Lahat ng Kabanata ng From Dust to Ashes: A scorned Bride : Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

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

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?”

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

Camilla.The grave had my name on it.That single, damning fact had been gnawing at the corners of my mind for days. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t focus. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it—the weather-worn stone, the hollow silence of the earth around it, the way the letters had been carved like someone wanted to make damn sure I’d be remembered. Or buried. I didn’t know which was worse. And then I still can't fathom why I was able to remember that woman I saw in the cemetery. I knew it in my guts that she had something to do with my murder.I paced my room like a caged animal, the walls closing in tighter with every passing hour. The curtains were drawn back, letting in the sharp, golden glare of morning sun, but even light felt heavy here. Like it knew secrets I didn’t. Like it mocked me for every breath I took above ground.I pressed my palm against the glass, trying to ground myself. My reflection stared back—hair unkempt, eyes shadowed with exhaustion, lips drawn in a tight lin

Camilla.I couldn’t take it anymore.The absurdity of not knowing, of constantly wondering, questioning, doubting everything I’d ever been told. Each day I woke up pretending to be okay, pretending that everything was normal, but inside, something was unraveling.And that night, it all came to a head.I paced my room, biting at the skin around my thumbnail, the way I always did when I was on the edge. I grabbed my phone and texted her.Me: Miri. Please. Come to my room. It’s important.A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door. I rushed over and opened it just a crack.Miri stepped in quietly, her face immediately tensing when she saw mine. “Cam… are you okay?”I shook my head. “I can’t wait anymore. I need to go tonight.”Her brows drew together. “Tonight? You mean the cemetery?”“Yes.” My voice trembled, but I continued. “I need you to come with me. Please, Miri.”She stared at me, lips parted, clearly caught off guard. “Camilla, it’s not safe. What if someone sees us