Semua Bab When love turns to ashes : Bab 61 - Bab 69

June continued patting Xander’s back, her hand moving with gentle patience as though coaxing the sorrow out of him stroke by stroke. She didn’t speak for a long time, didn’t rush him. She just stood there, steady as stone, a sanctuary in his unraveling.And when his sobbing finally dulled to shallow breaths, she leaned back, peering down into his face. His eyes were puffy and red. His lips trembled even in silence. He looked exhausted like a man who had fought too many battles alone and was now at the brink of surrender.“What is it, Xander?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why are you apologizing like this? You can tell me anything, you know that, right? You know you can.”He stared into her eyes, and for a moment she saw something flicker behind his something like panic, but it was more than that. It was devastation, guilt, helplessness… and love. That was what made it all so terrifying. That he loved her deeply but still looked like a man preparing to destroy her worl

The living room was quiet, dimly lit by the fading evening sun that streamed through the tall windows. Larry sat on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped tightly in front of him, knuckles white with tension. Across from him, Audrey sat in a loose silk robe, her face pale but defiant, her eyes shadowed with both grief and anger.“We need to talk,” Larry began, his voice low, trembling with the weight of what he was about to say.Audrey looked up, slightly startled by his tone. “Okay,” she said warily, adjusting herself upright on the couch. “I’m listening.”There was a long pause. Larry struggled to find the right words, but none felt soft enough to cushion the blow, or sharp enough to cut clean.“I want a divorce.”Audrey blinked. Her expression didn’t immediately shift. For a heartbeat, it was like she hadn’t heard him. Then, slowly, a bitter laugh escaped her lips.“You think after everything we’ve been through, after I lost our child, our baby, that you can just dump me as you p

The night had been unusually quiet, with a calming stillness that had settled over the house like a blanket. June lay nestled in the warmth of the bed, one hand resting gently over her swollen belly, the rhythm of her breath soft and even. Beside her, Xander had finally dozed off, the worry lines on his face slightly eased by exhaustion. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind—boardroom battles, tense conversations with his father, threats of scandal, and the constant fear that something might go wrong with June’s pregnancy. It all weighed on him. But in that moment, as he slept with his hand still entwined with hers, there was only peace.Until it shattered.A sharp cry escaped from June’s lips. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough to jolt Xander awake instantly. He sat upright, blinking as he registered the sound. June groaned again, her face contorted in pain as she doubled over, gripping her belly. Her breaths were shallow and rapid.“June?” Xander said, panicked. “What’s wrong?”She

Xander sat still as the nurse carefully collected the blood samples, her gloved hands working swiftly and professionally, but he couldn’t feel anything anymore—not the prick of the needle, not the sting of pain, not even the ache in his back from hours of sitting. His mind was in a haze, a tunnel of grief, panic, and desperate hope. He kept staring at the tray of vials filled with his blood as if they were some sort of offering—his sacrifice, his gift, his last attempt to save the woman who had changed his life in ways he couldn’t begin to explain.Once the samples were collected, the nurse quietly reassured him that the test results would be prioritized and expedited, considering the urgency. Then she gently touched his shoulder and left the room. The moment the door closed, Xander slumped forward, burying his face in his palms.His heart ached.He wasn’t prepared for this. No one ever is. He had come to the hospital terrified about the baby, terrified about June’s labor pains. But t

The day of the press conference arrived with a tense energy that buzzed through the air like electricity before a storm. The hall was filled to capacity journalists, shareholders, curious onlookers, and business analysts all crowded into the vast auditorium, cameras flashing and microphones poised. Whispers floated around the room as everyone speculated about the shocking announcement that had been teased in the media all week. No one truly knew what was coming only that the family was at the heart of it.When Lionel , the iron-willed patriarch of the conglomerate, stepped onto the stage, the room immediately fell silent. He was dressed in his signature charcoal grey suit, his silver hair combed back meticulously. The man carried the air of authority, with sharp eyes that seemed to strip away all pretenses.Behind him, the enlarged logo of the Group and the newly acquired Williams Corporation loomed boldly on a screen. Cameras flashed wildly as Lionel approached the podium with a fir