All Chapters of Ashes Of His Regret : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

DAMIEN'S POVShe's been gone for three hours.I'm trying not to panic.Trying not to call her phone every five minutes.Trying not to imagine worst-case scenarios where she's decided to leave. To end this. To go back to—No. Not that.My phone buzzes. Marcus."Have you seen the afternoon news cycle?""No.""They're digging into Esmeralda. Her marriage to you. The timeline. Questions about motive.""Let them dig. We knew this would happen.""Did we? Because some of these reporters are connecting dots we didn't account for. The contract rumors are back. People are asking if she married you for money or revenge or both."I close my eyes. "What do you want me to do about it?""I want you to make sure she's ready for this. Because it's going to get worse before it gets better.""She's ready.""Is she? Because from what I can see, she just triggered a federal investigation into her ex-husband and now the press is painting her as a vindictive gold-digger. That's a lot for anyone to handle."

VIVIENNE'S POVCharlotte is three hours old when Celeste arrives.I'm exhausted, I haven't slept, haven't showered. Still wearing the hospital gown.But I sit up when she walks in."Vivienne, darling." She's carrying flowers. Expensive ones. "How are you feeling?""Tired. Sore. But okay.""And the baby?"I look down at Charlotte in the bassinet beside me. Sleeping. Perfect."She's healthy. Seven pounds. No complications.""May I?"I nod.Celeste picks up Charlotte with practiced ease. Cradles her like she's done this a thousand times."Oh, she's beautiful. She has Julian's nose.""Does she?""Absolutely. And look at those fingers. So delicate." She smiles down at my daughter. "Hello, Charlotte. I'm your grandmother. We're going to be great friends, you and I."Something twists in my chest.This is what I wanted, right? The family. The connection. The perfect life.So why does it feel hollow?"Where's Julian?" Celeste asks, still holding Charlotte."He left an hour ago. Said he needed

VIVIENNE'S POVCharlotte is two weeks old when I send the email.I've been sitting on it. Drafting. Deleting. Rewriting.Celeste calls every day. "When are you doing it? What are you waiting for?"I don't know what I'm waiting for.Maybe for Julian to come home and actually be present.Maybe for him to look at his daughter and feel something.Maybe for a miracle that's never coming.He's at the office. Again. "Emergency board meeting," he said. About the SEC investigation.Always the investigation. Always Esmeralda. Always everything except us.I'm sitting in the nursery. Charlotte asleep in my arms. Perfect and tiny and completely unaware that her father doesn't love her mother.My phone is on the changing table.The draft email still there.*To: Katherine Morrison, Society Pages*I've read it a hundred times.Changed the wording. Made it stronger. Made sure it can't be traced directly back to me."Anonymous source close to the Hale family."Perfect cover.I look down at Charlotte. "

DAMIEN'S POVThe press conference is in ninety minutes.I'm in my office reviewing the statement for the tenth time when Marcus walks in."You're pacing," he says.I stop. Didn't realize I was."How is she?" he asks."Holding up. Barely.""And you?""Fine.""Liar."I sit down. Run both hands through my hair."This is bad, Marcus.""I know.""Like, really bad. Worst-case scenario bad.""I know.""They have the contract. Partial, but enough. They have the payments. The timeline. Everything we tried to keep private.""I know.""So tell me how we fix this."He sits down across from me. "We do exactly what Sarah said. We spin it. Business arrangement that became real. Love developed. The contract is just paperwork.""And if they don't buy it?""Some won't. But some will. And that's all we need."I nod. Try to convince myself he's right."The statement she's reading," Marcus says carefully. "Is it true?""Which part?""The part where she says she loves you."I don't answer immediately."Da

ESMERALDA'S POVWe're in the car heading home when Damien gets the call.Marcus. On speaker."I have it," he says. "Everything on Vivienne Laurent.""How bad?" Damien asks."Apocalyptic."I sit up straight. "What did you find?""Three affairs during her first marriage. One with her tennis instructor. One with her husband's business partner. One with and this is the kicker—her daughter's godfather.""Jesus," I breathe."It gets better. DNA tests. She lied about the paternity of her first child. The daughter isn't her ex-husband's. It's the business partner's.""How do you know this?""Private investigator she fired two years ago. He kept copies of everything. Very unethical. Very useful for us."Damien's face is grim. "What else?""A DUI she paid to have expunged. A restraining order from a former friend. Photos from a party in the Hamptons that would make a sorority house blush. Oh, and she got fired from her last job for embezzlement but settled out of court."I stare at the phone."