Divorce Me Before Death Takes Me, CEO

Chapter 161

Laurel's POV

| stood in Blake's villa living room, trying to look casual while scanning the place. A noise from upstairs made me

tense up. Someone was definitely moving around up there.

“What was that sound?” | asked, looking at the ceiling.

Blake kept eating his noodles without looking up. “You heard something?”

“Blake darling, are you hiding someone upstairs?” | tilted my head.

He finally looked atwith a neutral face. “You must have heard wrong.”

| turned to Michael. “I heard wrop

Michael nodded quickly. “Yes, perhaps Miss Rose is just tired and hearing things.”

“I have excellent hearing,” he continued. ”

“I didn’t hear anything.”

Their obvious coordination madesuspicious, but Blake seemed so calm that | started to doubt myself. Who

would he

even hide here?

“Maybe | did hear wrong,” | said, dropping it for now.

| sat at the table, noticing the chair was still warm. Someone had definitely been sitting here. | pushed that

thought aside and focused on my goal.

“Blake darling, when did you buy this place?” | asked with a smile. “If Thalia hadn't mentioned you might be

here, | never

would have found you!”

I looked around the room. “And decorated like this...”

The cottage-style decor was everywhere - flowers, warm colors, soft fabrics. Nothing like the modern style Blake

usually preferred.

“I hate this cottage style,” | said honestly. “It looks tacky and cheap.”

| leaned forward. “Blake darling, how could you possibly like this?”

Blake's chopsticks stopped halfway to his mouth. “You... hate this style?”

His surprise caughtoff guard. Had | said something wrong?

“Of course,” | laughed. “When have you ever seenwear floral dresses or anything with this cottage feel?”

| gestured around. “I avoid this style/completely. How could I like it?”

| blinked innocently a move that always worked on Blake. “But if you like it, | can try to like it too!”

| smiled. “But really, Blake darling... this is something only teenage girls would like.”

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Chapter 161

Blake's expression shifted to confused and cold. But five years ago when we first met, your sister specifter liked

this style

My heart skipped. What? Rachel told him I liked cottage style? | needed to recover fast,

“Did she?” | laughed awkwardly. “I might have forgotten after getting sick...

Blake studied me. “Laurel, you seem to have forgotten many things.”

Panic rose in my chest. Every gesture I'd made was carefully planned. In the past, my innocent act always

worked on Blake. But now his piercing gaze madenervous.

| needed my illness as a shield. | put my head on the table, rubbing my temples.

“Maybe my condition is getting worse,” | said softly.

Inside | was furious. What had Rachel told Blake about Audrey? Why did that woman have such basic taste?

Audrey's POV

Through the wall of the hidden room, | heard every word Laurel said about hating cottage style. Each comment

stung.

So I'd been wrong. Blake hadn't styled this villa in my favorite aesthetic because he remembered what Rachel

told him five years ago when | rescued him. He'd done it for Laurel.

He must have prepared this place as a surprise for her. But his careful planning backfired. His precious Laurel

didn’t even remember liking this style.

My chest tightened. | leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

Then Blake's voice cthrough, deliberate and measured: “Laurel. Do you remember what day it was when

you and |

met?”

| held my breath. When exactly did they meet? It couldn’t be the sday | rescued Blake, could it?

“Blake darling, are you testing me?” Laurel sounded smug. “The day we met was June 28th! The sun on the

beach was so strong | got sunburned!”

| couldn’t believe it. June 28th - the exact sday | rescued Blake. The sdate as the code 0628 for this

hidden room.

But when | met Blake, it had been cloudy. There was no strong sun. | didn’t get sunburned.

It really was just coincidence. Blake created this villa for Laurel. He used 0628 as the password because that was

the day they met.

| should have known better. If Blake truly remembered everything from five years ago, why never m three years

of marriage? Not once, not even during our divorce.

A cold laugh escaped before | could stop it. At this moment, Michael's phone rang.

Blake's POV

n it during our

Chapter 161

Michael frowned at his phone. Mr. Mel, about today’s meeting possibly

He glanced at me, looking for direction.

| waved my hand. My furrowed brow relaxed slightly. After all, this conversation madeIncreasingly suspicious

at Laurel

from small things like her taste in colors to bigger matters like her supposed racing skills, and now forgetting her.

preferred style.

L'a consulted doctors about how cancer affects memory. They said late-stage patients might experience

temporary memory

not fundamental preferences. loss, but typically only forget certain events.

except claiming she and Rachel rescuedwhen | was blind. Everything else Yet Laurel seemed to remember

nothing about her supposed past withwas blank.

Though she did remember the exact date - June 28th. Could her illness really be causing these memory gaps?

Michael understood my gesture and stepped away with the phone. “I’m sorry, but our boss has personal matters

today...

Laurel pressed her lips together and looked at me.”

“Blake darling, aren’t you going to work?”

“No,” | decided. “Didn't you wantto help investigate those two people who died last night?”

| met her gaze. “I think you're right. Today, I'll skip business and help you identify the deceased.”

After our conversation, | was suspicious of everything Laurel said and did. Going with her to investigate these

“deaths” would letobserve her more closely.

“That's great!” Laurel perked up. She jumped up and linked her arm with mine. “I knew it! Blake darling, you

care aboutso much!”

Her face lit up. “You'll do anything | ask!”

“Hmm,” | said noncommittally. “Shall we go?”

“Yes!” she agreed eagerly.

As we approached the door, | paused and glanced back. “We're leaving in such a hurry. Michael will need to

arrange for someone to clean up the kitchen.”

| hoped Audrey would understand - this would give her a chance to leave while we were gone.

“Michael will handle that without you saying anything,” Laurel dismissed.

Her mind was already elsewhere. “I heard one of the people who died on the beach was a college start looking at

New York University?”

My eyes darkened at the mention of NYU, but | kept my face neutral. “Whatever you say.”

ent. Why don’t we

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