Semua Bab Ashes Of Sterling - A Tale Of Revenge: Bab 51 - Bab 58

“I didn’t mean to barge in on you like this,” I murmur, finally pulling my hands from his chest but not stepping away. “I just... got off the plane and...” I let out a quiet laugh. “I couldn’t wait. I didn’t even go home to change.” Derek glances down briefly, taking in my travel-wrinkled blouse, the slight smudge of eyeliner beneath one eye, the unmistakable exhaustion in my body. When his gaze lifts again, his expression shifts like something inside him anchors.“You came straight here?” he asks, voice soft. There’s a glint of disbelief in his eyes, as if he’s used to being second, even as an Ashford, to being needed but never wanted.I nod slowly, my voice low. “I wanted to see you.” Something flickers in him again, like my words are peeling back layers of scar tissue. The truth is, I don’t need to fake this part. Not entirely. There’s always been a piece of me that wanted this... wanted him. And it was never truly about the power. Not the empire. Him. Even when it came from hate, o

The room is wrapped in darkness now, just the soft hum of the city outside the window, the jazz long since faded, the candles extinguished by time and breath and movement. Only the scent lingers, amber, smoke, sweat, skin. We moved to the bedroom like an orchestrated dance, with each step a piece of clothing was lost. My dress was long forgotten in the hallway as Derek lifted me into his arms, my legs around his waist, while I pulled his shirt off of his shoulder and dropped it to the floor. My hands were grabbing onto his shoulder like I was holding myself on the edge of a cliff... holding for dear life.He laid me down like something sacred. Not fragile, no. I’ve never been that. But reverent. Like he knew I could ruin him and still wanted to be ruined. The sheets were cool against my back, silk sliding beneath silk, but his body was heat and gravity, anchoring me to a moment I didn’t plan to want. Every touch felt precise, like he already knew me beneath the surface. Like he wasn’t

The sun crept in through the window. My face rested on Derek's chest as he slept, his arms holding me close. I stayed still for a long time, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my cheek, letting it ground me, hold me steady against the storm that hadn't yet arrived, but I could feel it, building on the horizon.I kept blinking, as if trying to bring clarity to my thoughts. Torn between the man behind me, my loyalty to my brother, and the fact that I was very sure I had the key to open a file that holds a lot, if not all the answers. But that would have to wait, my son comes first.The thought landed like an anchor, quiet and immovable.He would be waking soon, probably already sitting up in bed rubbing the sleep from his eyes and reaching for the stuffed rabbit that had become his constant companion. My heart tightened at the image. In all of this... truth, revenge, betrayal, he was my center. My reason for staying grounded, for not letting myself be pulled under by

"What am I doing with my life?" I ask myself as I ride the elevator. I am tired. If only I had a time machine to go back in time and prevent all this mess from happening. But right now, it's too much to ask for a day away from this torture. "Are you even still in there, Katherine?" I yet again ask myself as I stare into the fake blue eyes in the mirror reflection. Too bad I dont have time to answer that one as the elevator door opens and I get out, heading straight to my office. Sometimes it's like I forget I still have an actual job to do. Yet it seems someone else forgot it too. My imposter was also not at her desk. I swear if she went to Derek, I'm gonna lose it.I opened my office door expecting an empty room, when to my surprise I saw her. Behind my desk, looking through my computer."Can I help you?!" I ask her and she jumps up."Miss Sterling... I was just..." She stammers, backing away from my desk like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.Her tone is sweet... too