All Chapters of The Ashes Leave No Traces: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

As Yulian watched in terror, Yvonne handed him over to the police.“He tried to escape and even fought back. I had no choice but to ask for help to restrain him,” she said casually.The officer nodded. “In that case, we’ll revoke his bail and keep him in custody until trial.”As the police led Yulian away, he gave Yvonne one last look. His eyes were full of fear and despair.Just before he left, Yvonne leaned close to his ear and whispered like a devil.“Yulian, don’t think you’ll be safe behind bars. I’ll make sure someone takes good care of you. I want every day in prison to be pure hell for you.”Yulian could not bear to think about what awaited him. He trembled from head to toe. His face was swollen, and he cried out, “Yvonne, I really do love you! Please, don’t do this to me!”Yvonne did not spare him another glance.She returned to the Sawyer family villa and went straight to her room. She kept drinking as if she no longer cared about anything.But no matter how much she

It was the middle of winter in Summerton, and the air had a slight chill.Jaxon settled into his new position quickly.No one here knew about the scandals that had rocked his life in Kingsport. They judged him only by his skills and calm, professional manner. He earned their respect through his work.His days were busy but peaceful. For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of security.The only thing that troubled him was Jade Sinclair, a new intern at the liaison office.She was in her early twenties. She had a quiet, gentle nature and clear eyes that seemed as pure as spring water.At some point, she had started waiting for Jaxon after work.Sometimes, she brought him a late-night snack in an insulated bag and waited in the lobby until he came out.Her eyes always held just the right amount of concern. She never said much, but she never gave up either.Jaxon could tell she liked him, but he knew he could not return her feelings.That night, Jaxon finished the las

Jaxon looked at the woman before him. She was a complete mess, but his expression remained calm and unreadable.“Yvonne, have you forgotten that you were the one who left me first?”His words made her flinch. She hurriedly shook her head and struggled to explain herself.“No… Jaxon, I never wanted to leave you! I just thought… I thought you didn’t love me. I thought you were in love with Anna…“I was wrong. I was stupid! But I never stopped loving you! Those misunderstandings clouded my judgment and made me do all those terrible things!”She got to her feet and reached for his hand, but he pulled away.“Misunderstandings?”Jaxon repeated the word with a bitter smile.“So, because of a misunderstanding, you treated me like dirt. You punished me by staying out all night, and you humiliated me with Yulian?”He paused and looked straight into her tearful eyes.“Yvonne, during those six months, did you ever once think about sitting down with me and talking things through? Did you

Jaxon froze.Jade’s words, “If you don’t like me, I’ll wait until you do,” stayed with him long after she said them.Once, another woman had stood before him with the same stubborn look in her eyes. She had said almost exactly the same thing.Love always seemed to start this way. The promises sounded so sincere, and forever seemed within reach.But how did it all end?It was nothing more than a brief burst of fireworks. In the end, all that remained was a pile of ashes and a heart full of wounds.He said nothing. He picked up his tray, got to his feet, and walked straight out of the cafeteria.From then on, he decided to keep his distance from Jade.At work, he would speak to her only when the job required it. He would avoid any unnecessary contact with her.He would also ignore her concern and never respond to her confessions.Jade might seem gentle and delicate, but she was far more stubborn than she looked.That evening, Jaxon purposely stayed at work until 1 a.m.To his

Jade paid no attention to Yvonne’s angry outburst. Her eyes never left Jaxon.She took a step closer to him and spoke softly.“Jaxon, do you really think… I don’t know anything about your past?”Jaxon looked up at her in surprise.Jade met his gaze. Her eyes were clear and unwavering.“I’ve heard what happened to you in Kingsport.”She paused, and her voice grew more emotional.“I saw you on the news. You stood in the middle of a crowd with a gun in your hand and faced down criminals without hesitation. Back then, I wondered how someone could be so brave while looking so lonely.”She took a deep breath. She had kept these words inside for so long that she could no longer hold them back.“People say you got ahead because of your looks. But I don’t believe that. I looked into the cases you worked on, and I know how dangerous they were. You’re not someone who relies on powerful people to get ahead. You’re… you’re a hero to me!“When I heard you were transferring here, I applie