**Audrey's POV*

Blake noticed me ignoring him and subtly relaxed his expression. He took out his phone from his garbage-covered pocket and called Michael,explaining his location and situaation. After putting away his phone, he attempted to get up from the oil-slicked ground.

But getting up wasn't easy for him.

Due to the kitchen waste and grease, he kept slipping. Each attempt ended with him falling back into the mess. He didn't make a sound,just grimly tried again and again.

I watched him struggle for a few minutes,torn between satisfaction and pity. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Need help?" I set my phone down and stood up.

"Don't come over!" His voice was icy.′′Ican manage."

"Why are you being so stubborn? If your physical condition isn't good,you should accept help."

"Do you really thinak you're invincible?" I asked.

The words felt strangely familiar as they left my mouth. A memory flashed - Blake, newly blind five years ago, bumping into furniture,refusing assistance.

His head snapped up, our eyes locking. For a moment, neither of us moved.

I broke the spell first, carefully picking my way through the garbage to offer my hand. Blake stared at it, jaw tight with reluctance.

"Take it." I said. "Unless you'd rather wait in trash for your assistant."

After a beat, he grasped my hand. As I pulled him up. our eyes met again,and something electric passed between us.

"BLAKE!" A shriek cut through the air. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"

Startled. I let go. Blake wobbled, and I quickly grabbed his arm,steadying him against my side. Looking up, I saw Rebecca Parker charging toward us with Victoria Sinclair trailing behind.

"What did this woman do to you!" Rebecca,laser-focused on us, hit the slick patch at full speed. She went down hard, landing in the worst of the garbage pile.

"Mrs. Parker!" Victoria rushed forward, and then she slid too. She flew forward,landing directly on top of Rebecca with an audible thud.

"Get off me!" Rebecca shoved at Victoria.

Victoria scrambled to comply, accidentally elbowing Rebecca in the stomach.

"You did that on purpose!" Rebecca accused, finally managing to sit up."You're just like that worthless Audrey Sinclair from your family. Both of you are trash, both wanting me dead!"

Iignored her, keeping Blake's arm around my shoulders as we moved toward a bench. I frowned at her words. When exactly had I ever wished Rebecca dead? II anyone had murderous intentions, It was the other way around.

A fleet of black SUVs pulled up nearby. Michael emerged with several bodyguards.

"Sir!" His eyes widened at Blake's condition. "What happened?"

By now, we'd reached the bench. I helped Blake sit, then stepped back,wiping my hands clean.

"Just fell," Blake said, removing his ruined jacket.

Michael moved toward the overturned wheelchair, but Blake stopped him.

"Help them first," he directed, nodding toward Rebecca and Victoria.

"Quick!" Michael ordered the guards. "Help Mrs. Parker and Miss Sinclair!"

Two men rushed forward,carefully extracting the women from the mess.The moment Rebecca was upright, she lunged at Victoria,slapping her face hard.

"You worthless girl!" She landed another blow. "Your mother said you really saw Audrey. I foolishly brought you here thinking you were helping me, and what happened? You're working with Audrey to humiliate me!"

Victoria's cheek reddened from the impact. "Mrs. Parker,that's not true! I was just trying to help you up!"

"How could Audrey and I possibly be working together?" Victoria pointed at me, voice shaking with emotion. "She's the person I hate most in this world!"

"I was always the Sinclair family's princess! Everyone thought I was the true heiress until she showed up!" Victoria's words tumbled out. "She grew up in the countryside, rude and disgusting. What right does she have to

be my sister or my parents' biological daughter?"

"When she died, my parents and I were happier than anyone!" VIctoria wiped at her tears. "Mrs. Parker, please believe me, I wasn't conspiring with her!"

I clenched my fists, bitter irony washing over me. My biological parents celebrated my "death" while my sister's adoptive family saved my life.Perhaps being abandoned at birth had spared Evelyn from knowing she wasn't wanted by her blood relatives.

"I hope that's true," Rebecca snorted, futilely trying to clean her ruined outfit.

She turned her cold eyes on me. "Weren't you supposed to be dead? How are you suddenly back? Couldn't live without my son, so you rushed back before his wedding?"

I kept my back turned, which only fueled her anger.

"Dream on if you think your return will stop Blake from marrying Rachel!"she spat. "The daughter-in-law of our Parker family can be anyone but you! Did you hear me,Audrey Sinclair?"

Years ago,her words would have crushed me. Now they barely registered.

I actually felt like laughing.

"She's not Audrey Sinclair."

Blake's calm voice cut through his mother's rant as Michael helped him into a fresh wheelchalr.

"She's the daughter of the Australian Parker family, Adrian Knox's wlfe,Evelyn Knox,"

Rebecca laughed sharply. "The Australian Parkers? The ones your father drove out of New York twenty years ago? People who left in disgrace are still losers, even in Australia."

I turned, unable to hide my surprise. "The Parkers here drove the Australian branch out of New York?"

"Of course! They tried competing for resources, to become New York's wealthiest family." Rebecca looked smug. "My husband crushed them in three years."

I stared at her, stunned. Jeffrey and Eleanor had never mentioned this -they'd only said they moved for better opportunities.

"You're just Audrey pretending to be from the Parker family," Rebecca stepped closer. "Did you think having an heiress identity would make Blake want you? Our family might marry into any family, but never with losers!"

"Mother, stop," Blake said firmly."The Australian Parkers moved because their bousiness was better in Australia. Besides, Miss Knox is married with a four-year-old daughter. She's not Audrey and has no interest in marrying me."

"A four-year-old?" Rebecca's eyes narrowed."Ithink she faked her death,found a new identity, and came back for you!"

She stalked toward me. "Whether she's Audrey or this supposed heiress,I can tell with one look!"

"Mom, don't - " Blake started.

Too late. Rebecca grabbed my arm and tore my sleeve open. The fabric ripped loudly, exposing my elbow to the sunlight.

"Stlll saying you're not Audrey Sinclalr?" Rebecca laughed triumphantly. "Even the burn location is Identical!"

I stared at my exposed skin. Just above my elbow was a distinctive burn scar.

**Blake's POV*

I couldn't tear my eyes from that ugly red mark on her elbow. "That's..."

"That's the burn I gave her at dinner three years ago!" Mom cut in,voice dripping with pride.

She tossed her hair back despite the garbage clinging to it. "Itold this nobody she should divorce you. Said she wasn't in your league and needed to wake up."

"But instead of listening, she talked back! Said your marriage was between you two and none of my business!"

"Can you believe that?" Mom nearly shouted. "As if your mother has no say in your life!"

"So I grabbed that pot of soup and dumped it on her. She dodged most of it, but still caught some on her elbow."

My chest tighten. I'd never known about this.

I'd seen that scar plenty of times but figured it was from her childhood.

I never asked. Never cared enough to ask.

Christ. My mother did this to her.