All Chapters of Second Chance At Rebirth: Beneath The Ashes: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Christine’s POVAfter the meeting with Mr Vandross, I headed straight home and not at Evelyn’s house. I’d planned to approach Evelyn to vent, but my feet carried me home instead. As I entered, the soft sound of the living room TV greeted me as I stepped inside. Grandfather Frederick sat in his favorite armchair, a glass of scotch in hand, his eyes fixed on a news channel droning about stock markets. Lisa, sat on the couch beside him, scrolled lazily on her phone.Before I could even offer my greetings, he broke the silence. “Any word on Evosphere?”I paused mid-step. “Francis is handling Evosphere, Grandfather. You know he’s got it under control.” I reminded him. I’ll invite him over for dinner soon, and you two can talk it through.” I added.Lisa’s head snapped up, her curiosity piqued. “Evosphere? What’s that about?” She tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear, leaning forward to face grandfather.Grandfather Frederick took a slow sip of his scotch. “It’s a business we’re

Christine’s POVThe moment I stepped into my office, I dropped my purse onto the desk and sank into my chair. My mind churned, replaying Zane’s smug smirk, his piercing eyes, and those cryptic words of his. “I take everything that matters to you very seriously, Christine.” Why was he so obsessed with my life? What was his angle? Every time I thought I had him figured out, he slipped through my grasp like smoke. It was infuriating, and worse, it left me rattled, my thoughts spiraling into unease.I leaned back, staring at the ceiling, my fingers drumming restlessly on the armrest. Zane wasn’t just a thorn in my flesh, he was a whole damn cactus, prickling at every move I made. Did he know more about Evosphere than he let on? Or was he just fishing, trying to unnerve me? This dude had a knack for getting under my skin, and I hated how much space he occupied in my head. I shook it off, forcing myself to focus. Just then, a sharp knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. “Come in,

Christine’s POVThis was shocking news to Francis. His face drained of rage, his mouth hanging open as the secretary’s words echoed in the sterile lobby of BrightWave Solutions. I acted surprised, shocked even as I forced my eyes to widen and I could feel Francis unraveling beside me.“How… how is this possible?” Francis stammered, his voice cracking as he turned to the secretary. “I met with them here. I sat in their office, shook hands with Ethan Carter himself!”The secretary’s sympathetic smile didn’t waver, but her eyes flicked between us, sensing the storm brewing. “I’m really sorry, sir, but Evosphere has never been tenants here. We’ve had a few others come by with the same story. It’s… well, it sounds like a scam.”“A scam?” I gasped, letting my voice rise with feigned disbelief. I turned to Francis, my eyes narrowing just enough to plant the seed of blame. “Francis, how did you not realize any of this? You were in charge of Evosphere. You met with them, vetted them. How could

Christine’s POVThe morning sun filtered through my office window at Harrington as I paced. I pressed the intercom button as I dialled Ashley’s number. “Ashley, send in Ruth Martinez from accounting.”A moment later, Ruth, the company’s senior account officer, stepped in. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her expression was cautious, as if she sensed the storm brewing. “You wanted to see me, ma’am?”“Yes” I gestured to the chair across from my desk, leaning back on my own with the calmness I could mutter. “I need you to make some changes to Francis’s compensation as a shareholder.”Ruth’s brow furrowed as she flipped open her clipboard. “Changes? What kind?”“Cut all forms of his salaries and bonuses tied to his shareholder status,” I said, my tone unyielding. “If he’s earning, say, $60,000 monthly, reduce it to $20,000. Effective immediately.”Ruth’s pen froze mid-note. Her eyes widened, darting up to meet mine. “Twenty thousand? Ma’am, are you sure? That’s… drastic. Franci

Christine’s POVFrancis’s fists clenched, his face filled with defiance and desperation. “When did it come to this, Christine?” he asked. “When did we become this?”I stared at him, refusing to let his emotions affect my decision. My fingers gripped the edge of my desk. “It became like this the second you decided to steal, Francis, secretly meeting people.” I said, my voice cutting through his attempt at sentiment. “You made that choice. Not me.” I added.For a moment, I thought he might snap at me and act dominant like he always does. “Christine, please,” he said, stepping closer. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. You have to believe me. I’ll fix this. Just… don’t do this to me. Don’t cut me off like this.” His words sounded genuine that I almost believed him.I turned away, my gaze fixed on the window. His begging grated against my nerves, each word a reminder of his betrayal. “You’re wasting your breath,” I said coldly, not bothering to look at him. “You admitted to the fraud,