One Night

Chapter 193

Audrey

made my way back to my friends, my mind racing with what I had just witnessed. They were still dancing, bodies moving to the pulsing beat, but Tina noticed me first. and waved me over.

“Where did you disappear to?” she asked, shouting over the music. Her face was flushed. from dancing, red hair slightly disheveled.

Without a word. I grabbed my friends’ hands and pulled them away from the dance floor.

“I just saw Fiona,” I said, glancing over my shoulder as if she might come for me at any moment. “I think… I think she was buying drugs in the alley. And her guards aren’t

here”

My friends’ eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure it was her? Like, absolutely positive?” Betty asked.

1 nodded, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “I think so.”

Avis frowned, her brow furrowing with concern. “Are you going to do something about it?”

I hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. “I don’t know. Should I tell someone? Maybe Claudia?”

Tina shook her head emphatically. “No. Audrey, you already have enough on your plate. Don’t get involved in this mess. You’ve got your thesis, your training, and your last semester to worry about. Let Fiona handle her own problems.”

“Tina’s right, Betty added before I could protest. “If Fiona’s really doing drugs, she’ll face her own consequences soon enough. It’s best if you just mind your own business and focus on yourself. You’ve got enough going on without adding this drama to the

mix.”

Avis nodded. “Plus, you’ve told us how… unpredictable she can be. If you tattle on her, who knows what she’ll do?”

I bit my lip, considering their words. They had a point. I was already struggling to balance everything in my life, and Fiona was a loose cannon. Maybe it was best, just this once, to let her bad decisions play out. It didn’t feel good, especially knowing that Claudia would be heartbroken if she found out that Fiona was now doing drugs, but… I

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Chapter 199

couldn’t risk being the one to blow the whistle right now.

“You’re right,” I said, although the words felt heavy on my tongue. “I’ll stay out of it.”

For now, at least.

The next day, I found myself at Claudia’s house, working on my thesis, just as I did. every Sunday. We were seated in her study, the room bathed in warm sunlight streaming through the large windows. Fabric swatches and sketches were spread out in front of us on the antique mahogany desk.

“So, have you and Edwin discussed any wedding plans yet?” my mother asked casually, looking up from a design I had just shown her.

I blinked, caught off guard by the question. My cheeks reddened and I quickly looked away. “Uh, not really. We haven’t talked about it much. There’s been so much going on lately…”

For a moment, I thought back to that ruby ring in the window of that shop. Someone had bought it, and I couldn’t deny the fact that I was a bit disappointed. I really liked it, and the thought of Edwin proposing to me with it made my heart flutter, even now.

Claudia nodded. “I understand. I was just curious. Have you thought about whether you would rather become Crescent’s Luna or have Edwin move to Silverbite someday?”

I fidgeted with a piece of fabric, my face reddening even more.

“Oh… I don’t know,” I admitted, thinking back to the sweet little town near Edwin’s mansion, of the way that people smiled and waved when we passed, of Hadley and the beautiful home that I had come to love over winter break. “I wouldn’t mind being Crescent’s Luna, but it’s hard to decide such things right now. Everything still feels so new and overwhelming.”

“You know,” Claudia said, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful expression on her face, “it would be possible to combine the packs if you wanted. Silverbite and Crescent have long been allies. You could be the tie that finally brings our packs together as one.”

My hands stopped moving over the desk. As intriguing as it was, the idea was overwhelming. Me, responsible for uniting two powerful packs? It seemed like too much, especially with everything else going on.

I glanced up at my mother, wondering if this was another expectation of the Silver Star. To bring not one, but two packs into a golden age…

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Chapter 193

But she was casually surveying a swatch of fabric, not staring at me with expectation. That was a relief.

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“Maybe… Maybe I just want to be ‘Audrey’ for a while longer,” I finally said. “Not having

uy particular title or responsibility like that. Is that… is that okay?”

Claudia’s expression softened, and she set the fabric swatch down. “Of course it’s okay, Audrey. If that’s what you want, then that’s perfectly fine. There’s no rush. It’s important that you feel comfortable with whatever decision you make. You have time to figure things out.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, my shoulders relaxing as the tension I hadn’t realized I’d been holding dissipated. It was nice to feel accepted as myself, not as the Silver Star or a future Luna or anything else. Just me. Just Audrey.

Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening, the noise echoing through the large house. Moments later, Fiona walked in, flanked by her two guards. She kissed Claudia on the cheek, the gesture casual and familiar.

“I just need to grab some things from my room,” she said breezily, her voice light and unconcerned.

I looked hard at Fiona, searching for any signs of drug use. But she looked perfectly put-together and sober, her blonde hair sleek and her makeup flawless. Not a hair out of place, not a hint of the shadowy figure I thought I’d seen in the alley last night.

Not that that was necessarily an indication that she hadn’t done drugs last night, but still.

Maybe I had just misunderstood what was going on, or maybe that wasn’t even Fiona at the club at all. I had been drinking, after all. Maybe I thought it was Fiona but it wasn’t.

Fiona disappeared into her room, the click of her heels fading down the hallway, and that was the last I saw of her all day.

As evening approached, Claudia suggested we take a break from thesis work to make dinner together. We moved to the kitchen, the change of scenery a welcome respite from the intense focus of our earlier work. I found myself relaxing as we chopped vegetables and stirred sauces.

“After dinner, we can work on making a mockup of your design,” Claudia said, stirring a pot on the stove. “I think it’s going to be beautiful, Audrey. Your talent never ceases to

amaze me.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Mom.” As soon as the words slipped out, I clapped

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Chapter 193

my hand over my mouth.

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Claudia’s eyes widened, and she nearly dropped the spoon she was using to stir. She turned to me, unshed tears glimmering in her gaze.

“Audrey… Did you just…”

I nodded, biting my lip. Tears misted over my eyes, too.

That was the first time I had called her that to her face: Mom. It had just slipped out, but it felt so right, so comforting.

Without a word, my mother threw her arms around me and held me tight. We cried into each other’s shoulders, forgetting about the food.

We spent the rest of the evening cooking, eating, and then working on my mockup. The fabric came to life under our hands, taking shape and form as we worked. By the time we finished, I was exhausted but happy. The design had come to life beautifully, and I felt a renewed sense of excitement about my thesis.

Not just my thesis, but about everything.

I said goodbye to my mother, hugging her tightly before I left. The drive home was quiet, the streets nearly empty in the late hour. When the driver finally dropped me off at home and I crawled into Edwin’s open arms, I didn’t even say a word. I fell asleep the second my head hit his chest, feeling more content than I had in weeks.

But my peaceful slumber was shattered the next morning by the incessant ringing of my phone. The harsh sound cut through my dreams, dragging me reluctantly back to

consciousness.

Groggily, I reached for it, squinting at the bright screen that burned my tired eyes.

“Hello?” I mumbled.

“Hello. Is this Audrey Klein?”

“It is. Who is calling?”

“This is Doctor Winters from Silverbite General Hospital,” the voice on the other end said. “I’m calling because your mother, Claudia Klein, was admitted a few hours ago.”

I sat up, suddenly wide awake. “What? What happened? Is she okay?”

As the doctor explained, Edwin stirred beside me, propping himself up on one elbow and blinking groggily up at me. I felt my heart pounding faster and faster, and it was all

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I could do to shakily hang up and turn to my mate,

“What is it?” he asked, his voice gravelly with sleep. “Everything alright?”

I thought I might be sick.

“It’s… It’s my mother,” I choked out. “She’s in a coma.