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Flames of passion

Author: Ishq
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-03 17:28:18

The old Blackwell estate looked even grander than any palace with windows glowing warmly in the dusk, the gardens trimmed to perfection, the air filled with the faint perfume of roses. But she felt none of its charm. Each step closer to those double oak doors tightened her chest like a noose.

Lucian had insisted on the visit. “She asked for us,” he’d said, his hand brushing hers as if reassurance could soften the sharp memories pressing at Isla’s ribs.

Us. The word carried a weight Isla wasn’t ready for.

When the door opened, the formidable figure of Eleanor Blackwell, Lucian’s grandmother, stood waiting, tall despite her age, draped in silk that whispered of old money and older prejudices of the woman. Her sharp eyes, icy and unblinking, skimmed Isla from head to toe before landing on Lucian with a brittle smile.

“Lucian,” Eleanor drawled, extending her hand. “At least one Blackwell remembers his duty.”

Lucian kissed her cheek politely. “Grandmother.”

And then her gaze returned to Is
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  • The Billionaire's Ex-wife is untouchable now   Blooming love

    A few days later, the air in the city carried a crisp and cold vibe. Isla instinctively pulled her coat tighter around her frame. Lucian was already there beside her, his hand automatically tugging the lapel of her coat closer, buttoning with a soft smile spread across his lips.“You’ll catch a cold,” he murmured, his voice low and affectionate.Her lips curved, not in a full smile but in a softer flicker of amusement. “You do realize I’m perfectly capable of dressing myself, don’t you?”“Perfectly,” he returned smoothly, though his icy blue eyes softened as they swept over her pretty face, “but I like doing it for you.”The words caught her off guard, and for a heartbeat Isla had to glance away, her heart beating faster. She still didn't know what to do with this cheesy husband of hers.Beside them, Selene cleared her throat dramatically. “If the two of you are done starring in your movie like Victorian romance, can we please move now? There’s an entire street of boutiques waiting.”

  • The Billionaire's Ex-wife is untouchable now   Sister Ties

    The next day after brunch, Sia suggested that Isla and Selene spend a little time together. “I just want the two of you to know each other better," she had said softly, touching Isla’s cheek as though still afraid that she might vanish. “You’re sisters. You deserve to know each other well.”At first, Isla hesitated. Her emotions were still raw, the word sister was still foreign on her tongue. But Selene’s hopeful smile was so disarming, so pure, so different from the poised and sharp young woman Isla had first met. There was vulnerability in her, an eagerness to connect with her sister that Isla couldn’t ignore.And so, she agreed.They spent the afternoon walking through the sprawling wide gardens of the Dufort estate. The air was cool, carrying the sweet scent of roses and freshly cut grass. Isla wore a soft cream sweater, while Selene had draped herself in a navy colored coat.For a while, silence stretched between them. It was not uncomfortable, but a bit tentative, like two peopl

  • The Billionaire's Ex-wife is untouchable now   A Daughter’s Place

    Isla found herself returning to the Dufort mansion every weekend now. At first, it was overwhelming, from the grandeur of the estate, the walls covered with portraits of a family she wasn’t sure she belonged to the warm but unfamiliar embraces she had come to accept. And just like that, little by little, the sharp edges of shock began to smoothen slowly.Sia would always greet her at the door, her arms open as if she had been waiting all week for this precious moment. Selene dragged her away on what she called “sister adventures” tea dates, shopping trips, late-night movies as if they were trying to create a lifetime of sisterhood into the years they lost together. But it was Dominic who surprised Isla the most.He didn’t push her. He didn’t demand her to call him dad.. He was simply there for her. Whether it was waiting patiently while she looked at those old photo albums, or walking beside her in the gardens, or watching Aaric run around the estate with a quiet smile, Dominic gave

  • The Billionaire's Ex-wife is untouchable now   His First Child

    The Saturday sun spilled golden light over the Duforts’ vast estate, its marble floors glowing under the sunshine. It was Isla's another week of agreeing to spend time with them, and this time Sia and Selene had insisted on a “girls’ day.” Lucian had been amused and relieved, when Sia promised that Aaric would be spoiled rotten under his grandfather’s watch.“Go,” Lucian had murmured at the car, pressing a kiss to her temple softly. “I’ll manage with Aaric today.”Isla let out a smile.Inside the glossy black limousine, Selene looped her arm around Isla’s with a sisterly ease that startled her. “We’re going to City Street first. The boutiques there are to die for. They are amazing ”Isla laughed softly. “I don’t really know if i should go-”“Oh come on, ice queen,” Selene teased, her eyes dancing just like their father’s. “Elser sisters don’t get to say no to their younger sisters.”Sia, sitting across from them, watched with a tenderness that seemed to ache through her watching her d

  • The Billionaire's Ex-wife is untouchable now   Weekend with the Duforts

    The drive to the Duforts’ mansion had become almost routine now, though Isla still felt a flutter inside her nerves each time the estate gates swung open. Lucian’s hand rested reassuringly over hers on the leather console between them while Aaric chattered excitedly in the backseat about his new grandparents and recounting every fun thing they had done over the past week.“It’s Sunday, Yay! We’re going to see Grandma Sia!” he squealed, bouncing in his seat. “And the garden flowers! And maybe we can play in the library too!”Lucian chuckled softly, shaking his head at his chirpy son,“Careful, Aaric. You might give your mother a whiplash with all that excitement.”Isla smiled at the nickname, a warmth spreading through her chest. Each weekend she had spent with the Duforts had been a careful balance of curiosity laced with hesitation, openness mixed with a lingering doubt.But slowly, she found herself letting go, allowing all the small gestures, the laughter, and the shared stories to

  • The Billionaire's Ex-wife is untouchable now   Warmth of a mother

    The Blackwell car rolled to a slow stop outside the wrought-iron gates of the Dufort estate. The early Sunday sun painted strokes of pale gold, dew still clinging to the edges like diamonds. Isla sat stiffly beside Lucian, her fingers absently tightening around the strap of her handbag. She had agreed to meet the Duforts again. She reminded herself. She had agreed to come here without Aaric, to see them as their daughter. Still, the very word tangled in her chest.Lucian reached over and touched her hand. “You don’t have to force yourself,” he murmured. His voice was quiet, protective, the tone he reserved only for her.“I know,” Isla replied, forcing a small smile. “But I need to know who I was before.”The gates opened and the car moved forward, revealing the sprawling Dufort’s mansion beyond.When they entered, Sia Dufort was already waiting at the top of the stairs. The older woman’s eyes softened as soon as they found Isla. She came forward quickly, not with hesitation but with

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