Lahat ng Kabanata ng When love turns to ashes : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

The room was quiet, save for the occasional gurgle from the tiny bundle lying in Xander’s arms. He stood beside the window, gently rocking his daughter, his eyes filled with a soft kind of wonder that only a new father could understand.For a moment, everything else melted away—the betrayal from his father, the lies he was keeping from June, the ache in his side where he had given a part of himself to save her. None of it mattered now. Not when he was holding his miracle.She was perfect.Delicate fingers curled slightly in sleep, tiny lips parted in the gentlest pout. Her lashes, long and dark, brushed against her cheeks. Xander studied her features in awe, trying to memorize every detail—the shape of her nose, the faint dimple in her chin, the way her breathing soothed something broken inside him.June entered the room quietly, barefoot, her hospital robe flowing around her frame. She paused at the doorway and watched the scene unfold before her. Her husband—strong, flawed, loyal Xa

June stumbled out of her father’s hospital room in a daze. Her father’s harsh words echoed in her ears like thunder: “Just leave, June. I don’t ever want to see you again.” Her heart was shattered, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. She had come rushing here hoping for comfort, but instead, she was met with rejection… and murmurs. Murmurs she hadn’t been able to ignore any longer.The hallway lights flickered slightly as she found a bench near the waiting area and sat, numb. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone, mind racing with a million thoughts. She opened her browser and searched “Williams Company press conference.” The moment the results popped up, her stomach turned.The headline screamed at her in bold letters:“Lionel Marshall Acquires Williams Corporation – Names Son Damian as New CEO.”Her throat went dry. With shaking hands, she tapped on the first video.There he was Lionel , standing before a row of reporters, flashing his signature smug smile as

June staggered backwards as the words echoed from the phone “I’m sorry, Miss June… we lost him. Your father didn’t make it. He passed from a heart attack just moments ago.”Her hand trembled violently, and the phone slipped from her grasp, crashing to the floor. The room spun. Her knees gave way, and she sank to the ground, the weight of the moment crushing her chest like a thousand bricks.“No… no… no!” she sobbed, her voice breaking into shattered pieces. “No! This can’t be true. This can’t be real. Daddy! Please no!”Xander stood frozen, horrified by what he just heard, but too cowardly to reach out to her. “June…” he whispered, trying to get closer.But she wasn’t listening. She clutched her chest, wailing, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “Daddy, I’m sorry! I swear I didn’t know! I didn’t mean to hurt you. I thought I was protecting what you built I didn’t know I was handing it over to a traitor. Please, just come back. Just… come back.”Tears streamed down her face as she scre

Xander sat on the cold tiled floor of the now-empty room, his back against the wall, his hands shaking as they held the last picture he took with June. The silence in the house was deafening, broken only by the occasional creak of the furniture and the soft hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen down the hall. The very walls that once echoed with June’s laughter and the baby’s gentle coos now felt hollow, like a tomb that preserved the memory of a life he had destroyed with his own hands.Tears streamed freely down his face, soaking the collar of his shirt, his chest heaving from the weight of his grief. He looked around—the once vibrant home was now stripped of warmth. June’s belongings were gone. The crib in the nursery was empty. The scent of her perfume that used to linger in the air had vanished. Even the soft humming June used to do when putting their baby to sleep was now a haunting silence.He clutched the photo to his chest, whispering brokenly, “What have I done…?”Xander

June stumbled into the small apartment, the door slamming shut behind her with a sharp thud that echoed through the quiet night. The faint smell of alcohol clung to her clothes, her hair messy, her eyes swollen from tears and the sting of too many drinks. She dropped her handbag carelessly on the floor, not caring that its contents spilled out lipstick rolling across the tiles, her phone buzzing faintly somewhere inside.The baby’s soft breathing filled the dimly lit room. On the worn-out couch, her little one lay in a small blanket, cheeks round and peaceful, completely unaware of the storm raging inside his mother. June swayed on her feet, her hand gripping the wall for balance. She stared at him for a long moment, her chest tightening, emotions twisting violently.Her voice cracked when she finally spoke, low and broken."I shouldn’t have given birth to you," she whispered, the words tasting like poison on her tongue. She hated herself for saying it, yet she couldn’t stop.The baby