Audrey Perry had a hard time accepting that the person who called her twice last night was really Cohen Howell.
Cohen wasn't the type to call her, not in this life or the last. The rare times he did reach out, it was only when he needed something, like borrowing money. Audrey had once agreed, but only if he promised to marry her. That conversation didn't end well.
Usually, it was only when Cleo Hall smeared her reputation that Cohen would call, questioning her about why she would attack the innocent.
Why on earth did Cohen call her last night?
"Did you call because you're available to head to the courthouse today?" Audrey asked.
Cohen hesitated, "..."
Why was she so fixated on the divorce? And why did she sound almost thrilled about it?
Wasn’t this just another one of those times when she stormed back to her family home, waiting for him to come and fetch her once she cooled off? It had happened before.
Instead of answering, Cohen asked, "What are you doing alone at a romantic bistro at noon?"
"Obviously, I'm having lunch," Audrey replied, sensing something was off, and added, "Aren't you here too, Cohen? Doesn't it seem a bit bold to question me?"
Cleo had picked the bistro, claiming it was close to the theater set. Cohen didn’t realize it was a couples' spot until he arrived. He had asked Cleo to choose another location to avoid any awkward misunderstandings.
Audrey warned him, "Be careful when dining with your sidekick, Cohen. Don't let the tabloids catch you. If it gets out that your infidelity led to a breakup with the Perry family, the Howell Group's stock will tank, and no one will be pleased."
Cohen didn't like the sound of that. "Don't call Cleo a mistress. She never came between us."
On the contrary, Cleo was always considerate. She was careful when dining with him and often encouraged him to go home early so his family wouldn’t worry.
Audrey arched an eyebrow with a smirk, "Of course she didn’t interfere. You're probably blaming me for standing between you two, right? But it’s not my fault—your 'Goddess' turned you down and went abroad. Yet, once she heard we tied the knot, she suddenly had a change of heart and came rushing back."
Cleo had likely thought Cohen would always be the guy trailing behind her, not imagining he’d one day marry someone from another influential family for his own gain.
What was the point of all the drama? Playing hard to get, she ended up returning after all.
Cohen's expression darkened. "Who are you dining with?"
"None of your business!"
Cohen was about to snap back when Cleo's call interrupted.
Audrey bitterly laughed to herself. Back when she asked Cohen to spend more time together, he always claimed he was too busy. Apparently, he was only 'busy' for her. For Cleo, he had time for a leisurely lunch in the middle of the day.
Cleo had once boasted about being treated like royalty at every luxury hotel, making Audrey so angry she nearly passed out on the street. She had truly been blind in her past life.
Cohen was ready to leave without another word.
Audrey quickly asked, "Can we finalize the divorce this afternoon?"
Cohen shot her a sharp look, "We agreed on Monday. What's the rush?"
"If you weren't in a hurry for a divorce, why did you call me last night?"
Cohen turned away and left without offering an explanation. He wasn't going to admit that he had called because he came home to find no meal prepared and no one waiting for him in the living room.
What a joke! Her cooking was worse than leftovers. Who would miss that?
The idea that she thought the media might catch him cheating was ridiculous.
Cohen found himself wondering if Audrey might be meeting with Kannon Harris’s brother, or if she had agreed to have lunch with him here. The thought alone was infuriating.
Once in the car, Cohen instructed Cecelia, "Have someone tail Audrey. I want to know which guy she’s been hanging around with lately."
A sly glint flashed in Cecelia’s eyes.
*
Reagan Howell arrived fashionably late, her prized limited-edition handbag in tow, moving over with tiny steps.
"Sorry for being late, Audrey darling," Reagan said, batting her big eyes with a pleading look. "I spent extra time getting dolled up for you and lost track of time. Please forgive me~"
At the time, Reagan was anonymously working at a small, unremarkable company under the Howell Group. It was there she met the man who would later cause her so much heartache.
Given the chance to intervene, Audrey was determined to stop the nightmare from unfolding again.
Seeing her old friend after so long, Audrey clasped Reagan’s hand excitedly, "I forgive you."
"Hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮"
Reagan pouted, "But I can't forgive you. You forgot all about me after getting hitched—didn't even think of inviting me for lunch until now. Haven’t you been glued to your dear Cohen day in and day out?"
"Not anymore. I’ll be spending more time with you from now on, okay?"
Reagan wasn’t convinced.
Audrey admitted, "I'm getting a divorce. Today I officially joined Perry Group to lead a project."
The weight of those two statements left Reagan speechless for a moment. As Audrey’s closest friend since childhood, she knew how deep Audrey’s feelings for Cohen ran. Despite knowing about Cohen’s feelings for Cleo, Audrey had still chosen to marry him. Why the sudden decision to divorce?
Regaining her composure, Reagan moved from across the table to sit beside Audrey and hugged her tightly, "Don't be sad. Why not just marry into our family? I’ll have my brother marry you!"
Audrey laughed at her absurdity. "Stop joking. Now, tell me about the information I asked you to check."
Releasing Audrey, Reagan pulled up her phone and opened her chat with her brother, showing Audrey the screenshots he’d sent.
"This is a contract with one of the Perry family's suppliers."
The total contract amount was ten times bigger than the previous high-value project, yet the unit prices were even higher than those Kaison had negotiated.
This didn’t add up. Usually, the larger the total contract amount, the lower the unit price due to bulk purchasing.
Audrey connected the dots for the upcoming issues and understood. The delay in progress was because relocation fees had been diverted by Kaison to the supplier.
Kaison wasn't paying any less than anyone else, perhaps even more. Still, he only asked the supplier to write down the contract amount at the lowest possible price.
Taking this falsified low bid back to the board, they'd be misled into believing Kaison was a capable negotiator, justifying giving him more projects.
Kaison could then embezzle money from more projects in this way.
Layer upon layer, robbing Peter to pay Paul.
No wonder in the previous life, the Perry Group had been handed to Audrey as nothing more than an empty shell.
Reagan, upon hearing this, was furious, "That scoundrel Kaison! He's stuffing his own pockets while sinking the Perry Group!"
Audrey's eyes were resolute, a spark of determination gleaming within them, "I won't let him get away with this!"
