All Chapters of Devotion Turned into Ashes: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Alicia's POVEwan Holland's face darkened. "Alicia, do you have any idea what you're saying? Or perhaps..."His eyes swept over the guests in the gallery. "You think someone else out there is willing to pick up my leftovers?"The room fell into dead silence.Ewan's lips curled into a smirk as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "You see, Alicia? Nobody wants you except me. Stop making a scene."His gentle words turned into sharp daggers, plunging into my heart one by one.Years ago, I was kidnapped and assaulted. Ewan had found me even faster than the police. He had held me tightly, tears streaming down his face."Alicia, I swear no one else will ever know about this. You will always be the shining heiress, with the world at your feet."...I gritted my teeth and slapped his hand away. The priceless ring clattered to the floor.His assistant, Lilith Clayton, rushed over and scooped it up in a flash. Turning to me, she brimmed with righteous indignation. "Mr. Holland

Chapter 2

I silently stroked my lower abdomen, then shook my head.Since there was no wedding left for me, there was no longer any need for this wedding-night surprise.The procedure was over quickly. What drained away wasn't just my flesh and blood, but also every drop of my love for Ewan."Once you get back, take great care. Otherwise..."The doctor's instructions were cut short as Lilith pushed the door open and barged in."Mr. Holland said you get terrible period cramps, so I stopped by the pharmacy and picked up some pain relievers for you!"My eyes fell on the box in her hand. Judging by the dust and faded packaging, God only knew how long it had expired.Ewan followed right behind her. Glancing nonchalantly at my medical chart, he offered an offhand explanation."Don't misunderstand. A young woman's face is important. I just didn't want her wedding to be ruined by a mark."Lilith turned her head right on cue, urging the doctor to check on her cheek, where the red mark from my sla

Chapter 3

"They terminated the contract. They were the first to break off ties after the video went viral, and Mr. Holland announced a new wedding date," said the secretary.My blood ran cold at the news.Ewan knew full well that the video wasn't my fault. He knew that this company was something my mother had fought with her life to secure for me.He knew that the Holland Group pulling out would have a far more devastating impact than all the other partners combined. Yet, he still chose to cancel the partnership, just to make Lilith happy.I leaned against the wall to steady myself, then compelled myself to appease the restless shareholders and assure them we still had a chance to turn things around.One shareholder snorted, shoving his phone screen right into my face."You mean this chance? Unfortunately, the core chip technology you spent six years developing has already been unveiled by the Holland Group ahead of us!"I was struck dumb by the devastating news.That breakthrough was so

Chapter 4

Ewan gently ran a hand through my hair, looking almost satisfied that I'd finally stopped fighting him."Three days from now, on our wedding day, I will step in and help the Waller Group out of this mess," he said.When he saw the confusion in my eyes, he took the time to explain. "Lilith and I weren't married that day. The whole thing was just to make you jealous. The new wedding date is still set for us.""Mr. Holland has already compromised for you time and again. Don't throw that away by being ungrateful now," Lilith chimed in from beside him, her voice dripping with envy.My vision blurred with tears, and I let out a bitter laugh. "You're really willing to marry me after all this? Doesn't the thought of touching me disgust you?"His smile was cruel. "I guess we're even now. Let's put this behind us. Once we're married, we'll start over and live our lives properly."When I said nothing, he didn't seem concerned. "Take your time to think about it. I believe you'll come around

Chapter 5

Among them was the thug, Rory Mitchell.The scene brought back an old memory, and panic flashed across Ewan's face. But he quickly recovered, turning to me with a gentle smile."I never imagined the men who hurt you all those years ago had escaped from prison. Thankfully, the police tracked them down," he said smoothly. "I've been buried in work lately, so I wasn't keeping tabs on them. That's my fault."He gestured toward the officers. "So, these are the special guests you invited? Please, take a seat."He played the part so convincingly that anyone watching would have thought he had nothing to do with what happened five years ago.These guests, just like I had once been, looked at him with trust and admiration.Lilith bit her lip and stepped forward with feigned concern. "Alicia, I can't believe those monsters came after you again. They didn't hurt you this time, did they?"The implication behind her words was enough to send every reporter in the room into a frenzy. Cameras sw

Chapter 6

"One million dollars for you to record a video, and afterward, I'll make sure you get out of the country safely. You won't spend a day in prison," Ewan said, sliding my bank card and my photograph across the table.Rory crossed his legs, looking more puzzled than tempted. "You want us to assault your girlfriend. Then you're swooping in and playing the hero? Buddy, are you into some kind of sick fantasy?"Ewan remained composed. "Some people don't learn to lean on you until you break them first. Just do your job."Rory shrugged. "Sure. Whatever."...The three-minute recording was enough to turn public opinion completely around."Damn! I thought Ewan was just an idiot who couldn't tell right from wrong. I didn't realize he was a psychopath.""So, because Ms. Waller refused to play the helpless little woman who needed him, he decided to ruin her life?""Please. Without her, he'd probably still be stuck in some backwater town.""Even if he'd managed to build the Holland Group on

Chapter 7

Of course, Ewan loved how strong and accomplished Alicia was.He was drawn to everything that made her stand out, yet that same independence made him feel almost unnecessary in her life.That was what had driven him to orchestrate the attack in the first place. But even after everything he had done, Alicia remained as independent as ever.Within three months, he had already started feeling that same emptiness again. And when Lilith made a mistake and turned to him helplessly for help, had he really felt nothing?He didn't know. He just wanted Alicia to depend on him the way Lilith did.So, when Lilith had suggested using the video at the wedding to test Alicia's reaction, he had agreed. Watching the pain spread across Alicia's face had filled him with pain and a twisted sense of satisfaction at once.When Lilith had suggested taking things even further, he had agreed to that, too. If Alicia lost her reputation and her career, she'd have no choice but to rely on him....Rory wa

Chapter 8

Afraid the wound might be too shallow and the prison hospital might be able to treat it, Ewan had stabbed himself with enough force to leave his life hanging in the balance.Blood kept pouring from the wound as his body grew heavier and his vision began to blur.He knew his body system was desperately trying to protect itself, but he refused to close his eyes, forcing himself to stay conscious all the way to the hospital.The moment they arrived, he suddenly rolled off the stretcher and hit the floor, his eyes darting frantically from one person to the next.He knew this was his only chance. Once they took him into surgery, the guards would move him straight to a secured hospital room, and all his effort would be wasted.He searched the entire hallway, scanning every face, but there was no sign of Alicia anywhere. The attendants lifted him back onto the stretcher and secured him in place.One of the doctors looked vaguely familiar; he hesitated for a moment at the sight of Ewan,

Chapter 9

Ewan hadn't expected to find Alicia's company lawyer waiting for him.The man had once been interested in Alicia, and, as far as Ewan knew, he was still single."Where is Alicia?" Ewan demanded sharply.The lawyer remained composed. "There's no need for this hostility. I'll be leaving shortly. I only came to pass along a message from Ms. Waller."She said she'd get anything she wanted herself. She said she could no longer tell whether what you're offering me is a piece of candy or a dose of poison."Those words hit Ewan hard, implying that Alicia didn't trust him anymore. During all those months in prison, he'd imagined countless reasons she might use to turn him down, but never this.He had once been her hero, but he was also the one who had caused her so much pain.He'd promised to protect her for the rest of his life, but his actions had indirectly caused her mother's death. He'd given Alicia the grand wedding she'd once dreamed of, only to use it as another way to force her

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