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Chapter 9: Bad Blood and Bruises
publish date:
2025-12-06 04:36:20
Latest chapter
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 51: Honeymoon
ZANE’S POVI watched Lila push the eggs around her plate without eating much. The distant look in her eyes told me the news about her father sat heavier than she claimed. Steam rose from the eggs in thin curls that faded into the morning light coming through the kitchen windows. I set my own fork down and studied her face for a moment longer. The tension in her shoulders had not eased since she first heard the details the night before. I stood from my chair and walked around the table to her side. My hand rested lightly on the back of her chair as I leaned closer.“Finish what you can,” I said. “I need to step out and make a few calls before we leave.”She nodded and kept her gaze on the plate. A small piece of toast sat untouched beside the eggs. I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and walked into the adjoining room, closing the door enough for privacy without shutting her out completely. My phone was already in my hand as I dialed my assistant. The line connected after two rings.
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 50: Quiet Morning
LILA’S POVI woke to an empty space beside me on the bed. The sheets still held a faint trace of Zane’s warmth, but he was gone. My eyes scanned the room and found no sign of him. The bathroom door stood open and dark. I felt my chest seize as panic took over me. What if something had happened to him when I was asleep? What if his father had come back or worse? I threw the covers aside and scrambled out of bed, heart pounding as I grabbed a robe and tied it loosely around me. I hurried down the stairs two at a time, bare feet slapping against the wood. The living area opened into the kitchen, and there he stood near the counter, shirtless, a glass of water raised to his lips. Sweat still glistened along the lines of his chest and shoulders from what looked like a full morning workout. His hair was damp and messy. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and stared. Even after the night we had shared, the sight of him pulled at me hard. Heat gathered low in my stomach. My eyes traced ev
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 49: Night Return
ZANE’S POVI held Lila’s hand across the table as her words settled over the weight my father had left on me. The grilled chicken with lemon rice sat between us, and her quiet certainty that none of the blame for Marcus belonged to me eased the tight pull in my chest. I squeezed her fingers and managed a real smile for the first time since the villa door had closed behind him.“Thank you,” I said. “I needed that.” She smiled back and nodded toward the plates. We finished the meal together, trading small bites and light comments about the honeymoon packing still waiting at home. The rice had cooled a little but still carried the bright taste of lemon and herbs. I watched the way she chewed slowly, the soft curve of her mouth, the way her free hand rested near her plate as if she wanted to keep touching me even while she ate. When the last of the bread disappeared I paid the bill and led her out to the car.The drive back stayed quiet but comfortable. Her hand rested on my thigh the e
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 48: Public Storm
LILA’S POVI stood near the entrance of the high-end shopping plaza with several bags at my feet, the weight of them nothing compared to the worry sitting heavy in my chest. Shoppers moved past me in streams of chatter and footsteps, but my eyes kept scanning the road for Zane’s car. I had called him after finishing most of the list for our honeymoon, and he said he was already on the way. The conversation with his father had clearly happened, and the flat tone in his voice told me it had not been kind. I knew that look on Zane’s face before I left the villa, the tight jaw and the way his shoulders squared like he was bracing for a hit. Their conversations would have been heated, full of old wounds and accusations, and I hated that I had not stayed to stand beside him. Mia had met me earlier for the shopping. She had teased me the moment we finished the last store, bumping her shoulder against mine with a grin. “Look at you waiting for your husband to come sweep you away. Love looks
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 47: Zane’s Breaking Point
ZANE’S POV I closed the door behind Lila and watched the car disappear down the driveway before I turned back to face my father. He stood in the middle of the living room like he owned the place, arms crossed over his chest and eyes narrowed with that familiar mixture of disappointment and rage I had known my entire life. The tension in the air thickened immediately as I walked closer, my bare feet silent on the cool tiles.“What the hell was that media stunt yesterday?” he demanded, voice already rising. “You dragged the family name through the mud again, defending that woman like she is some innocent victim. You embarrassed all of us in front of the world.”I stopped a few feet away and met his glare head on. “I did what I had to do to protect my wife from the lies Ethan and her father spread. I have no regrets. Not one. Lila is my wife and she carries my child. I will not let anyone attack her without consequence.”My father laughed bitterly and stepped closer, jabbing a finger to
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 46: Shifting Tides
LILA’S POVI sat across from Zane at the candlelit table in our villa dining room, the aroma of roasted vegetables and grilled salmon filling the air between us. My fork moved slowly through the food as I scrolled through my phone with my free hand. The comments had completely flipped overnight. Where hateful messages once dominated every post, supportive voices now flooded the platforms.One user wrote, “Lila did what any woman would do to escape an abusive arrangement. Zane defended her like a real man should.” Another added, “The video from the bridal store says everything. Ethan and his mother exposed themselves.” Heart emojis and fire symbols poured in under clips of Zane’s press conference. I felt a heavy weight lift from my chest with each positive comment I read. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, not from sadness but from pure relief that people finally saw the truth. Zane reached across the table and gently took the phone from my hand. He set it face down beside his
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 12: Crash Landing
LILA’S POV I pushed through the revolving door of Apex Media and the whispers hit me like a wave. Two interns at the coffee machine stopped talking the second they saw me. A group by the printers turned their backs too fast. Someone coughed into their sleeve and another phone screen went dark the
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 11: Not Her
ZANE’S POV I woke up before the sun and stared at the ceiling until the sky outside turned gray. Sleep never came. Every time I drifted off I saw Lila standing in the middle of my living room clutching that stupid notebook like it could protect her from me. I saw the exact second my words landed.
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 20: Downward Spiral
LILA’S POV I rode the bus home in soaked clothes and ruined makeup with blisters burning on both heels. The driver kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror but said nothing. I sat in the back row and stared out the window watching rain streak the glass while my body shivered from cold and shame.
SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES Chapter 8: Shards
LILA’S POV The last guest left and the front door shut with a heavy click that echoed through the house like a judge’s gravel. Silence fell hard but my legs still shook, my thighs felt sticky and cold and the place between them throbbed with every heartbeat. I stood in the dining room holding a s
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