All Chapters of Love Coated in Dust: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

...The alarm's shriek tore through the night, like a jagged blade slicing my sleep.I bolted upright, sweat drenching my pajamas.The memory of flames devouring my flesh still seared my mind. Barefoot, I stumbled out of my room and collided with my sister-in-law, Hannah Watson, who was also woken by the alarm."What's going on? Did someone break in?" she stammered, her face pale.It was worse than that."Safe room, now!" I grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the basement.She froze. "No, my baby is upstairs in the nursery. I have to get him."Only then did I remember the one-month-old Aldo Watson. He had been woken up by the alarm, and his cries echoed from the second floor.Hannah trembled. "We've got security guards, right? They must be coming to check the noise. I need to get Aldo."Despair hit me because my brother, Cole Watson, had taken every guard with him to escort his first love, Marie Banks, to watch a sunrise in the mountains.Even the servants had been dismissed

Chapter 2

This was all too familiar, almost eerily identical to what happened in my past life.Cole would return, only for Marie to die in an avalanche. Hannah and I survived the incident, but he killed us later.I tried to figure out how to tell Cole what was coming, but the curtain was suddenly ripped open.The intruders found us. One of them sneered, "Think you could hide here?"Hannah screamed, but the man silenced her with a brutal kick to her forehead, knocking her out."Dang it! I hate women screaming," he hissed, grabbing my hair and pressing a knife to my throat.Fear clawed at me, but I forced it down. "Stop! Hurt us, and you'll never get Cole's encrypted drive."He paused, which confirmed my guess. They weren't just here for revenge. They wanted the company's secrets.I swallowed, noticing a scorpion tattoo on his hand."Mike Turner, right? I'll take you to it," I said. "But you need to guarantee our safety. Your brother's death was an accident. We're willing to pay any compe

Chapter 3

Hannah, always so gentle and timid, had sacrificed herself to save me."Get her!" the thugs roared behind me.I ran barefoot through the snow, each step like knives, but I didn't dare to slow down.Holding Aldo, I sprinted for the woods.The cold wind sliced my face. Memories of my last life flashed back. Hannah and I had escaped from the clutches of these thugs, only for Marie's lies to doom us.This time, I'd make sure history didn't repeat itself.To shield Aldo from the cold, I stripped off my jacket and wrapped it around him. My teeth chattered as I pushed through the forest, snow numbing my feet.After what felt like an eternity, I stumbled onto a mountain road. Headlights pierced the dark, and hope flared in my chest.But my strength gave out. My frozen legs buckled, and I tumbled down a slope, curling around Aldo to protect him.My head struck a rock, blood streaming into my eyes. I collapsed in the road's center, barely conscious.Tires screeched. A car stopped inche

Chapter 4

I paused, then shoved Patrick away."What are you talking about?" I snapped. "This is life and death! How would I lie? You won't save her, fine, but don't make me confess to nonsense."Tears burned my eyes, and I stepped back. In my mind, Patrick was always gentle and doting, but now he felt like a stranger.Cole's voice crackled through the phone. "Patrick, you have ten minutes to convince her. Or you're done as deputy manager. Don't test me."The call cut off. Patrick's face twisted with desperation...."I clawed my way to this position!" he snarled, shoving the phone at me. "You heard him. Call and apologize. Don't screw me over."I slapped the phone away and yelled, "Have I ever lied to you? Can't you trust me just once? Hannah's life is at risk!"His hand cracked across my face, sending me sprawling. Blood dripped from my lips.I stared at his raised hand, my heart sinking."Don't be stupid!" he growled. "Last chance! Would you apologize or not?"He pinned my head to t

Chapter 5

...Before I could shoot, Hannah's faint voice stopped me. "Vicky, is Aldo safe?"She was still breathing. I lowered the gun and yelled at Patrick, "Call 911, now!"20 minutes later, police and paramedics swarmed the scene. Medics worked frantically, stabilizing Hannah's organs and lifting her onto a stretcher.I gripped her hand, sobbing and praying for a miracle.Patrick hovered nearby with his head down, avoiding my gaze. He glanced at my bloodied hands and mumbled, "You need a nurse to stop the bleeding. I'm sorry, Vicky. I didn't mean to hurt you. Cole pushed me."Sick with his voice, I slapped him. "Don't act like you care! If Hannah doesn't make it, both you and Cole are done!"Hannah was rushed into surgery. A nurse bandaged my hands.Patrick, knowing he'd screwed up, didn't dare to approach me again. Instead, he took out his phone and called, "Get to the hospital, Cole! Hannah is hurt. They issued a critical notice. Vicky wasn't lying."Cole scoffed, "I only fired you

Chapter 6

Patrick sat nearby, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night.He stumbled toward me, relief flickering, but tripped from exhaustion. Once, I would have rushed to his side. Now, I felt nothing but contempt.I ignored his babbling and demanded Hannah's situation.He told me that she was out of danger and had been transferred to the ICU for observation.Relief hit me. I broke down, sobbing."Is your hand hurting? Should I get a nurse?" Patrick reached out.I glared, and he flinched. "Get lost! You know how I got these wounds."He dropped to his knees, slapping himself. "I'm sorry. I should've believed you. Hannah wouldn't be like this if I had."He grabbed a glass ornament from the nightstand and smashed it into his hand. "Will it make things right if I break my hand? I didn't mean to hurt you. It was Cole. He..." Footsteps interrupted. Cole stormed in, furious. "I told you to scold Vicky, not beat her!"He kicked Patrick aside and turned to me. "In the end, this is your faul

Chapter 7

...In the nick of time, Patrick dove in front, taking the blow.Blood gushed from his forehead, but he didn't back down. "Vicky is telling the truth. Hannah is in the ICU. Why won't you believe your own sister?"I was shocked. Patrick, always cowering before Cole, had stepped up.Enraged, Cole seized Patrick's collar and slammed him against the door. "Who are you to yell at me? You're just a leech to my family. Trying to please Vicky is meaningless. One word from me, and your engagement is over. Get out of my sight, you disgusting thing!"Patrick, clutching his head, gave me a guilty look and left without a word.Cole got a company call and stepped out. Alone with Marie, I burned with rage. If I weren't bedridden, I'd have attacked her.Marie dropped her facade, sneering, "You're a cockroach, Vicky, escaping Mike like that. I hacked your alarm system so Cole wouldn't get the alert. But it doesn't matter. You and Hannah are still doomed to burn."Her words hit like ice. My pupi

Chapter 8

Cole's smirk stiffened....After helping me limp to the ICU, he saw how badly injured Hannah was. Casts encased her limbs, and blood seeped through her abdominal bandages."Hannah, can you hear me?" I limped to her bedside, afraid to touch her fragile form.She blinked weakly, a faint acknowledgment.Cole stammered, "What happened? You were faking to trick me. How did you end up like this?"Realizing I wasn't lying, he called the staff for answers.Unfortunately, Marie had bribed them, and they had left with money. Their phones were all dead.Still, Cole kept his head held high and deflected. "This isn't my fault. You brought this on yourself with your jealousy."Hannah's voice, faint but firm, cut through. "Divorce, Cole. I’m done."The room went silent. Even Marie blinked, stunned.Hannah, always docile, had never challenged Cole, no matter how blatantly he flaunted his affairs. "You're joking," Cole said. "What about Aldo? You want him to grow up motherless, mocked by

Chapter 9

On her discharge day, Cole showed up at the hospital.His neck was covered in hickeys, but he didn't bother to hide them."You're better now. Over your tantrum? I'll cut back on seeing Marie to keep you happy. Satisfied?" he said shamelessly.I wanted to curse him, but Hannah spoke first. "Well then, let's head to the courthouse and get the divorce done. You'll never see me again. Don't even think about fighting for Aldo's custody. I've got stacks of proof you cheated. Try me in court."Cole's bravado faltered, guilt flickering across his face. "Come on. It wasn't me who attacked you. The police will sort it out. Why take it out on me?"He paused and added, "You want a legal fight? So be it. I'll win."Just then, a familiar male voice rang from the end of the corridor. "Do you really think Hannah's suffering has nothing to do with you? Let's see if you can still run your mouth after hearing what's next."...We looked over and saw Patrick, who had been absent for a while.He w

Chapter 10

Cole's belated guilt meant nothing to Hannah.Her body and soul had already suffered unimaginable pain. Even if justice was served, the scars would never fade."Just get out of my sight," she said. "You make me sick. I'll never live with you again. Deal with Marie however you want. Just stay away. Deal with her as you like. If you truly feel guilty, then disappear. The farther, the better. Don't disgust me anymore."Before Cole could respond, I wheeled Hannah out, Patrick escorting us.Cole fell on his knees. He banged his head on the wall and wailed.Outside, Patrick apologized again for hurting me.At least, he was truly remorseful and much better than Cole."I know you'll never forgive me. I did something unforgivable," he muttered. "But ever since that day, I've wanted to make it right. Uncovering the truth was the least I could do."The rims of his eyes reddened, and he bowed. "I'm sorry. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I just hope you find someone worthy. I won't bother

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