his phone and avoiding looking back, replied anxiously, “Reporters have surrounded the nearest hospital of Ardlens, so it’s not an option. Another hospital will take about forty minutes.
What should we do?”
Forty minutes… Cornell sighed, glancing down at Audrey, who seemed too weak to last even four more minutes.
He quickly made a decision, unbuttoning his collar with slender fingers. “Head to the Hilpton Hotel,” he instructed. It was only a ten-minute drive away.