All Chapters of When love turns to ashes : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

69 Chapters

The truth

The boardroom was still. A strange kind of quiet lingered—heavy, suffocating, like the air after a violent storm. Larry sat alone at the head of the long table, elbows on the polished mahogany, hands clasped together as he stared blankly at nothing. The city lights outside blinked against the window panes, mocking him with their calm.He tried to shake off June’s words, but they clung to him like wet clothes.“That baby was yours.”“You’ll carry the guilt of what you said tonight for the rest of your miserable life.”The words gnawed at the edges of his pride, corroding the lies he’d built into truths over time. He clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair.Was it possible?Had Audrey lied to him?The idea had seemed ridiculous before. But now—now, he wasn’t so sure. And the uncertainty was what terrified him the most. His confidence, once solid as concrete, had started to fracture.He picked up his phone, hesitated, then tapped Audrey’s name.It rang once.Twice.She picked up

Last Updated : 2025-07-01

The lion and the fox

Late evening. Audrey’s office, perched atop the Asika Global building, glowed with city lights. She dismissed her assistant and leaned back in her chair, checking her phone. A firm knock. Footsteps approaching. She shrugged on her usual confident smile.Xander Reeve walked in, composed and focused. He closed the door behind him. The buzz of the city dimmed.Xander (coolly): Who do we have in my office, huh?Audrey (tilting her head): Mr. Xander good to see you. But let's cut the pleasantries.Xander walked around the desk, folding his arms, eyes sharp and unwavering.Xander: My source says you’re behind the press leak pics, rumors, scandal. So I’m here for one reason: step away from June. Stay out of her life.Audrey let a laugh spill light, mocking, confident.Audrey: Oh, and if I don’t? What then, Xander? You’ll… what restrain me?She took a slow step forward, undermining his authority deliberately.Xander: Don’t pretend you don’t know. You orchestrated every leak, every photo spin.

Last Updated : 2025-07-02

Light through cracks

The overhead lights in Larry’s office cast a cold glare across the room. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city buzzed under the night sky, neon lights blinking like warnings he couldn’t read. Inside, silence held him hostage, broken only by the low hum of the air conditioner and the desperate rhythm of his own breath.He sat slumped behind his massive oak desk, shoulders hunched, tie loosened, one hand clutching the forged pregnancy report like it was a grenade he didn’t know how to throw or disarm.His voice was a whisper to no one.“What do I do?”He stood, pacing slowly like a man trapped in a cell of his own design. The walls didn’t feel like glass anymore—they felt like they were closing in.“My life’s a mess,” he muttered to himself. “How did I let it get this bad?”His mind wandered—unbidden—to the past.To June.To her laughter echoing in their kitchen as she danced barefoot while cooking.To the nights when he’d come home defeated, and she would sit with him in silen

Last Updated : 2025-07-03

Hope

June stood in front of her mirror, gazing at her reflection as a rare calmness settled over her. For the first time in weeks, she felt the anticipation of something other than war. No scandal to manage, no betrayal to survive just dinner. A moment. A man. And the possibility of something new.She chose a soft, off-shoulder cream blouse that hugged her collarbone delicately and paired it with high-waisted jeans that flattered her silhouette. It was casual but elegant effortless yet intentional. Her hair was swept back into a simple ponytail, soft waves cascading down her shoulders.She dabbed on her favorite perfume Amber Rose & Honey the one Larry always told her made her smell like heaven, but tonight, she wasn’t wearing it for a memory. She was wearing it for herself.And maybe… a little for Xander.Just then, her doorbell rang.June peered through the peephole and smiled. A well-dressed driver stood politely at her door. “Miss June? Mr. Xander sent me to pick you up.”She grabbed h

Last Updated : 2025-07-03

Crossroad

The night air was thick with warmth and the sweet scent of grilled spices still lingering faintly around the patio. The soft jazz had faded into silence, replaced by the muted hum of crickets and distant city noise.Xander held June gently as they swayed to the last bars of her favorite song. The way she leaned against him, head resting lightly on his shoulder, told him she was beginning to trust. Slowly. Carefully. Like a wounded bird unsure if this new hand would cradle or crush her.He closed his eyes briefly, drawing strength.Then, gently pulling back just enough to meet her eyes, he took her hand in his.“Give me a chance to love you, Miss June,” he said, his voice low but full of earnest emotion. “I promise—I swear—I won’t take it for granted.”June didn’t reply at first. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, into those brown eyes that had never once turned cold or calculating. Eyes that held no shadow of manipulation, no hint of dominance or power play—just

Last Updated : 2025-07-04

Secrets

Xander stood in the middle of his living room, his mind spiraling in chaos, his heart pounding against the walls of his chest like a caged animal. The atmosphere had shifted from the laughter of moments ago to a chilling silence that now hung like fog around him. June had left… stormed out… slapped him and he couldn’t even blame her.His fingers twitched as he ran both hands through his thick hair, pacing the floor like a man caught between loyalty and guilt. Then, without warning, he let out a sharp grunt and kicked the corner of the mahogany coffee table.“Damn it!” he hissed through clenched teeth, limping backward as pain surged through his toe. “You’re foolish, Xander. Stupid. She was falling for you and now she’s gone.”The sting of her slap still echoed in his mind, but what hit harder was the regret in her eyes. The betrayal. She had trusted him enough to come over… and he blew it. It wasn’t just about the kiss it was the timing. The pressure. His own impatience.He turned tow

Last Updated : 2025-07-04

Let’s get married

Audrey was lounging in her apartment, a glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other, scrolling through social media as a thousand thoughts bounced around in her head. Her nerves were frayed, her patience thinning. The forged pregnancy test report lay in a crisp envelope on the table, staring back at her like a loaded gun.She was banking everything on this—her relationship with Larry, her future security, her place in the spotlight. And now, she was seconds away from dialing one of the gossip bloggers, just in case Larry dared to back out.But her phone rang before she could.Larry.A victorious smile crossed her lips as she quickly answered. “Larry,” she purred, sitting up straighter. “Miss me already?”His voice was cold. Abrupt. “You said you want to get married, right?”Audrey blinked, caught off guard. “Of course I do. That’s what responsible men do when they have a baby on the way—”“Then get dressed,” he cut her off. “Meet me at the registry in two hours.”Her smile va

Last Updated : 2025-07-05

Weight of deceit

The he sky was gray and low, with heavy clouds looming as if nature itself was holding its breath. The quiet street in front of June’s house was still, save for the quiet hum of a sleek black car pulling up to the curb. The door opened, and out stepped Xander Hayes, dressed in a tailored navy-blue coat, holding a bouquet of soft pink peonies and white roses in trembling hands.His jaw clenched as he stood at the doorstep, eyes fixed on the door like it was a gate to both salvation and doom.“You can do this,” he whispered to himself, adjusting the collar of his coat and clearing his throat. “Just make her see you're sorry. Make her feel safe. Make her… fall.”He took a deep breath and knocked.A minute passed. Then two. He considered walking away until he heard soft footsteps approach from the other side. The door creaked open just enough for June to peek through.Her eyes narrowed the moment she saw him.Xander offered a weak, apologetic smile and held up the bouquet. “I… I wasn’t su

Last Updated : 2025-07-07

The truth

The neon lights of the bar flickered softly over Xander’s face, casting hues of blue and red on the whiskey glass in his hand. It was his third maybe fourth drink of the night, though he’d stopped counting after the second. The music in the background was muffled beneath the heavy haze of his thoughts, and the laughter of strangers only made the silence in his chest louder.He stared down at the amber liquid, watching it swirl gently as if the answer to everything would rise from its depths. But nothing came just more questions, more regrets, and more guilt than he knew what to do with.Across from him sat two of his closest friends, Andrew and Kelvin—men who had known him since college, when life was less complicated and decisions didn’t cost pieces of your soul.Andrew leaned forward, tossing a peanut into his mouth. “Okay, you’ve got to stop looking like someone stole your inheritance. Oh wait… you’re about to lose it, aren’t you?”“Very funny,” Xander muttered, rubbing a hand down

Last Updated : 2025-07-07

The trap

June curled up on her couch, a soft blanket over her legs and a glass of white wine in her hand. Her phone lay on speaker beside her, and the comforting voice of her best friend, Amara, filtered through, echoing the concern only someone who truly cared could carry.“So…” Amara’s voice trailed dramatically, “you’re really saying he asked you to be his girlfriend?”June exhaled a dreamy sigh. “Yes. He did. Last night.”“Okay, don’t keep me in suspense. Spill it all. What happened?”June smiled despite herself, staring at the bracelet on her wrist—silver, delicate, inscribed with words that had haunted her all day: "For every scar, a story. And you, June, are poetry."“He set up this… this beautiful rooftop dinner. It felt like something out of a movie, Amara. Candlelight, city lights, soft music, and he cooked too—well, hired a chef, but you get the idea.”“Hmm… classic seduction move.”“Stop it,” June giggled, blushing even though she was alone. “He was sweet. Thoughtful. Present. He a

Last Updated : 2025-07-07

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