Lahat ng Kabanata ng Shattered Vows, Silent Fire : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

The morning sun filtered lazily through the dense branches outside Carlos’s mansion, but inside, the air was cold and tense. Luca stepped into the bathroom, his face blank, movements robotic. He ran a hand through his midnight hair, splashing water on his face, trying to wash away the unrest simmering beneath his skin. It didn’t work.He tugged a black hoodie over his broad frame, not bothering to fix his slightly tousled hair. Like every other day, he would now blend in among the humans at college—pretending. Pretending he belonged in a world that moved too slowly, that tasted too dull.He hated it.He hated the fake smiles of the human girls who flirted with him. He hated the lifeless lectures, the pointless social events. Most of all, he hated that to maintain the façade Carlos had built, they had to walk among humans every single day. But lately, one thing—no, one person—was making this charade unbearable.Ashara.She had clawed her way into his thoughts like a ghost he couldn’t e

The glass-walled conference room echoed with the hum of low conversations and clinking coffee cups. Suits mingled. Deals were being drafted, mergers whispered over spreadsheets and handshakes. Kael stood tall, sharp in a tailored charcoal suit, his presence commanding without effort. His silver cufflinks gleamed under the warm recessed lighting, matching the steel in his eyes.Across the room, laughter burst from a small group of executives. In the center stood Carlos—regal as ever, his jet-black suit pristine, a calm smirk curved on his lips like a practiced gesture. His skin, pale but flawless, gave him a surreal beauty. He looked otherworldly, timeless—and yet perfectly at home in a room full of humans.A mutual friend—Arjun Patel, a tech billionaire from Mumbai—spotted Kael and raised a hand. “Kael! You haven’t met Carlos yet, right?”Carlos’s eyes flicked to Kael as Arjun approached, pulling the two men into the same space.“You both should know each other,” Arjun said warmly. “C

The music pulsed through the open air, lights flashing rhythmically as the party roared in full swing. Laughter, chatter, and the distant clinking of glasses blended into a warm, vibrant hum that filled the night sky. The bonfire crackled in the center of the clearing, throwing golden sparks into the wind, and Ashara stood beneath a canopy of fairy lights, laughing with Amaira and Jade, her smile wide and carefree.Zev leaned against the wooden pillar of the gazebo, a red cup in his hand, his eyes following her every move. There was something magnetic about the way she moved tonight—her happiness wasn’t just a look, it was a feeling that radiated off her, infectious and light, a stark contrast to the pain she’d carried for days. For the first time in a long while, Ashara was breathing freely, her burdens tucked away behind that smile. And Zev couldn’t look away.“Bro,” came Rayan’s voice from beside him, nudging Zev in the ribs. “This is the moment. If you’re gonna do it, do it now. S

The soft hum of silence wrapped around Ashara like a cocoon as her lashes fluttered open. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the warm morning light spilling across the wooden ceiling above her. For a moment, she lay there, blinking lazily as her body shifted and twisted over the soft mattress beneath her. The blanket was thick, the bed large, and the room… unfamiliar. But not frightening.A sigh escaped her lips as she stretched her limbs and sat up. Her fingers brushed over the silken sheets as she took in her surroundings—a cozy room with rustic charm, the wooden walls polished to a warm shine, fur rugs laid across the floor, and tall bookshelves flanking the walls. Everything looked elegant yet lived-in. A faint smell of cedarwood lingered in the air.Ashara slid her legs off the bed, her bare feet touching the cold but smooth floor. She wrapped the throw around her shoulders and padded toward the enormous window draped with sheer curtains. As she pulled them aside, her breath hitched—not

Luca could feel her eyes on him. Curious. Searching. As if she was trying to solve a puzzle she didn’t even know existed.Ashara leaned a little closer, her brows furrowed in subtle suspicion, and then—without warning—asked, “Do you wear lenses?”The question hit the air like a shard of ice. Luca didn’t flinch. But he knew immediately why she was asking.The cold.It was always the cold. Prolonged exposure to the snow had triggered the change—the faint, unnatural glow in his irises that shimmered like liquid mercury. It always happened when he let his guard down.And she had noticed.Luca held her gaze with an unreadable expression, then shrugged coolly, “Yeah. I do. Prescription lenses.”His voice was smooth, calm—too calm. But Ashara didn’t look convinced. In fact, her breath hitched as she stepped back just a little, her arms tightening around the quilt.She didn’t say anything, but her eyes betrayed her. There was fear there. A flicker of something primitive. Not because she under