The Moment I Realized I Can't Lose You novel Chapter 31

Hearing the heavy slam of the door upstairs, Joaquin felt an invisible weight crushing his chest. He tore off his tie, still feeling suffocated, and unfastened the top two buttons of his dress shirt.

His phone buzzed twice. It was a text from Felix Foster: [I looked into it. Audrey was having dinner at the Dynasty Hotel with a film crew tonight. Director Julian Chandler was hosting. It's the crew for Drowning in the Deep Blue. They've been auditioning actors all day. Audrey having dinner with them... does she want to be an actress like Rainey? She's gorgeous, obviously, but she has no formal training. The entertainment industry is a mess, and she's way too innocent for it. It doesn't suit her.]

Shoving his phone in his pocket, Joaquin scowled and headed upstairs.

In the master bedroom, Audrey had showered, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into bed. Perhaps she had drank too much water at dinner, but she tossed and turned, completely unable to sleep.

Remembering that she had promised Julian she would add a new character, she pulled out her script and leaned against the headboard to read.

She had written Drowning in the Deep Blue over a year ago, before she even married Joaquin. Some of the finer details were already fuzzy in her mind. If she was going to seamlessly integrate a new 'sick beauty' character without disrupting the plot, she needed to analyze the story from the beginning.

Joaquin pushed the bedroom door open. The first thing he saw was Audrey, completely engrossed in the script. She was so focused she didn't even notice him walk in.

Joaquin rarely saw her like this. As she stared down at the pages, the air around her seemed to settle into a serene, untouchable quiet—one he didn't dare disturb.

He stood there, watching her for an indeterminate amount of time, until the sudden ping of his phone shattered the silence.

Snapping out of his daze, Joaquin glanced at the screen. Another message from Felix: [Just asked around. There were definitely some rookie actors at that dinner tonight trying to kiss up to the director for a role. Is she seriously trying to get into showbiz?]

The notification also broke Audrey's concentration. She closed the script, a faint, mocking smile touching her lips. “Mr. Judd, are you afraid I'll run away and your precious Rainey won't get her bone marrow? Is that why you're guarding my room?”

Joaquin shot her an irritated look. “The entertainment industry isn't for you.”

Audrey froze, confused by the sudden pivot.

Meeting her bewildered gaze, his frown deepened. “Rainey wants to act because she studied theater. She has the background and the industry connections for it. You have absolutely nothing. Don't think you can just become an actress because you have a pretty face.”

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