Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO novel Chapter 407

Chapter 407

Audrey’s POV

“I didn’t what does this have to do with me? Your daughter – Rachel blurted out, then stopped herself mid-sentence.

She quickly switched to a concerned tone. “Your daughter was kidnapped? What happened?’

That slip told me everything I needed to know. “It was you who arranged it, wasn’t it?”

Her instinctive denial before I’d even explained what happened gave her away completely. I should’ve connected the dots sooner. Who else had access to Parker Group vehicles? Who could get past company security without questions? Who knew exactly when Adrian and I would return to the hotel?

–

Rachel had played it perfectly – intercepting us on the street to create a public scene while her hired thugs grabbed Emma. A built-in alibi while executing her plan.

‘I didn’t arrange anything!” Her voice shot up defensively. “When your daughter was kidnapped, I was arguing with you and Adrian in the middle of the street! There’s livestream footage, videos, witnesses everywhere!”

“I had absolutely nothing to do with any kidnapping or remote directing!”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Miss Hayes, why so worked up?”

‘I never told you when Emma was kidnapped, did I? How are you so certain you were arguing with me at the exact moment it happened?”

The line went quiet except for her heavy breathing. Caught in her own lie.

Years ago, that panicked breathing would’ve worried me. I’d have felt protective of my friend who’d been through so much. I would’ve done anything to prevent her from feeling upset. Now I just felt contempt.

I took a deep breath. “Miss Hayes. Out of excuses?”

“Adrian and I will get to the bottom of Emma’s kidnapping. Right now, I’m taking Blake to the hospital.”

“If anything happens to him, you can forget your wedding. You’ll be too busy dealing with charges from me, Adrian, Blake, and Henry Hartford. Goodbye.”

I hung up before she could respond.

She called right back. Jett frowned, took the phone from my hand, and answered.

“Those guys you hired were vicious,” he said coldly. “They started out just wanting ransom for the girl, but once they recognized Mr. Parker was there to rescue her, they made him trade places as hostage.”

‘He didn’t even hesitate to agree.”

“Then they decided they’d stab both him and the kid to death after getting paid. If me and the other security guys hadn’t fought like hell, Parker would be dead right now.”

“Some fiancée you are, arranging people to kill the man you’re supposed to marry. Unbelievable.”

He hung up, cutting her off mid-protest.

Rachel’s POV

I stared at my silent phone, stunned. “How could this be…”

1/3

Chapter 407

Mam’s kidnappers hurt Blake? This wasn’t the plan.

I dropped my phone and rushed downstairs from the second floor of Twilight Mansion. “Mom!”

I reached the first floor, emotions in turmoil. “Blake’s bodyguard just said your people not only kidnapped that little girl, but made Blake trade himself as hostage and then tried to kill both of them! What the hell is going on?”

Mom sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, casually touching up her makeup. “You already know what happened. That’s exactly what I told them to do.”

The blood drained from my face. “I only asked you to have that four-year-old kidnapped to make Adrian and that bitch Evelyn leave New York!”

‘I never said anything about killing anyone! And they not only made Blake a hostage but almost killed him and Emma! What kind of psychos did you hire?”

Seeing how upset I was, Mom snapped her compact mirror shut with a sharp click.

She looked at me with cold indifference. I hired people who get results. Everything they did was under my instructions.”

She gave me a sidelong glance. “Didn’t you and Blake already get your marriage license to avoid complications?”

I gasped. ‘Yes, but –

”

“But what? With that license, if Blake died now, you’d get at least half his assets.”

“Given what he’s worth, even half would set our entire family up for life. Since he volunteered to save the girl, I figured we might as well let him die doing it.”

“Dying while saving someone looks like a tragic accident. This way, we’d get rid of Blake, take what rightfully belongs to our family, and eliminate Adrian and Evelyn’s child at the same time.”

“With their daughter dead, they’d leave New York quickly and stop interfering with your business.”

She smiled elegantly, pleased with herself. “No need to thank me. Just doing what any mother would for her daughter.”

My heart turned to ice. “Mom, you’re confused! We have the license but haven’t had the wedding ceremony!”

‘Most people wouldn’t consider me his widow! And if he dies right after we got the license but before the wedding, don’t you think I’d be the obvious suspect?”

–

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