All Chapters of When the Embers Turn to Ash: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

When the wedding host held up the gift, a wave of boos rose from the crowd.“Isn’t he overseas? What kind of stunt is he pulling now?”“As if being shameless wasn’t enough, how dare he ruin young Mr. Ralph’s wedding?”“Exactly! Good thing Ms. Agnes didn’t marry him. Otherwise, she would’ve been tricked into a marriage without even knowing it!”My soul floated in the air, my gaze fixed on the gift. I was already dead. So how could I have sent anything?Agnes Wright lowered her eyes, and I couldn’t read her expression.I thought she would defend Ralph Yule like she always had, but this time, she simply said, “Open it. Let’s see what it is.”The guests immediately started whispering again.“Jacob was Ms. Agnes’s former fiancé. And after all that shameless cheating behind her back, it’s only natural she’d want to see what kind of trick he’s up to.”Ralph tried to stop it, but in the next second, Agnes had opened the gift. Inside was an old phone, and I recognized it instantly beca

Chapter 2

Mother hurriedly tried to explain, “He staged all of this! He’s always been good at playing the victim to gain sympathy. He just wants attention!”Comments from the livestream exploded, and every insult was directed at me.“Even a bloke could be so scheming! He’s got a whole set of lies up his sleeve!”“He looks innocent, but deep down, he’s rotten to the core! No wonder the Yule family kicked him out!”Ralph smirked smugly. Then, at just the right moment, he cut in, “Agnes, today is our big day. Let’s not watch this anymore. Even if Jacob really did hire someone to beat me up, he’s been punished for it. I won’t hold it against him.”I chuckled. Punished? Ralph, does it not hurt your conscience to lie?Agnes, however, ignored him. Her gaze stayed fixed on the screen, cold and unyielding.“Is that so? Then I’d like to see how exactly he ‘staged’ all of this.”With that, the second video began to play. On screen, I was adjusting myself in front of the camera, preparing to recor

Chapter 3

As she spoke, Agnes tapped open the third video on the phone. In the video, I was facing the camera, grinning from ear to ear.“Agnes! I passed the audition! Aren’t I amazing? I’m going to buy you a gift, something that proves I can be rich and successful too! But what should I get you? You have everything… Got it! I’ll buy that puzzle you’ve loved for so long. We’ll put it together, and when we finish it, you’ll have to say yes to my proposal! Hehe… I’m so smart.”In the video, I rested my chin in my hands, my eyes sparkling with excitement.A few comments flashed across the livestream.“Wow, Jacob looks so gentle here…”“Is this really the ‘evil son’? Am I seeing wrong?”Agnes’s hand trembled slightly, her expression complicated.Ralph suddenly grabbed her hand. “Agnes! Jacob is your past. I’m the one marrying you now. Let’s stop watching this, okay?”When she didn’t respond, he immediately looked upset. “There are so many people here. You’re embarrassing me…”Mother chimed

Chapter 4

The fourth video cut straight to my first day on Exile Island. I was on my knees, crying and begging my parents to take me back.“Mother, please! Don’t leave me here! I’ll change! I’ll change anything you want!”However, they showed no mercy whatsoever. Without even looking back, they boarded the helicopter and left.Not long after, someone covered my eyes. In the darkness and silence, I heard countless footsteps closing in. As fear swallowed me whole, I curled into myself, hiding in a corner, trembling uncontrollably.After what felt like forever, the black cloth over my eyes was suddenly ripped away. The blinding light made it impossible to open them at first, but when I finally adjusted, I saw countless cameras covering every corner of the island.“What is this? This is terrifying!”“Are those surveillance cameras? Who put them there?”“Don’t tell me it’s the rich people on the island… That’s insane!”The comments covered my face, so I couldn’t see myself clearly in the foot

Chapter 5

The fifth video began to play.One early morning, I finally waited for a fishing boat to appear. My voice was already hoarse from crying as I begged the fisherman to take me away. After being trapped on Exile Island for so long, it wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about calling for help, but there was no signal on the island at all. The fisherman was my only chance. However, he couldn’t understand what I was saying. He muttered something in a thick local dialect, then nodded and gestured for me to get on board.Soon, he brought me to a small village, and I immediately called the police.Right then, the video paused, and Mother suddenly shrieked, “Jacob is lying! If he did call the police, why hasn’t anyone ever come to question us?”Ralph chimed in, “Exactly! If Jacob had actually reported it, how could our family be perfectly fine right now?”This time, no one in the audience echoed them. Instead, everyone held their breath and kept their eyes on the screen.Agnes said, “Yeah, if

Chapter 6

After that video ended, someone in the crowd broke down as they cried out, “Is this how the Yule family treated Jacob?”“So when he called the police, and nothing happened, it was because the Yule family used those videos to threaten him!”“And that so-called socialite from the capital? She’s no better! None of them cared whether Jacob lived or died!”“Call the police now! Whether he’s alive or dead, we have to find him!”Agnes’s hand froze mid-air above the screen. She let out a small laugh, then slowly shook her head. “I’ll go find him, but not now.”Her fingers moved across the screen, pulling up the sixth video.Ralph’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Agnes, that’s enough! Don’t you know what Jacob is trying to do? He’s just trying to ruin our wedding!”“That’s enough?” Agnes cut him off, her voice icy. “Mr. Ralph, maybe you should start worrying about your own family first.”Floating in midair, I shook my head violently. “How is this possible? Agnes?”I couldn’t understand he

Chapter 7

Just as the Yule family tried to argue back, the seventh video played. It was also the last video I had.Before it even started, the Yules were already trembling. My parents shouted, “What on earth is the Wright family playing at? If you don’t want this marriage, just say it! Why are you helping Jacob and spreading these videos to ruin our family’s reputation?”“That ungrateful brat! Once I find him, I won’t let him off!”Agnes glared at Father. “Mr. Yule, are you saying you have no idea that Jacob is already dead?”The entire room erupted in an uproar, including me.How did she know I was dead?Ralph stammered, “That’s impossible! Jacob is living it up overseas right now!”Mother quickly chimed in, “Exactly! How could he be dead? If he’s dead, then who sent all this? Don’t believe these ridiculous rumors! These videos are fake! Believe it or not, that’s up to you!”Father panicked even more. He grabbed Ralph and Mother, trying to leave. “Forget it! If the Wrights won’t bel

Chapter 8

Ralph stared at Agnes in disbelief. “Why, Agnes? You, too, believed he was nothing but a reckless, worthless man, so what are you doing now? What do I lack compared to him? I’m the biological son of the Yule family!”Agnes raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at him. “Shut up! I knew Jacob. I knew he would never leave the country without a reason, and he would never betray me. The moment I saw those photos, I knew something had happened to him!”I stood there, frozen. It felt like my soul was being ripped apart.Only then did I realize it wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to find me. In fact, she had sent men to search for me in secret, but Exile Island was too well hidden. With no other choice, she pretended to trust Ralph, getting close to him just to find clues about me. I found myself both laughing and crying when the truth dawned on me.Ralph tried to argue again, but she cut him off with another slap.“Jacob had a chance to l

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