One Night

Chapter 211

Audrey

The scent of takeout food filled the air, mingling with the sounds of a movie playing in the background. I was hardly paying any attention to what was playing on the TV-too busy trying not to think about the ruby ring I had found in Edwin’s drawer.

The ring that was clearly meant for me.

My mind whirled every time I thought about it, confusion and guilt and excitement swirling around inside of me. Had he been holding onto the ring all this time, while I had been keeping us apart? Had he been intending to propose before I had demanded a break?

Just how badly had I hurt my mate with my own selfishness?

“Earth to Audrey…”

I looked up from the blanket to see Edwin staring down at me, one dark eyebrow raised. I must have been zoning out, because I suddenly realized that I had been absentmindedly picking at a stray thread on the blanket and had made it ten times worse.

“Oh… Sorry.” I blushed and quickly dropped the thread.

“Something on your mind?”

Quickly shaking my head, I managed, “Nothing you need to worry yourself over.”

Edwin blinked at me for a moment, considering, before he finally nodded. Tentatively, he draped one arm around my shoulders and tugged me closer, close enough to feel the warmth of his body through the clothes separating us.

I closed my eyes, finally allowing myself to relax into his arms. It had been so long since we had been this close, and I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed it. How much I’d missed him. Even my wolf, who had been dormant and angry for weeks, was purring contentedly in the back of my mind.

And I wondered, then… Had Edwin’s wolf gone dormant, too, these past months?

Because of me?

“I’m sorry,” I suddenly blurted out. “For pushing you away these past couple of months. I know it must have been hard for you.”

Edwin was quiet for a moment, his gray eyes studying me intently. “Where did that come from?” he finally murmured.

I shook my head and stared down at my hands in my lap. “Nothing. I just… I feel like I’ve been a bit selfish. Childish Deciding to take a break like that… Running away from you like a high schooler… Just because I couldn’t handle the stress…..”

“Audrey.” My mate placed his hand under my chin and tilted my head to look at him. The way he looked at me… It felt as if he could see right through me, straight to my heart, to my soul. You weren’t selfish. You did the right thing-what you needed to do. And sometimes, the right thing hurts, that’s all.”

I bit my lip. “I guess I understand now why you sent me to the cottage.”

Edwin’s brow furrowed slightly. “You do?”

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I nodded, sitting up a little so I could face him properly. The movement caused his shirt that I was wearing to slip off one shoulder, and I felt his eyes drawn to the exposed skin, but I made no move to cover myself again.

“You were in an impossible situation,” I explained. “You wanted to do the right thing for me, for all of us, and you knew it would hurt but you had to do it.” I paused, sucking in a sharp breath. “I didn’t understand that for a while. But I think I understand now.”

DO

A small smile tugged at Edwin’s lips. “I’m glad you understand. But I still should have handled it differently. I should have talked to you, should have included you in the decision. Not just packed you a bag and sent you away like a kid being shipped off to boarding school.”

“We both made mistakes,” I said quietly. “I acted like a child sometimes, running away from you like that at the hospital all those weeks ago, and then today…”

Edwin sighed. “It’s alright. Just… Do me a favor?” I nodded, and he said gently, “Talk to me next time. Don’t go running away. I’m your mate; we should communicate, not hide from one another.”

Tears began to prick at my eyes, and I nodded again, biting my lip. “I’m sorry. Really. I’ll try to be more communicative next time.”

Without a word, Edwin leaned closer, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of my nose. I leaned in, resting my forehead against his. Our noses brushed, and I could feel his breath on my lips, making my wolf bristle with excitement.

For a moment, we just sat there, breathing each other in. The world seemed to fall away, leaving just the two of us in our own little bubble.

But then, Edwin pulled back slightly, his expression turning serious. “Audrey, about what happened with your thesis…”

I felt a pang in my chest at the reminder. “Mr. Black,” I said, and the name tasted like ash on my tongue. “I know he doctored those images. I just need to prove it.” I frowned deeply. “I wish I’d photographed my project last summer. This would be so much easier if I had.”

Edwin nodded, his jaw clenching. “You know, if you want me to talk to the judges-”

I quickly shook my head. “No. I want to handle this myself. Mr. Black messed with my thesis, with me… I want to show him that I won’t be trod on so easily. I just need proof…”

Suddenly, a thought struck me. I sat up straight, my eyes widening as I reached for my phone on the coffee table. “Wait a minute…”

Edwin leaned over, glancing at my phone screen. “What is it?”

“My security camera,” I said, navigating to the security footage app on my phone. “I installed it after the last incident in my studio, when moths ate my masquerade gown. I thought that Linda and her cronies had something to do with it, so I wanted to be cautious for the future. I almost forgot I installed it.”

I quickly opened the app, scrolling back through days of footage, Edwin leaned in, watching over my shoulder as I searched. Finally, I found something. Movement in the middle of the night. Movement that I had, s**ly, missed.

“There!” I exclaimed, pointing at the screen. “Look, right there.”

Edwin squinted at the small video alongside me. The footage showed my darkened studio, the moonlight barely filtering in through the large windows. The mannequin holding my thesis project sat in the middle of the room, unmoving.

At first, there was nothing.

09:25 Mon, Sep 30

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Then: “Is that… a camera-flash?”

I nodded, replaying the footage. There, in the window, I could just barely out-the silhouette of a head popping up,

wearing a black beanie and a mask. And then… A bright flash.

it

Just one flash, almost like lightning, and then the head quickly slipped away. But it was unmistakably a person taking a photo through the window. I wasn’t quite sure how I had missed this-but as far as I knew, I’d never received an alert that there was movement in my studio.

Because they had never entered. They had literally climbed the outside of the building to get a picture of my gown.

So that they could use it to doctor the image of my project from last summer.

“Can you tell who it was?” Edwin took my phone and held it close to his face, replaying the footage again to try and get a better look.

I shook my head. “No. But I think we can both guess who Mr. Black hired to do his dirty work.”

Edwin slowly set down my phone, his eyes widening ever so slightly. “Leo….”

I nodded, my mind racing. The pieces of the puzzle were there, and they were fitting together splendidly. Of course those two would work together again-not only had Mr. Black lost his business partnership with Edwin over me, but Leo had also lost his job.

Revenge. That was what this was-revenge, plain and simple.

And I could prove it to the judges-quite easily, in fact. I could salvage my thesis, if only I had a little bit

more proof.

I think I knew where to get that proof.

Suddenly, I threw the blanket off of my lap and rose, nearly knocking over the remnants of our takeout meal on the coffee table as I leapt to my feet. Edwin blinked up at me from his spot on the sofa, although I couldn’t tell whether he was stunned or proud of my renewed spirit.

“Where are you headed?” he asked as I quickly crossed to the bedroom. I grabbed my pants off of the floor, tugging them on with a few small hops before reaching for my socks and my boots. When I looked up, Edwin was standing in the bedroom doorway, looking a bit confused.

“Edwin,” I said as I stuffed my feet into my shoes, “is the security office at Brooks Designs open this late?”