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Chapter 23
Last Updated:
2025-04-01 00:21:22
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From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 24
Camilla.The sun beat down on my skin as I walked through the crowded streets, exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. My feet ached from hours of trekking, and my stomach twisted in hunger, but I couldn’t afford to stop. Racheal was running out of time, and I still had no idea how I was going to come up with five thousand dollars. I had spent the entire morning searching for work—any work. But everywhere I went, the answer was the same. “Sorry, we’re not hiring."“We don’t need extra hands right now."“Try again next week."Desperation clawed at my chest. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my fingers trembling slightly from exhaustion. I couldn’t let Racheal die. She had taken me in when I had no one, and now it was my turn to save her. With no other options, I made my way back to the same construction site I had worked at before. My body still ached from the last time, but If this was the only way to make money, I would do it. When I arrived, the foreman looked at me w
Last Updated : 2025-04-01From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 25
Julia.I carefully adjusted Isaiah’s collar, smoothing out the creases as he finished his breakfast. “Are you excited for your first day, sweetheart?” I asked, forcing a smile. He nodded, his tiny fingers gripping the edge of the dining table. “Will you come pick me up later?” “Of course,” I reassured him, kissing the top of his head. “I’ll always be there.” Just as I turned to grab his backpack, the door to the kitchen burst open, and Benjamin stormed in, his face twisted in fury. “What the hell is this, Julia?!” he roared, slamming a stack of papers onto the counter. “You locked all the company’s bank accounts? Made them only accessible to you? What kind of sick thing is this?”I straightened, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m securing my company, Benjamin. That’s what I’m doing.” His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “This isn’t just your company now! Remember you entrusted everything to me! Honestly I would have blocked you out with I had the chance to, you stup
Last Updated : 2025-04-01From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 26
Camilla.The hospital room smelled of antiseptic and something stale—like a place where hope had long since faded. I sat beside Racheal’s bed, holding her frail, trembling hand, watching her chest rise and fall with slow, labored breaths. Her once-bright eyes were dull, her lips dry and cracked. The doctor’s words still echoed in my head. “Her other kidney is failing. If we don’t act soon, she won’t survive."I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked back the tears threatening to fall. The small jobs I was doing barely covered food, let alone the surgery she needed. I needed more money. Fast. As if sensing my turmoil, Racheal stirred, her fingers curling weakly around mine. “Camilla…” she murmured, her voice hoarse. I leaned in. “I’m here.” Her lips twitched in what was meant to be a smile, but it barely lifted the corners of her mouth. “Don’t… worry about me.” My chest ached. “How can I not?” She exhaled shakily. “You always look so sad.” I forced a small laugh.
Last Updated : 2025-04-02From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 27
Grey.Bryce leaned back in the chair opposite mine, swirling the whiskey in his glass with a smirk on his face. "So, tell me again how the perfect date with the governor’s daughter turned into a complete disaster?" I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I don’t even know where to start." Bryce chuckled. "Start from the moment you realized she was an absolute nutcase." I shot him a glare, but he just grinned wider. "Alright." I exhaled sharply. "So, we meet at that fancy new restaurant downtown, right? She walks in, wearing this insanely sparkly dress, looking like she’s about to walk a red carpet rather than have dinner." Bryce nodded, eyes full of amusement. "Sounds normal for your usual dates." "Yeah, well, I should’ve known I was in trouble the moment she sat down and said, ‘So, tell me, Greyson, what are your thoughts on reincarnation?’" Bryce nearly choked on his drink. "No way." I deadpanned. "Dead serious." Bryce burst into laughter. "Oh, I love this already. Please c
Last Updated : 2025-04-03From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 28
Julia.The conference room was a buzz of excitement as I walked in, my heels clicking on the polished floor. I adjusted my blazer and smoothed down my skirt, feeling the familiar sense of confidence that always came before these important meetings. My team had worked tirelessly to prepare for this, and now, it was time to reap the rewards. We were about to present the new project plan to potential investors, and I knew it would be a game-changer.I made my way to the front of the room where my team was already gathered around the presentation table. There were some nods and smiles, but I could tell they were all feeling the pressure. I gave them a reassuring smile, my pulse steady despite the stakes. "Alright, team. This is our moment," I said, my voice firm but warm. "We've done the groundwork. Let’s make them see what we’ve got."The lights dimmed as the projector flickered to life, and I took my place in front of the screen, flipping through slides with the usual precision. The inv
Last Updated : 2025-04-05From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 29
Camilla.The harsh light of the early morning sun filtered through the cracks of the abandoned building, casting long shadows across the dusty floor. I blinked, disoriented, as the cold concrete floor pressed against my back. I had been sleeping on the ground for two days now, a makeshift pillow under my head. My body ached.I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly, my fingers brushing through the tangled mess of my hair. The building was silent except for the occasional creak of the wooden beams overhead. I had gotten used to the stillness.As I stood up and gathered my things, the sound of footsteps echoed in the empty space. My heart skipped a beat, and I froze, my eyes darting toward the doorway. A man stood there, his silhouette framed by the weak light that came in from outside. He was tall, and all he did was stare at me for a while.“You need to leave,” his voice was gruff, with no hint of apology. He didn’t offer a greeting or explanation, just the command. “We’re renovating the bu
Last Updated : 2025-04-07From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 30
Grey.I woke with a jolt, my head pounding like a drum, every inch of my body aching as though I had been trampled. For a moment, I couldn’t even recognize where I was. Fuck! I couldn’t see anything. My breath came in shallow, frantic gasps as I struggled to make sense of everything. What baffled me was the fact that none of the police force had been able to find me.I blinked, trying to clear the haze from my mind. My eyes were blurry, and there was something thick in my mouth. Panic surged within me as I instinctively tried to speak, only to find that my lips were sealed shut by something tight. My heart pounded faster as I twisted my head, trying to move, but the bindings around my wrists and ankles restricted my movements. I was tied down.Where the hell was I?I tugged harder against the ropes, but they only tightened, digging into my skin. My throat was dry, like sandpaper, and my stomach growled in hunger. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I had eaten anything. My
Last Updated : 2025-04-09From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 31
Grey.I woke up with a jolt, gasping for air like I had been underwater for too long. My eyes snapped open, and the first thing I saw—no, it couldn’t be. There, standing in front of me like some kind of twisted hallucination, was her. Camilla.She looked exactly the same as the last time I saw her. Same dark, curling hair. Same soft eyes that had held so much warmth. My heart stopped for a beat, and I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All I could do was stare, my breath hitching in my chest.“Camilla?” My voice was barely a whisper, fragile like I was afraid if I spoke too loudly, she would disappear. I blinked, trying to clear the fog in my mind. This couldn’t be real.But there she was.She didn’t answer at first. She just stood there, her expression unreadable. I could feel my pulse thumping in my ears, but I didn’t dare look away.“Camilla, what are you doing here?” I asked again, my voice shaking now. My mind was racing—seven months ago, she had told me she was pregnant with my chil
Last Updated : 2025-04-09
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From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 46
Julia.I couldn’t stop shaking.My hands trembled as I poured a splash of brandy into the crystal tumbler. It sloshed over the rim, dripping onto the polished oak table, but that was the least of my problems. My mouth was dry, and the burn of the liquor was the only thing anchoring me to the moment.That idiot. That absolute, bumbling, thick-headed idiot.He got caught. After I paid handsomely, I might add — to make Rose go away, had somehow managed to get himself picked up by the police like a common thug. The very thought made my skin crawl. I pressed my palm against my forehead, dragging it down my face, smearing the sweat and brandy as I went.Worse, I’d heard the whispers.Rose wasn’t dead.They said she was in a coma, clinging to life like a weed in concrete, and the police were sniffing around like dogs who'd caught the scent of something rotting. My chest felt tight, and I struggled to draw in a full breath. If she woke up… if she talked—I downed the rest of the brandy in a s
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 45
Camilla.At first, I thought it was just a voice in my dream—soft and distant, like someone calling to me from the bottom of a well. “Camilla,” it said. Gentle. Urgent.Then it came again, louder, slicing through the fog in my mind.“Camilla!”My eyes flew open, breath catching in my throat. The world tilted as I sat up too fast, and for a moment, everything spun. Cold air wrapped around me like icy fingers, and I blinked against the grey haze.Miri was crouched beside me, her hands trembling as they gripped my shoulders.“Camilla! Oh thank God—you scared the hell out of me,” she breathed, voice cracking. Her eyes were wide, glassy with tears that she clearly didn’t want to fall. “Don’t you ever do that again!”“I—” My voice came out hoarse, dry as dust. I touched my forehead, wincing as a dull ache throbbed behind my temples. “What… happened?”“You fainted.” She sniffed, wiping at her cheek with the sleeve of her hoodie. “Right in front of that damn grave. One second you were standin
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 44
Camilla.I stared at them both—Grey and Bryce—with the kind of raw expectation that threatened to tear me apart. My voice trembled, though I tried to lace it with fire."Who the hell is Camilla?" I snapped. "What did you mean when you said I was her?"Silence. Deafening, suffocating silence.My heartbeat pounded like war drums in my ears. Grey glanced at Bryce, his mouth opening, then shutting again like a fish out of water. He looked… scared? No, stunned. I stepped forward, eyes wild. “Answer me!”Grey finally stammered, "Iv—I mean, Cam— I mean, listen, this isn't easy to explain."He winced as if even the name burned his tongue.“Stop looking at me like that and just tell me!” I screamed, the name Camilla ringing in my head like a curse. “Tell me what you know. I woke up in that hospital and I couldn't remember anything! And yes, I had to name myself Ivory or maybe my aunt gave me that name.”Grey scrubbed a hand over his face and then shoved Bryce forward like he couldn’t bear to
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 43
Grey’s POVI sat behind my desk, fingers idle against the cold mahogany surface, but my mind? It was a storm. The soft clicking of the clock on the wall was the only sound in my office, yet it felt deafening, as if it were mocking me for how distracted I’d become.Ivory.Her name whispered in my mind like a damn prayer and a curse at once.I’d told myself this marriage was just a contract—an arrangement, a strategy. But ever since the night we made love, something had cracked open in me. I couldn’t get the way she’d whispered my name out of my head, the softness of her lips against my skin, the way her body had curled into mine like we belonged together. It was just sex, I told myself. Just a lapse. But it didn’t feel like it.And that terrified me.I slammed a file shut harder than necessary, the sharp snap echoing through the room. My jaw tightened. No. No, I couldn’t let this happen. Falling for her would only complicate things. She wasn’t supposed to matter this much.“Mr. Grey?”
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 42
Camilla.I didn’t tell anyone.Not old lady that has been friendly lately, not even Miri—no one. If I opened my mouth, they’d try to stop me. Maybe not out of malice, maybe out of fear or love or whatever, but it didn’t matter. This was something I had to do. Alone.The newspaper felt damp in my hands, crumpled and nearly torn at the edges from how many times I’d folded and unfolded it throughout the night. The image on the front page stared up at me like a challenge—her face, my face. That woman... she could be my exact replica, if not for the blank emptiness in her eyes. And there, in bold print beneath the photograph, was the name of the venue where it all supposedly happened.I held the paper tighter, slipping past the east wing of the mansion, careful not to make the floorboards creak. My heart thundered in my chest, screaming that someone would catch me, but no one did. The morning air hit me like a slap the moment I stepped outside—sharp and cold, waking me up in ways that no a
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 40
Camilla.The soft rays of morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I stretched lazily, feeling the remnants of a wonderful dream about Grey. Last night had been perfect. He’d held me close, kissed me with such intensity, and whispered promises of forever into my ear. It had felt so real, so right. I smiled at the thought of it as I slowly sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes.But as the haze of sleep lifted, something felt… off. I glanced around, noticing immediately that the space beside me was empty. The sheets where Grey had been just hours before were cold, undisturbed. I reached out instinctively, as if hoping to feel him beside me, but there was nothing. The bed was just a bed, and it felt like it was missing a piece.A small pang of disappointment blossomed in my chest. Where did he go?I stood up and pulled on my robe, then quickly made my way out of the room. My feet moved automatically, but my mind was clouded. I hadn’t expected him to be gon
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 39
Grey.What was she doing?Restlessly, I swept my gaze around her room, passing indifferently over the bed. I tried to pierce the darkness beyond, and focus on her bathroom where I knew she was. But the night was impenetrable. Earlier, I’d heard her splashing water. Then I’d heard sniffling. Now—nothing. Just the cry of a lonely owl.What the hell was she doing?It felt like she’d been gone for a long time, but I knew it hadn’t been more than ten or fifteen minutes. So why was I impatient? Patience had been a survival skill I’d learned long ago. But my mind was playing tricks on me—cruel, vivid tricks. I imagined her unbuttoning her blouse, baring her big, white breasts to bathe. I stood and began pacing, tugging at the crotch of my trouser. I wasn’t used to this kind of frustration.I was spoiled when it came to women. They always wanted me. All of them. I couldn’t remember one who hadn’t. But this one? She was different. A lowlife that probably doesn't even know her real name. I didn
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 38
Camilla.I’d never known boredom could be this loud. The silence of the mansion roared in my ears as I paced around my room, again, arms folded, lips pressed into a thin line. The walls felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with every passing hour. I wasn’t a prisoner, technically, but that’s exactly what it felt like. A golden cage wrapped in luxury, yes—but a cage all the same.Grey hadn’t come to see me all day. Again.I flopped onto the bed, rolling onto my side to stare at the cold, untouched spot next to me. My hand hovered over the sheets, then clenched into a fist. I was done being ignored. If Grey wasn’t going to give me attention, then I’d get it elsewhere—even if it meant sneaking out.When Miri, one of the younger maids, walked by my room with a tray of clean towels, I sprang to the door like a woman possessed.“Miri!” I called, soft enough not to draw attention, but loud enough to make her stop.She peeked her head in, cautious. “Yes, ma?”I stepped closer, dropp
From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride Chapter 37
Benjamin.I was seething.My hands were trembling, fists clenched so tightly my knuckles had turned bone white. I could still feel the sting of humiliation crawling under my skin, burrowing deep like a parasite I couldn’t kill. She threw me out—threw me out like I was some houseboy she caught stealing silverware.Julia.I could still see her face, jaw tight, eyes burning like acid when she stormed into the room and found Rose and me having sex in that bed. No words. No screaming at first. Just silence. And then hell broke loose. The sound of her voice still echoed in my ears—sharp, cold, controlled.“Get. Out.”At first, I thought she was bluffing. I sat up, dazed. “Julia, listen—”“No. No explanations. No fake apologies. Just go.”I’d never seen her like that. I wasn’t sure if it made me angrier or just… shocked. But when she turned and walked out of the room like I didn’t exist, like I didn’t matter, something inside me snapped.I didn’t even realize I’d started trashing the place u
