Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Since Casey laid eyes on Jimena’s lifeless body, she had been plunged into this state.
Davey had overestimated Casey’s resilience, initially revealing that her adopted son had been shot, and then came the horrifying scene of Jimena’s lifeless body.
Years of confinement in a basement had frayed Casey’s spirit to tatters, these revelations shattering her completely. She held herself accountable. If Erick hadn’t intervened to save her, he would not have been targeted.
Jimena’s death also fell on Casey’s conscience, as Davey had mercilessly executed Jimena for her tasks.
Ever a kind soul with a golden heart, Casey blamed herself for others’ suffering, self-loathing overwhelming her. Her mind had shut down, resembling a burnt-out fuse, unresponsive.
Her once-celebrated beauty now seemed obscured by her vacant mumbling and sporadic drooling. Yet, even in disarray, her beauty persisted.
Casey’s gaze was fixed perpetually on the surveillance screen.
Abruptly, a soft “Mom” echoed from the monitor’s speaker.
At that sound, Casey’s eyes began to focus, but then she tumbled from the wheelchair.
Davey extended a hand to assist, but she repelled him forcefully.
Casey made her way frantically toward the monitor. Inside, Audrey shifted from a fetal position to lying on her back, her body shaking yet her gaze locked on the camera. Summoning all her strength, she cried out, “Mom…”
At this, Casey, incoherent and overwhelmed, battered the screen with her hands.
Davey watched her erratic actions and laughed, relieved to see her responsive again.
He observed Audrey on the monitor crying “Mom” and then detachedly diverted his attention.
Moments later, he pressed a green button adjacent to the monitor and issued an order. “Bring her out.”
Davey watched intensely as security escorted Audrey out, administered emergency care, and helped her into a deep, stable slumber.
Only then did Davey breathe a sigh of relief. This was odd. He shouldn’t have felt this way. He rationalized that without Audrey’s unique ability to impact Casey’s condition, he would never have reconsidered her situation.
Once satisfied that Audrey was stable, Davey exited the room where Audrey was taken into for a rest.
The door shut with a click behind him.
Alone in the dim, serene, and warm chamber, Audrey’s eyes snapped open. As she surveyed the comforting darkness, she realized her risky play had succeeded.
Managing to pull through before she was frozen to death, those faint cries for “Mom” from her had indeed captured Davey’s attention.
Yet, Davey probably hadn’t grasped the psychological tactics influencing his decision.
Audrey knew she had to nurture this small breach in Davey’s defenses until it overwhelmed him.
Audrey shut her eyes again, persuading herself to rest and conserve her strength. She had to keep fighting for her life until Erick and the rest came to her rescue.
Audrey endured a distressing night, plagued by chaotic dreams. The thought that her mother was close by and the murderer of her adoptive father was nearby prevented any peaceful rest.
By the time dawn approached, Audrey was barely holding on.
Upon opening her eyes, she saw a man seated on a stool next to her bed. It was Davey.
Audrey’s face transformed instantly with worry, pondering if she had revealed her deepest thoughts while asleep.
Davey, appearing indifferent, casually inquired, “Awake?”
Despite feeling internal turmoil, Audrey maintained her calm exterior and replied, “Yeah.”
Davey commented, “You seem to have had a rough night.” His voice was steady, yet his gaze betrayed an icy turbulence.
A pang of anxiety struck Audrey, wondering if she had revealed any slip-ups. Gathering her thoughts swiftly, she confessed with a firm voice, “Yes, I had a dreadful sleep. The events of yesterday frightened me. After all, I came close to death.”
Her sincerity seemed to dissolve the shadowy doubts in Davey’s eyes.
He probed further, “Are you scared of me?”
“Extremely,” Audrey admitted. “You’ve tried to claim my life thrice. How could I not fear you?”
Her response was candid, and she moved back slightly, filled with apprehension.
Davey’s expression darkened as he asked, “And Landen? How do you two get along?”
Confused at first by his question, Audrey hesitated.
Davey elaborated, “Is your interaction with him similar to this?”
Audrey now understood that Davey was comparing himself to her father.
She fondly recalled Landen’s kindness. “My dad was very kind to me. I was never afraid of him. When I was little, he would often carry me on his back.”
Indeed, Landen had always shown deep affection for Audrey, supporting her throughout childhood and even into her parenting years.
Upon seeing Audrey’s affectionate smile as she spoke of Landen, irritation flashed across Davey’s face. His voice took on a sharper edge. “Dad?” He clearly disliked the term.
“A father for a day, a father for life,” Audrey declared, looking directly into Davey’s unforgiving eyes, emphasizing that Landen and her adoptive father in Tenassie would always be her true dads.
Audrey navigated her emotions with precision. Displaying any submission or weakness toward Davey now would only trigger his suspicions.
Considering Davey had killed her adoptive father and attempted her life thrice, submissiveness was not an option. Resentment was more fitting. Such defiance might even stir a competitive edge in Davey.
If the genetic tests proved Audrey was Davey’s biological daughter, the shock would be immense for Davey, realizing he had attempted to kill his own flesh and blood multiple times.
Thus, conflicted feelings tormented Davey even before the test results were in. Part of him hoped Audrey’s claims were false. Yet, somewhere deep down, he wished they were true.
At his age, the idea of having a child became increasingly appealing.
The deeper the isolation and neglect one experienced in youth, the more intensely one yearned for a connection with their offspring, seeking to mend the echoes of a lonely childhood.
As Davey spent hours observing Audrey, he noticed similarities in their sleeping patterns. Both of them stayed alert in unfamiliar environments.
Davey stood up and said with a calm, gentle voice, “Get up and have something to eat. I’ll have the servants bring it in Had Audrey not known Davey’s past, she might have mistaken him for a decent man. For now, he convincingly hid his malevolent and unstable tendencies.”
Remaining silent, Audrey kept her head bowed. She was careful not to meet his gaze, worried that her resentment might show and provoke suspicion.
Despite her restraint, Davey found himself increasingly charmed by her. He asked, “Audrey, did your mother name you?”
Audrey simply nodded in response.
The young Audrey owned a gold medal engraved with her name, a keepsake her adoptive father had retained after searching locally and at police stations without finding any reports of a missing child named Audrey.
Her obscurity was due to Davey leaving her thousands of miles away at a time when technology and missing persons searches were ineffective.
Audrey’s adoptive father, a compassionate man, felt a deep bond with the young Audrey and chose not to hide her identity. He kept her original name intact, hoping it would one day lead her birth parents to her.
“It sounds nice,” Davey remarked.
Seeing Audrey remain quiet, Davey wanted to add more but was at a loss for words. “Rest well,” he finally said before leaving the room.
Servants delivered a meal that was both lavish and luxurious.
Audrey surveyed the feast before her, confident that Davey wouldn’t dare poison her yet. At least, not until the paternity test results were confirmed.
Audrey’s current location remained a mystery, suggesting Davey was concealing her in a highly secretive spot. Consequently, she knew the test results wouldn’t be available swiftly.
Even Davey would need to wait approximately three days.
These next three days represented Audrey’s critical window for escape.
Davey’s current gentleness stemmed from his belief that she might be his daughter. Should the tests prove otherwise, Audrey doubted he would hesitate to eliminate her.
After her meal, Audrey strolled around the room, under the watchful eye of a servant who never left.
Despite Davey’s apparent trust issues, Audrey attempted to uncover her whereabouts. Seizing a moment when the servant was distracted, she drew back a curtain, hoping for a glimpse outside and a clue to her location, murmuring about the stuffiness as a cover.
Her hope quickly turned to disappointment. The curtain hid no window but a plain wall, serving purely as decor, which explained the servant’s lack of concern.
Feeling defeated, Audrey returned to the bed to close her eyes and rest, conserving her strength while she contemplated her next move.
Upon awakening, she noticed the servant had switched, with a new one now on duty, indicating a systematic rotation to monitor her.
The new servant inquired about her preference for lunch, maintaining the vigilant routine.
Audrey challenged the servant by requesting numerous complex dishes, hoping to provoke irritation.
Upon hearing her demands, the servant indeed scowled and exited the room.
As Audrey perched on the bed’s edge, she was startled by a strange noise from outside, reminiscent of an ancient, withered vine.
Audrey pondered this sound deeply and recalled having heard it on the day Davey had compassionately rescued her from the freezing place.