All Chapters of SHADES OF ICE AND ASHES : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

LILA’S POV I barely remembered the drive back to Mia’s apartment. Victoria had pressed a small paper bag into my hand before I climbed out of her car. “Take this tonight. Don’t wait.” Her voice had stayed low and serious. Inside the bag sat a pregnancy test. I had nodded without a word and walked inside on shaky legs.Now the apartment felt too quiet. Mia had gone to bed early, but sleep refused to touch me. I paced the living room for almost an hour, the bag burning a hole in my pocket. Finally I slipped into the bathroom, locked the door, and pulled out the box with trembling fingers.The instructions blurred in front of my eyes. I followed every step exactly, heart hammering so loud I heard it in my ears. I set the stick on the edge of the sink and stared at the timer on my phone. Three minutes stretched into forever.When the time ended, I picked up the test with numb hands.There it was, two pink lines staring back at me clear and undeniable.Pregnant.The word slammed into my c

LILA’S POV Morning light filtered through the penthouse windows as I woke beside Zane. He had already laid out fresh clothes for me on the chair, a simple blouse and trousers that fit perfectly. He moved quietly around the room, then drove me to the office himself. The ride stayed gentle. His hand rested on my knee for most of the journey, thumb tracing slow circles that calmed the nerves still buzzing under my skin. When he pulled up to the curb, he leaned over and kissed my forehead.“Call me if anything feels off,” he said. “I’ll handle my side today.”I nodded and stepped out, heart a little steadier than the night before.Work passed in a focused blur. I buried myself in files and spreadsheets, grateful for the distraction. My stomach behaved for once, though I kept a pack of crackers in my drawer just in case. By five o’clock I packed my bag and stepped outside, ready to head back to Mia’s place.I pulled out my phone and dialed my father first. The line rang twice before he an

LILA’S POV I woke to soft morning light filtering through the penthouse curtains. The bed felt warm where Zane had lain beside me, but the space next to me stood empty now. Memories from yesterday crashed over me in a rush: Ethan’s tight grip on my arm, his mother’s cruel taunts, the bright lights of the bridal shop, and Zane storming in like a force of nature. My hand drifted to my stomach. The baby. Our baby. I had been too weak to fight back, too scared to protect us both. Guilt twisted sharp in my chest. I should have stood stronger. I should have found a way to speak up before things escalated.The wedding loomed closer than ever. Friday had arrived, and Saturday waited just one day away. I needed to decide fast, but every option felt like stepping off a cliff.My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Mia’s name flashed across the screen. I answered quickly, voice still thick with sleep.“Mia?”“Oh my God, Lila, where have you been?” Mia’s words spilled out fast and worried. “I’ve bee

LILA’S POVI sat alone in the small bedroom at Mia’s apartment, legs tucked beneath me on the narrow bed while the clock on the wall ticked past midnight. Tomorrow had come. Saturday waited just hours away, the day I was supposed to stand in front of family and strangers and marry Ethan. The weight of that reality pressed down on my chest until every breath felt heavy.Zane’s father had called earlier in the evening, and his words still rang in my ears like sharp glass. He had spoken without any softness, delivering each sentence with cold brutality. He called me nothing but a piece of crap that the men in his family would pass around like a cheap toy. He reminded me that as a woman my only purpose was to fulfill the obligations placed on me by men. He knew about the twelve million dollars now. He knew Ethan had bought me outright, and he did not care one bit. In his eyes I had become a simple commodity, something paid for and therefore owned. He insisted I must marry Ethan because t

LILA’S POV I sat in the private suite at the hotel, staring at my reflection while the makeup artist brushed soft powder across my cheeks. The wedding was supposed to start in less than an hour. My hands would not stop trembling no matter how hard I tried to steady them. Mia stood beside me, fussing with a loose strand of my hair, her face tight with worry.A sleek black car had picked us up from her apartment earlier that morning. I had followed Zane’s instructions exactly, acting as if nothing had changed. But inside, my stomach twisted with doubt. His father’s brutal words from the night before still echoed in my head. He had called me a worthless commodity Ethan had already purchased for twelve million dollars. He had reminded me that women like me existed only to fulfill men’s obligations. The threats he made if I dared choose his son instead had left me cold with fear.Mia leaned closer, voice low so the stylists could not hear. “Are you really going through with this? It feels