**Blake's POV**

My phone rang just as I finished changing into dry clothes, ready for the next round of search operations. I glanced at the caller ID - Dr. Evans from Mayo Clinic.

My eyes lit up. Last time Audrey disappeared, I'd found her at Dr. Evans'apartment.

"Hello," I answered, not hiding the anticipation in my voice.

"Mr. Parker," she hesitated. "Could you come see Miss Rose? Her condition isn't good."

The excitement drained from me.

"Did Laurel ask you to call?" I asked flatly.′′know she's upset I've been searching for Audrey. But I won't be manipulated."

"She's an actress with excellent skills, but I'd appreciate if she didn't use them on me."

I hung up before Dr. Evans could respond. The phone rang immediately.

"Mr. Parker," Dr. Evans spoke rapidly. "Miss Rose isn't pretending. I've sent her vitals data. You know what normal readings look like - her sítuation is genuinely serious."

I frowned and checked the link. The medical dashboard showed real-time readings that couldn't be easily faked.

"Fine," I flnally said with a sigh. "I'll be there in thirty minutes,"

"Dr. Evans? Where is my daughter? She's still alive..."

I didn't delve into it. just pocketed my phone and turned to Michael. "Get the car. We're going to Mayo Clinic."

**Audrey's POV**

"Dr. Evans?" I frowned at the young nurse who entered my basement room.

"Some crazy woman cornered her upstairs," she said, adjusting my IV.

"Crazy woman?"

"Yeah." She cleaned a scrape on my arm. "Rich lady based on her clothes,but totally unhinged."

She handed me her phone. "Look."

The video showed Dr. Evans backed against a corridor wall. Scarlett Rose stood before her, hair wild, mascara streaking down her cheeks.

"I know Audrey Sinclair is in this hospital," Scarlett gripped Dr. Evans arm. "Tell me where she is!"

"Mrs. Rose," Dr. Evans remained calm, "what are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm saying!" Scarlett's voice cracked. "Audrey Sinclair isn't dead! You've hidden her!"

"Where's my daughter? What has Audrey done with her?"

I stared at the screen, stunned to see the always-composed Scarlett Rose falling apart.

*How did she guess I'm here? And why confront Dr. Evans specifically?*

"I've changed your meds. I should go," the nurse said.

"Wait," I called. "Could you get that woman's contact information?"

She gave me a curious look but nodded before leaving.

Alone again, I picked up the spare phone Felix had given me. With nothing better to do, I browsed news sites.

Blake and LaureI's engagement disaster dominated the headlines.I scrolled past articles about plastic rings, public arguments.and speculation about my "death."

Then one headline caught my eye: "Hayes Family Expands Medical Investment Portfolio."

I tapped it and started reading.

"Two weeks ago, the Hayes family increased their investment in the healthcare sector, contributing significant funding to Mayo Clinic," I read.

My finger froze.

"This investment has made the Hayes family the largest shareholder of Mayo Clinic..."

*Hayes family... that's Scarlett Rose's maiden name.*

*Wait, the largest shareholder? Didn't Dr. Evans say that the client's family is the largest shareholder of Mayo Clinic? Could the client who's been using my medical data be connected to the Hayes family?"

I frowned.

*Hayes family... Rachel's uncle... Rachel Hayes... Scarlett Rose...

My eyes widened.

*Laurel Rose!*

The phone nearly slipped from my suddenly rigid hand as everything clicked into place.

*Laurel's been pretending to have terminal illness since returning from Europe!*

Images flashed through my mind: Laurel clutching her stomach during "episodes," Blake mentioning her stomach pains, him studying gastric cancer research.

*Every time I came to provide data for this mysterious "client," I somehow ran into Blake and Laurel.*

I closed my eyes, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. It grew until tears streamed down my face.

*Laurel Rose has been faking cancer. And I've been helping her do it. All this time. I thought some kind soul was funding my treatment, bringing specialists like Dr. Clarke. But really... I've been helping Laurel Rose manipulate Blake.*

I laughed harder, the sound turning hollow.

*How perfectly ironic. The woman I despised for faking illness to gain Blake's sympathy was using my real illness as her cover.*

*Blake probably researched gastric cancer treatments... for her. Using my actual case data."

*Every time Laurel had an "episode," she was mimicking my symptoms.Using my pain. My illness gave credibility to her lies."

*And nobody told me. Not Dr. Evans, not any nurse who must have known who we all were.*

*Without Scarlett's outburst and that news article, I might have died never knowing I was helping the woman who took everything from me.*

The tears flowed, but my laughter had turned to silent shaking.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, wiping away the tears.

*Enough.*

I sat up and started ripping off the monitoring equipment. The machines beeped in protest as I pulled out wires and IV lines.

*I refuse to be Laurel Rose's puppet any longer.*

I dressed quickly,grabbed my bag and mask. With one final glance at the medical equipment that had been transmitting my deteriorating condition to Blake as if it were Laurel's, I headed for the door.

*This charade ends now.*

**Blake's POV*

I walked into Mayo Clinic to find Laurel bent over a trash can, Scarlett holding her hair back. Her face was chalk-white. Nothing left in her stomach but bile and blood streaks after vomiting repeatedly.

Scarlett heard me at the door and turned.

"Laurel, look up. Blake's here," she sald, moving the trash can away and

dabbing LaureI's mouth.

Laurel raised her head with effort. When her empty eyes found me,she mustered a weak smile.

"Blake darling... did you find her?"

She slumped back against her pillows, breathing hard. "Don't worry about me. Audrey matters more... finding her means finding Rachel too."

"I let Rachel down," she whispered. "She'd be safe if I hadn't dragged her to our engagement."

"And Audrey... I've been unfair to her."

Each word of hers twisted the guilt in my chest. The engagement had been my idea, after all. I'd insisted Rachel attend.

A strange feeling came over me, seeing Laurel so broken yet concerned about others. She'd changed since Europe, but maybe not completely.Somewhere inside was still the woman who pulled me from darkness five years ago, who stayed when I had nothing.

She was sick, and I'd brushed her off. Repeatedly.

I sighed and moved to her bed, putting my arms around her thin shoulders. "This isn't on you, Laurel."

"What happened to Audrey was an accident."

"We've been searching for two days - no sign of them yet. But we found the truck driver's body that night, which makes me think they survived."

I squeezed her hand. "I'll find Rachel. I promise."

Laurel pressed her face against my chest. "You've been through hell for this. Your skin's burned from being out on the water so long."

"I'm doing what I should," I said, my voice softer than I intended. My hand moved across her back in small circles.

Just as the moment between us settled into something genuine, every monitoring machine in the room blared to life with warning alarms.

I stiffened, and Laurel went rigid in my arms.

"What the hell?" I said.