All Chapters of Love Burned to Ashes: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Drunk and reeking of alcohol, Connor stumbled back into the room. The moment he climbed into bed, he pulled her into his arms, wrapping himself around her from behind, his hand fitting snugly around her narrow waist.In a low, raspy voice, he murmured her name. "Samantha... Samantha, I missed you so much."His words and his touch were thick with tenderness, so convincing that Samantha found herself hesitating.Her back stiffened slightly. She placed her hand over his, inhaling deeply before testing him. "Connor, do you really love me?"His chin nuzzled into her hair like a kitten seeking warmth. Without a pause, he said, "I love you. I love you so much. Samantha, let's never be apart. Ever."Her eyes were blank, unfocused. She gently guided his hand to her chest, right over her heart.After a long silence, she echoed, "Alright. Let's never be apart."If Connor was willing to throw himself into this cruel game of revenge, then she was just as willing to offer up her entire life i

When Cathy's name was mentioned, something in Connor's expression hardened.Yes. It was Samantha who killed Cathy.Whatever happened to her now—she deserved it.And yet… why did his chest tighten ever so slightly when he thought of her, eyes red from crying, throwing herself into his arms?He couldn't help himself. He downed several gulps of liquor. Sweat formed on his forehead. It numbed his nerves just enough to push the thought away.Upstairs, Matt opened the door to his room. The air was thick with the sharp scent of alcohol, laced with the faint, cloying sweetness of perfume.He instantly became alert, his voice sharp and cold. "Get out. Now."From under the covers, a small figure stirred. Samantha's head slowly emerged from the bedding.She looked straight at him, lips curling into a calm, almost defiant smile. "Let's make a deal."Matt narrowed his eyes. "What kind of deal?""I'll give you one million. Just let me stay here for the night. You don't have to do anything.

Samantha stepped quietly back into the room, closed the door behind her, and made a call."Uncle, there's something else I need your help with," she said. "Can you look into something for me? Three years ago, at a dance academy in Reystein City—a girl jumped off a building. I want to know what really happened."It had only been three months since she'd reconnected with her uncle. Before that, she hadn't known she still had family in this world.He'd been urging her to come home ever since, to inherit the family estate. But she had loved Connor too much back then—so much that she kept refusing.Now she finally understood. No matter how passionate love might seem, it could never compare to the quiet weight of blood ties.This time, she would play the game herself. She would make sure that Connor spent the rest of his life drowning in regret and misery.…"Samantha, there's a party tomorrow," Connor said. "Reystein City's elite will all be there. I'll take you with me—introduce you

Soon, it was the anniversary of Cathy's death.Samantha was ready to disappear for good. She had already thrown away every gift Connor had ever given her. Even the photos they had taken together—all of them were tossed into the trash. There was nothing left in the apartment that belonged to her.Now, all that was left was to wait for the show to begin."Samantha," Connor said hesitantly, "I just got an email. Someone claims to have a lead about the fire three years ago. They want us to go to the site.""Let's go." Samantha didn't hesitate."Alright," he nodded. "I'll have the driver get the car."He took her hand, holding it tightly.Her fingers were ice-cold today. His palms were warm, yet no matter how tightly he held her, they never warmed up.The site of the fire had long since become a ruin—an abandoned building, still bearing the blackened marks of smoke on its walls. Inside, it was choked with dust."Don't worry, Connor," one of his friends had told him during a convers

"Connor, please, don't do this. You're scaring us.""We didn't think it would turn out like this. It'd only been ten minutes, and there were still so many parts of the building untouched. It shouldn't have turned out like this."Connor slowly followed the direction his friend was pointing, and, yes, the fire wasn't exactly huge.But Samantha was dead. She had a psychological trauma from the fire.When the flames first broke out, she must've been terrified. She might've passed out right there, too afraid to even hide.A heavy weight pressed on his chest. His body felt leaden as he stood up. He glanced at his friends, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "You guys did this! You killed Samantha!"Without another word, he bent down and lifted Samantha's lifeless body from the ground. Each step he took toward the exit was slow and painful.He tried to lean in, hoping to feel the warmth of her breath against his cheek, the way it had been when he arrived this morning. But there was n