Chapter 27

**Audrey's POV**

Crouching by the roadside, I absentmindedly pulled at the grass growing between the flowers in the garden bed while listening to Astrid's lecture through the phone. After what felt like an eternity, my legs grew tired and I stood up with a weary stretch.

"I've been waiting forever," I said into the phone. "When are you getting here?"

Through the phone, I could hear someone's voice: "Astrid, can you take a look at this proposal? Does this revision work?"

"Yeah, that works," Astrid responded to her colleague before returning to our conversation with an apologetic tone. "Sorry Audrey..."

"It's fine," I said gently. "You focus on your work. I'm not in a hurry."

"I really am swamped right now," Astrid sighed, "but I've arranged for a handsome guy to pick you up. He should be there any minute!"

"Handsome guy? Your new boyfriend?" I couldn't help bout tease.

"Don't joke about that!" Astrid's voice turned serious. "This guy doesn't have the slightest interest in me! You can't make jokes like that!"

Just as she finished speaking, a luxury sedan pulled up to the mansion's circular driveway, The driver's window rolled down, and I froze slightly as James Collins' face appeared behind the glass.

"Looks like he's arrived," Astrid's voice took on a teasing lilt."Now you

understand what I meant. Go on, spend some time catching up with him.You missed your chance three years ago - don't let this opportunity slip away now!"

Before I could protest, she had already hung up, leaving me to face this carefully orchestrated situation alone. My stomach churned uncomfortably,and this time it wasn't just from the illness. Trust Astrid to turn even this moment into an attempted matchmaking opportunity.

James stepped out of the car, looking every bit the successful jewelry executive in his tailored suit. "Good morning, Audrey."

I managed a poite smile, grateful that my discomfort wasn't visible. "James.You didn't have to come all this way."

"I wanted to." His voice carried that same warmth it always had, the kind that used to make my heart skip back in college. Now it just made everything more complicated. "Shall we?"

As we pulled away from the mansion, I found myself staring out the window,watching the palatial homes of the Hamptons elite roll past. I was immersed in my thoughts, remembering how I spent those boring days here.

"So," James broke the silence as we merged onto the highway. "You really told them you want a divorce?"

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the passing seenery. "I had to explain everything to William this morning. He deserved to hear it from me directly."

"William Parker..." James's voice softened slightly. "He's always been kind to you,hasn't he? Unlike the rest of them,"

"He has." The memory of William's face this morning - the hurt, the understanding, the resignation - made my chest ache. "That's why I needed to explain properly. Whatever happens with Blake and me,William will always have my respect."

James's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "And Blake? Did he even bother to make sure you had a way back to the city? Or was he too busy with his precious Laurel Rose?"

The bitterness in his voice surprised me. "James..."

"I'm serious. Audrey." His usually gentle tone had an edge I'd never heard before. "The entire Parker family was there - not one of them thought about how you'd get back? If it had been Larel stranded out here, would Blake have just driven off and left her to figure it out herself?"

"Tell me the truth, Audrey. Do you still have feelings for Blake, that jerk?"

"I no longer have feelings for him." The words came out with a calm that surprised even me. Maybe it was true what they said about reaching a point where you just couldn't hurt anymore.

James cleared his throat. "Well then, we should celebrate once the divorce is final. Let me...”

I turned to study his profile, my expression sharpening. "What exactly did Astrid tell you when she asked for this favor?"

He hesitated, caught off guard by my directness. "Just that she was swamped at work, needed someone to help..."

"It's the middle of a workday, James. Don't you have your own responsibilities?"

Taking a deep breath, I pushed forward. "Look, I appreciate your concern.but we were just senior and junior at Parsons. That doesn't warrant dropping everything to rescue me. My marriage, my divorce- those are my battles to fight."

"I don't need commentary from the sidelines."

Silence filled the car. James sat frozen, looking like I'd slapped him.

"When the divorce is final," I added, softer now, "I'm taking at least six months. No dating, no relationships, no complications."

"We need to keep our distance. For both our sakes."

I'd tried being subtle before, not wanting to hurt him when his feelings seemed genuine. But his earlier comments had crossed a line I couldn't ignore.

The color drained from his face, but after a long moment, he just nodded. "

I understand. I'm sorry,Audrey."

Something shiftedin James's expression - not quite hurt, but a sort of resigned understanding.

After a moment, he reached into his briefcase and retrieved a sleek leather portfolio. "Actually, meeting you today isn't just a favor for Astrid - it's actually my job."

I raised an eyebrow, confused,"What?"

"Remember those jewelry designs you submitted through Astrid?" He tapped the portfolio. "They landed on my boss's desk this morning. The firm's interested, but they need some market-oriented adjustments." His smile widened slightly, "Imagine my surprise when I realized who the

designer was."

The portfolio felt heavy in my hands as I flipped it open. These were definitely my sketches - the ones I'd asked Astrid to help distribute through her industry connections. After my marriage to Blake, I'd lost touch with the jewelry world, too focuised on being the decent Parker wife.Astrid, with her extensive modeling network, understood the current market far better than I did.

I almost laughed at the irony. All this time, I'd been assuming James had some ulterior motive in picking me up, when really...

"Just business," James said, reading my expression. "The review board was impressed, and that's why I'm here."

Heat crept into my cheeks as I remembered my earlier assumptions. "James,I-"

"Don't apologize," he cut in smoothly. "Did I have my own hopes in offering to pick you up? Sure. But you've made your position clear,and I respect that." His tone turned purely professional. "Let's not let personal history get in the way of what could be a solid professional partnership."

His candor made me feel small. I bit my lip, studying the portfolio's contents more closely.

"We're a design studio," James continued after a moment. "Pure creative work, no production. Would that interest you?"

"It's perfect, actually." I nodded. A design studio meant connections,expertise- everything I needed to get my work to market quickly.With my limited time...

James pulled out another document. "Good, here's to a successful

partnership. And here's your compensation package Take a look, let me know if-"

"I accept," I said, barely glancing at the numbers. "Just one condition."

"Three months." I met his questioning look. "I need mny designs on the market withinthree months."

"This timeline..." James frowned. "It's not impossible, but it won't be easy.Jewelry production and refinement takes considerable time, especially with high-end pieces."

"The board might need some convincing, but... "

"Wait!" He widened his eyes. "Three months? Is that all the time you have left?"