Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 166

Audrey's POV:

I stepped out of Amelia's suite at The Plaza with Caspar behind me.

The hallway's plush carpet muffled our footsteps as we walked toward the elevator, the silence between us thick with unspoken questions.

"Do you believe what she said?" I asked, breaking the silence.

My voice sounded steadier than I felt.

Caspar didn't answer immediately.

When we reached the elevator, he pressed the button and turned to me, his expression unreadable.

"Does it matter whether I believe her or not?" he finally responded, his voice low and controlled.

"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused by his response.

His eyes hardened as he studied my face.

"Even you deceive me, don't you?"

"Do you really not know that red-haired woman, Audrey?"

My heart stuttered in my chest.

*He indeed noticed*. The brief mention Amelia had made about my "redheaded friend."

His gaze was penetrating, clinical almost.

"Who is she?" Caspar asked as the elevator descended.

"And why did you feel the need to lie about her identity?"

The elevator continued its smooth descent, the numbers ticking down like a countdown to a detonation I couldn't stop.

"I..." I hesitated, desperately searching for a plausible explanation that wouldn't make things worse.

"Perhaps," Caspar interrupted, his voice chillingly calm, "I should invite your friend to the estate for a proper introduction."

Before I could protest, he'd already pulled out his phone and was dialing.

"James, " His eyes remained fixed on me as he spoke. "Bring her to the estate. I want to have a conversation with her."

I felt my stomach drop. Was Emma caught?

Caspar's expression suddenly shifted as he listened to whatever was being said on the other end of the line.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You lost her?" The quiet control in his voice was more frightening than if he'd shouted.

"A group of useless incompetents who can't even keep track of one woman?"

He glanced at me, his gaze penetrating.

"Find her. Now."

As he hung up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

Thank God I'd warned Emma to leave when I had the chance.

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, but neither of us moved.

The tension between us had become a physical barrier.

"You must feel fortunate," Caspar said, his voice dangerously quiet.

"No, I'm not," I replied honestly.

"I was wrong to lie, I admit that. But this is about a friend I didn't want you to meet. Was it really necessary to make such a production out of it? To send people to track her down? "

Caspar's gaze shifted beyond me, and I turned to see a couple waiting for the elevator.

Their expressions froze in awkward discomfort at the obvious tension between us.

They seemed unsure whether to approach or wait for the next car.

"We'll continue this at home," Caspar said curtly, guiding me out of the elevator.

The ride back to the estate was excruciating.

James kept glancing in the rearview mirror, his eyes darting between us before quickly focusing back on the road.

The silence was deafening, filled with all the things we weren't saying.

When we finally arrived at the estate, Caspar turned to me.

"Don't you have anything you want to explain to me?"

I stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Even if we're together, Caspar, I'm still entitled to my own privacy."

His jaw tightened.

"Trust is the foundation of any relationship, Audrey. Without it, we have nothing."

I swallowed hard, the words that came next tasting bitter on my tongue.

"I'm sorry, but perhaps my feelings for you haven't reached that level yet."

Caspar froze, his expression shifting from anger to shock, then to something that looked painfully like hurt.

I couldn't bear to hold his gaze, so I looked away.

"I never promised you forever, did I? I never guaranteed I would stay."

My voice softened despite my efforts to keep it firm.

"Don't place too much hope in me, Caspar."

I turned to leave, unable to face the pain I knew I was causing.

"Is this because of Amelia?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Is it because of her appearance that you're saying these words to me?"

"No," I answered without turning around.

The truth was far more complicated than that.

"Is your heart made of stone?" The rawness in his voice made my chest ache.

I pushed down the acid burn of emotions rising in my throat.

"Maybe it is," I whispered.

As I walked away, my thoughts turned traitorously to Noah. To Amelia.

If my condition worsened, if Jasper couldn't find a cure, if I wasn't going to be around much longer... wouldn't it be better for Noah to have his biological mother in his life?

Perhaps then they wouldn't feel my absence so deeply when I was gone.

The weight of this possibility pressed against my chest as I made my way to my bedroom.

Once inside, I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

I tried to empty my mind, to push away the image of Caspar's wounded expression, to forget the hurt I'd just inflicted.

But my thoughts refused to quiet.

Restless, I decided a shower might help clear my head.

I had just stepped under the warm spray when it happened—a string seemed to snap inside my brain with an audible *twang*.

Pain shot through my skull like an electric drill boring into the back of my head.

The intensity made my vision blur and nausea rise in my throat.

I hastily turned off the shower, gripping the tiled wall for support as I squeezed my eyes shut.

But the pain didn't subside.

Within moments, large beads of sweat formed on my forehead despite the cooling water on my skin.

I managed to wrap a towel around myself and staggered back to my bedroom, one hand pressed against my temple.

With trembling fingers, I made my way to the dresser and fumbled through the bottom drawer.

I pushed aside neatly items until I found the small pill bottle I'd hidden there—my anti-rejection medication.

I kept most of my supply in my study, where Caspar wouldn't find it, but I also maintained a small emergency stash in my bedroom for moments exactly like this.

Unable to wait for water, I tossed the pills directly into my mouth and swallowed hard.

"What are you taking?"

Caspar's voice cut through the room like a blade.

I froze, my back still to the door, spine suddenly rigid.

The pounding in my head hadn't subsided yet, and I didn't dare turn around to face him.

I remained silent, afraid that if I spoke, my voice would betray the agony coursing through me.

My fingers closed around the pill bottle, desperately trying to conceal it from his view.