All Chapters of Ashes of Love; Fire of Vengeance : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

120 Chapters

Not safe

“Come with me.” Jason puts a hand on my shoulder. His face looks steady, but he swallows hard.My legs tremble, fingers curled into my palms. I don’t know if I can take a step.He grabs my hand, guiding me toward the drawing room. Like he did back in school. Making sure I didn’t miss a single move when he taught my bullies a lesson.But in the middle of everything, another thought hits me.If Adrian finds out about this, what will he do?He won’t hesitate. He’ll come for me. If he knows I’m in danger, he won’t leave me unprotected... won’t let me stay anywhere he can’t control.He has to come back to me.HE HAS TO.The room finally comes into view. The masked man’s body lies there, lifeless. For half a second, my body doesn’t move... like it hasn’t caught up yet. I have to remind myself to breathe.Two men kneel beside the body. A small metal case is open on the floor next to them, filled with medical tools. One of them bends close, holding a magnifying glass over the man’s skin. The

The second mask

“That wouldn’t be appropriate, Mr Shaw.” I shake my head once. “We’ll keep a low profile. No one needs to know where we’re staying.”Smash.Jason shoots up from the sofa.The sudden movement jars the table. The vase wobbles, then crashes to the floor, glass shattering across the carpet like ice breaking underfoot.He doesn’t look at it.Jason strides toward me, each step measured, deliberate, the kind of calm that comes right before something ugly.“Stay wherever you want,” he says sharply. “But Sasha and Sara are coming with me.”He stops inches away. Too close. I can feel the heat of him.“I know why you’re doing this,” he says, voice tight, controlled.I don’t answer.My eyes drop to the broken vase at our feet. Pieces scattered everywhere. Irreparable. Somehow, it feels familiar. Somehow, it feels like fragments of Adrian and my story.Jason grips my chin and forces me to face him.“Look at me.” His jaw clenches. “Do you really think he’s coming back for you?”My throat tightens.

Who was he talking to?

The masked man doesn’t stop, his movements slow and unhurried. He walks closer to the camera until he stands directly in front of it. His feet halt just inches away.For a moment, he doesn’t move. He just stands there, filling the frame. His body language shows no hesitation, as if he’s been waiting for us.Then his hand rises. One finger slides across his throat in a clean, slicing motion.A threat.Clear. Deliberate.The room goes still as everyone watches the video in utter disbelief.Watson breaks the silence, his voice tight. “When this man was walking around inside the building, what were the security guards doing?”The policeman swallows. “They were asleep. All of them,” he says quietly. “Looks like they ate something they shouldn’t have.”Mr Shaw turns his head toward me. “Check the timestamp,” he says, his gaze sharp and steady.I glance at the screen: 3:34 p.m., then back at him, trying to make sense of his words. My brows lift slightly, a flicker of confusion tightening the

The Fear is Real… and Close

“Miss Smith, you’re ready?” Mr Brooks’ voice cuts through my daze.I blink, the air in the room suddenly heavy, the faint hum of the ceiling light pressing against my ears. I lift my eyes.Mr Shaw is already turning toward me. His gaze meets mine. His lips curve into a small, polite smile, though his eyes don’t match it.Keeping my voice steady, I ask him, “Mr Shaw, who were you talking to?”His brows draw together. He tilts his head slightly, as if the question amuses him.“No one. Why?”I don’t look away. My fingers tighten around the strap of my bag.“I heard you saying goodbye to someone.”For a second, the room holds its breath. Then Mr Shaw lets out a soft laugh. Mr Brooks joins him, a little too easily. I stand there, brow furrowed, confusion twisting in my chest.“Oh… that,” Mr Shaw says, waving a hand as if brushing off dust. “Just rehearsal. There’s a seminar coming up. I’ll be giving a speech.”Mr Brooks looks at me, curiosity flickering across his face. “What did you think

Wrong assumptions

“Leave. Leave me.” The scream tears out of my throat, raw and burning. I shove Mr Shaw with both hands, my palms hitting his chest as I put everything I have into pushing him away.He stumbles back a step, his shoes scraping the floor. His eyes widen. “What happened? Did I scare you?”Unable to get enough air, I huff. Each breath comes in short, shaky pulls. My hands tremble in front of me, fingers curled tight.“Scare me?” My voice cracks as I glare at him. “You touch me like that and expect me not to react? What do you think I am?”“Jenny, I…” He hesitates, staring at me like he didn’t expect the anger, his fingers flexing at his sides.I throw both hands up between us, a clear stop. “My fiance left me. I know that. But that does not make me available to every other man, Mr Shaw.”My vision blurs. I blink hard, but the tears spill anyway, hot against my cold skin. When Adrian was with me, no one crossed lines like this. Now every look feels heavier, every step too close.“Enough.” H

What we leave behind

“Mr Brooks, are you there?” Officer Stanley asks as he steps inside. His steps falter the moment he sees us. His eyes move from me to Mr Shaw and back again. “Am I interrupting something?”“No.”The word leaves both of us at the same time.Mine comes out smooth. Like I practiced it.But Mr Shaw?His response doesn’t.His jaw tightens. His fingers curl at his side, like the word hurts on the way out. That sharp exhale through his nose… even Officer Stanley can hear it. “I’ll come later,” Stanley mutters.Mr Shaw stops him. “You wanted this.” He extends the key to the Officer that he just took from my hand a moment ago. Stanley gives a crooked smile. “I thought of taking it from Mr Brooks.”As if summoned by his name, the door opens again and Mr Brooks walks in.Mr Shaw gestures toward him. “Here’s your man.”Mr Brooks pauses when he sees us. His gaze shifts between Mr Shaw and me before settling on Officer Stanley.“Why are you here?” he asks, brows furrowing. “I was looking for you

The boy I used to be

(Adrian’s P.O.V.)As soon as I open my eyes, sunlight hits me directly. I blink several times before my vision adjusts, then slowly take in my surroundings.The open field where I’m lying looks like a training ground. A group of men sprints across it in perfect formation, muscles taut and controlled. Their boots strike the ground in unison, each carrying a heavy rifle as if it weighs nothing. Whistles cut through the air, followed by sharp commands.There's a tent next to the cot. Last night, I was too exhausted to care where I slept. I barely found a spot before my body gave out.I look around for Charles. The cot next to mine was where he had been at night. There's no sign of him now, only a half-empty water bottle rolling on the ground next to it. Seems like someone has left it behind in their rush.Pushing aside the thick blanket I was wrapped in, I sit up slowly. The cot beneath me is a simple rope frame, creaking under my weight as I move.A bitter laugh escapes me.The last tim

Mr S

“Something’s not right.” I still feel shaken. “Why would anyone kill Emma?”She worked for Mr S’s TV channel for more than seven years and eventually became his right hand. Whenever something went wrong, it was Emma’s responsibility to fix it. And she always delivered.During the last election, part of Mr S's campaign funding was funnelled through her.So why slaughter the goose that lays the golden eggs?“Unless she stops being an asset,” Charles says quietly. “And becomes a liability.”“Maybe.”We need to figure out which one it is. Or was there a completely different motive?After we freshen up, we head to the barracks canteen for breakfast. There’s still a lot to do, but I make a point of checking the apartment’s CCTV feed again.Jenny is getting ready. Today is her first court hearing.She’s wearing a simple white and grey dress. No makeup. No jewellery.She is not the woman I fell in love with.She is the bride I left standing at the altar.I don’t know how to fix what I broke.

There's more to it

“Huck… where are the rest of the videos?”The footage cuts off the moment Mr S steps into frame. I rewind. Fast-forward. Play it again. Two, three times. I check the connection, the player, everything. It’s not my device.I call Huck.“Boss, that’s all we got,” he says, voice steady as ever. “Our guy lost his grip on the camera in the chaos. It fell. I’m checking online to see if anyone else captured it."What the hell is happening here?Is Mr S planning to hurt Jenny? Did he stir up that mob in the first place?It wouldn’t be new. A few years ago, a young man planned to run against Mr S in the election. They framed him with a scandal involving a woman and handed him to an enraged mob. He never mentioned politics again and eventually left the country.Well… this time, Mr S shouldn’t forget who his opponent is.It’s me… the one and only Adrian Hale.I still can’t understand how this man moves freely. Every major crime in this country has a thread leading back to him. Still, the men this

Leo & Oliver

(Jennifer's P.O.V.)After the shower, Maria guides me to the dining hall for dinner. There, I meet the rest of the members of the Shaw family.Seven years old. Though they do not look alike, their posture is identical, dark eyes that watch everything.Leo and Oliver. Damien Shaw’s kids. Their mother, Sabrina, died in a car accident two years ago.They sit across from me. When Heidi introduces me to them, they politely bow their heads. Both of them are perfectly behaved. They chew slowly. They thank the staff. They kiss Heidi’s cheek after dinner before heading upstairs.But when they think no one is watching, their eyes sparkle with something wild.They are not obedient.They are careful. And intelligent. The night passes without any trouble. When I finally lie down, exhaustion takes me instantly. My body sinks into the mattress. For once, sleep comes without shadows. No nightmares. No cold hands pulling me under.Even fear seems tired tonight.Morning arrives gently. Pale light spi

...

5 6 7 8 9

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP