Married To My Ex's Brother, Reborn Miraculously-Chapter 252: Audrey was poisoned.

Gustave stepped into Augustine’s office, a file tucked under his arm and urgency written on his face.

"We’ve finally tracked down the investigating officer," he said, placing the folder on the desk. "After retiring, he moved back to his hometown, a few hundred miles from here."

Augustine opened the file, skimming the details. "Does Nathan know?"

"Not yet," Gustave replied. "He is still looking. It seems his informants haven’t turned up anything. Should I reach out to him and share this?"

Augustine snapped the file shut. "No. Keep this to ourselves for now. Send someone trustworthy to speak with the officer, but keep it quiet."

Gustave nodded, retrieving the folder again. "Understood." After a moment of hesitation, he said, "One more thing. Megan has been released. Her accounts are settled. But there is something odd. She recently met with Lorie. And she even spoke to the HR department, trying to get Lorie rehired."

That caught Augustine’s attention. His eyes narrowed as something clicked in his mind.

’I’m going to see Lorie. She called me this morning. Sounded disturbed...’ Anne’s words from earlier came rushing back in his mind.

His expression darkened.

"Where is Anne now?" he asked urgently. "Get Sam on the phone. Now."

Gustave nodded and quickly dialed. Within seconds, Sam’s deep voice came through the line.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" Gustave asked. "Is Madam with you?"

"She is at a restaurant, waiting for her friend Audrey," Sam answered. "Do you want me to check on her?"

Gustave covered the phone with his hand and looked at Augustine. "She is waiting for Audrey. Want me to have Sam go in and confirm she is okay?"

Augustine exhaled, the tightness in his chest easing slightly. Right—Anne had mentioned dinner with Audrey tonight.

"No," he said after a pause. "Let them be. We don’t need to disturb them."

Gustave gave a short nod and relayed the message to Sam before ending the call.

He looked at Augustine, waiting for his instructions.

Augustine stood and reached for his coat. "Drive me home." He nodded toward the stack of files on the desk. "Bring those."

Slipping into his coat, he buttoned it and strode toward the door.

Gustave gathered the files and followed closely behind.

At the restaurant...

Audrey stepped into the private booth Anne had reserved and immediately spotted the box sitting on the table. "What is that? Pastries?" she asked, curious.

"No, cupcakes," Anne replied with a smile, sliding the box toward her. "Want one?"

Audrey opened the box, and the sweet, rich scent of freshly baked cupcakes wafted up, filling the air. "Mmm... they smell amazing," she said, picking one up. She gave it a gentle squeeze. "So soft... nice texture." Without hesitation, she took a big bite.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she chewed. "This is really good," she said, licking a bit of frosting from her lip. "You’ve got to try one."

She finished the first in just a few bites. "Can I have another?"

"Go ahead," Anne laughed. "Take as many as you want. Patricia baked them fresh today."

"Seriously? That’s hard to believe," Audrey said, already halfway through her second. "But whatever she did—it’s working. These are amazing."

"Why aren’t you eating one?" she asked between bites. "You are missing out."

Anne reached into the box and picked up a cupcake. She was just about to take a bite when Audrey suddenly began coughing.

Startled, Anne set her cupcake down and quickly grabbed a glass of water, holding it out. "Here, drink some water." She thought her friend was probably choked."

But Audrey was already gasping, her face quickly turning red. She clutched her throat, eyes wide with panic. "I... I can’t breathe," she rasped. "This cupcake..."

Anne’s heart jumped into her throat. She jumped to her feet, panic flashing in her eyes. "Audrey?" she cried out, rushing to her side. "What’s happening? What’s wrong?"

Audrey reached for her hand, gripping it tightly. "It hurts... I..."

Suddenly her body tensed, then jerked violently. She collapsed backward into the seat, her limbs twitching. Her lips began to turn a sickening shade of blue. Froth bubbled from the corners of her mouth.

Anne froze in horror, watching her friend seize in front of her.

It was clear now—Audrey had been poisoned.

Anne’s entire body trembled as a chill surged down her spine. "Help," she screamed, eyes wide with terror. "Somebody, please help."

Her cries echoed down the hallway, drawing a crowd of startled diners and staff. Faces appeared at the booth entrance, shocked and confused.

"Call an ambulance," Anne cried, wrapping her arms tightly around Audrey’s convulsing body. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please—someone—just call..."

Audrey was barely conscious, her breath ragged, her body limp. Anne rocked her gently, her own sobs breaking through the noise. "Hold on, Audrey... I’m getting you to the hospital. Just hold on..."

Moments later, flashing lights lit up the front of the restaurant as paramedics rushed in. They started emergency treatment and carefully lifted Audrey onto the stretcher. Anne stood frozen, her hands shaking as she watched them carry her friend out. freёweɓnovel_com

Her eyes fell on the box of cupcakes still sitting on the table.

Her face hardened, eyes burning with fury as she realized Patricia and Lorie had mixed poison in the cupcakes. "They tried to kill me, and Audrey paid the price. This won’t be tolerated."

She snatched the box and stormed out of the booth.

At the hospital...

Anne sat in the waiting area, her hands clasped tightly together on her lap, tears silently falling.

"Please be okay, Audrey," she whispered. "Please stay with me."

"Anne!" The sound of the familiar voice cut through the silence.

Anne looked up and saw Augustine striding toward her. The moment she saw him, the dam inside her burst again. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the weight of everything came crashing down.

She wanted to stand, to run to him, but her body wouldn’t move. She sat frozen, limbs heavy, heart breaking. It was as if she had been cemented to the chair.

Augustine dropped to her side and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"Shh, it’s okay," he murmured, pressing his cheek to her hair. "Don’t cry. Audrey is going to be fine. I’ve already called in the best doctors."

Anne clung to him like she was drowning, trying to hold herself together. Her voice came out cracked and shaky. "It was the cupcakes... Something was wrong with them. Audrey collapsed right after eating them."

Augustine’s brows furrowed. "Cupcakes?"

Anne sniffled and reached into her bag, pulling out the box. "Patricia baked them for me. I... I think they were poisoned." Her voice cracked again. "I shouldn’t have let Audrey eat them. I should’ve known better. I should’ve thrown them away."

She broke down, burying her face in his chest. "It’s my fault she is in danger... If anything happens to her, I can never forgive myself..."

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