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Chapter 22: Night Falls
publish date:
2025-12-29 00:48:46
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SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 39: The Wrong Groom, Right Man
LILA’S POV I sat in the private suite at the hotel, staring at my reflection while the makeup artist brushed soft powder across my cheeks. The wedding was supposed to start in less than an hour. My hands would not stop trembling no matter how hard I tried to steady them. Mia stood beside me, fussing with a loose strand of my hair, her face tight with worry.A sleek black car had picked us up from her apartment earlier that morning. I had followed Zane’s instructions exactly, acting as if nothing had changed. But inside, my stomach twisted with doubt. His father’s brutal words from the night before still echoed in my head. He had called me a worthless commodity Ethan had already purchased for twelve million dollars. He had reminded me that women like me existed only to fulfill men’s obligations. The threats he made if I dared choose his son instead had left me cold with fear.Mia leaned closer, voice low so the stylists could not hear. “Are you really going through with this? It feels
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 39: The Wrong Groom, Right Man
LILA’S POV I sat in the private suite at the hotel, staring at my reflection while the makeup artist brushed soft powder across my cheeks. The wedding was supposed to start in less than an hour. My hands would not stop trembling no matter how hard I tried to steady them. Mia stood beside me, fussing with a loose strand of my hair, her face tight with worry.A sleek black car had picked us up from her apartment earlier that morning. I had followed Zane’s instructions exactly, acting as if nothing had changed. But inside, my stomach twisted with doubt. His father’s brutal words from the night before still echoed in my head. He had called me a worthless commodity Ethan had already purchased for twelve million dollars. He had reminded me that women like me existed only to fulfill men’s obligations. The threats he made if I dared choose his son instead had left me cold with fear.Mia leaned closer, voice low so the stylists could not hear. “Are you really going through with this? It feels
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 37: Midnight Promises
LILA’S POVI sat alone in the small bedroom at Mia’s apartment, legs tucked beneath me on the narrow bed while the clock on the wall ticked past midnight. Tomorrow had come. Saturday waited just hours away, the day I was supposed to stand in front of family and strangers and marry Ethan. The weight of that reality pressed down on my chest until every breath felt heavy.Zane’s father had called earlier in the evening, and his words still rang in my ears like sharp glass. He had spoken without any softness, delivering each sentence with cold brutality. He called me nothing but a piece of crap that the men in his family would pass around like a cheap toy. He reminded me that as a woman my only purpose was to fulfill the obligations placed on me by men. He knew about the twelve million dollars now. He knew Ethan had bought me outright, and he did not care one bit. In his eyes I had become a simple commodity, something paid for and therefore owned. He insisted I must marry Ethan because t
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 37: Midnight Promises
LILA’S POVI sat alone in the small bedroom at Mia’s apartment, legs tucked beneath me on the narrow bed while the clock on the wall ticked past midnight. Tomorrow had come. Saturday waited just hours away, the day I was supposed to stand in front of family and strangers and marry Ethan. The weight of that reality pressed down on my chest until every breath felt heavy.Zane’s father had called earlier in the evening, and his words still rang in my ears like sharp glass. He had spoken without any softness, delivering each sentence with cold brutality. He called me nothing but a piece of crap that the men in his family would pass around like a cheap toy. He reminded me that as a woman my only purpose was to fulfill the obligations placed on me by men. He knew about the twelve million dollars now. He knew Ethan had bought me outright, and he did not care one bit. In his eyes I had become a simple commodity, something paid for and therefore owned. He insisted I must marry Ethan because t
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 36: Old Wounds
ZANE’S POV Evening settled over the penthouse, wrapping the living room in soft shadows while I sat on the wide leather couch with a glass of cold water in my hand. My assistant stood nearby, tablet in grip, running through the detailed schedule for the upcoming hockey tournaments and exhibition games that would shape the rest of the season. He listed practice times, travel arrangements, key matchups against rival teams, and recovery protocols, his voice steady and professional. I nodded at the right moments, but my mind wandered far from the ice. Every few seconds my thoughts pulled back to Lila, to the fear in her eyes yesterday at the bridal shop, to the way her body had shaken against mine in the car afterward. The bruise on my knuckles from punching Ethan still throbbed faintly, a constant reminder of how close things had come to spiraling completely out of control.My phone vibrated sharply on the coffee table. Father’s name lit up the screen once again. I stared at it for a
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 35: Fractured Spotlight
LILA’S POV I woke to soft morning light filtering through the penthouse curtains. The bed felt warm where Zane had lain beside me, but the space next to me stood empty now. Memories from yesterday crashed over me in a rush: Ethan’s tight grip on my arm, his mother’s cruel taunts, the bright lights of the bridal shop, and Zane storming in like a force of nature. My hand drifted to my stomach. The baby. Our baby. I had been too weak to fight back, too scared to protect us both. Guilt twisted sharp in my chest. I should have stood stronger. I should have found a way to speak up before things escalated.The wedding loomed closer than ever. Friday had arrived, and Saturday waited just one day away. I needed to decide fast, but every option felt like stepping off a cliff.My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Mia’s name flashed across the screen. I answered quickly, voice still thick with sleep.“Mia?”“Oh my God, Lila, where have you been?” Mia’s words spilled out fast and worried. “I’ve bee
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 19: Rain and Regret
ZANE’S POV I followed her because I knew Ethan. I knew how he treated things he thought belonged to him. I knew the look on his face when he felt ownership slipping. And I knew Lila wouldn’t back down easy, which meant things could turn ugly fast. Victoria called me on my way to the rink. She so
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 18: A Marriage With Thorns
LILA’S POV Zane pulled away from the curb and drove through the snow without another word. The city lights blurred past the windows and the heater blasted warm air that did nothing to thaw the chill inside me. His words echoed loud in my head. You’re not marrying him. It is now. He said it like
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 17: Game Day
ZANE’S POV I walked into the locker room as the noise hit me like a wall. Guys shouted over each other as music thumped from someone’s speaker, the air smelled like sweat, tape, and adrenaline. I dropped my bag on the bench and started stripping down. My shoulder still ached from yesterday’s pract
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 16: Walk of Shame
LILA’S POV I woke up to sunlight slicing through the unfamiliar blinds and a body that felt thoroughly used. Every muscle ached in the best and worst way imaginable, between my legs throbbed with a dull sweet soreness that brought last night rushing back in vivid color. Zane’s mouth on me as his h
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