Home / The Ashes Leave No Traces / Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

All Chapters of The Ashes Leave No Traces: Chapter 21 - Chapter 29

29 Chapters

Chapter 21

When Yvonne woke up in the hospital, thick gauze covered the wound on her forehead, and her face was pale.But once her fever had subsided, her eyes were unusually clear.She saw Jaxon beside her bed and got straight to the point.“I’m pressing charges against her.”Jaxon’s heart sank.He knew Yvonne meant it. She had the power to make good on that threat.Jade was a government employee, and her career had only just begun. A criminal charge, regardless of the outcome, could drag her into a legal nightmare and ruin her future.“Yvonne,” he said in a calm voice as he tried to reason with her. “What happened last night was an accident. You had a fever and lost control. You were the one who got physical first. Jade was only defending herself.”“That’s not for you to decide.”Yvonne cut him off. Her eyes stayed fixed on his face as she watched for the slightest change in his expression.“I can give her a chance. Or I can… destroy her.”The air in the hospital room seemed to fre

Chapter 22

After Jade left, Jaxon’s life returned to its usual routine.He went to work, took care of his duties, and returned to his quiet dorm after work.Sometimes, he noticed an empty seat in the cafeteria. Other times, he walked along the deserted avenue lined with camphor trees after a late night at the office.The image of that young woman would sometimes cross his mind. He remembered her pretty face, bright smile, and stubborn gaze.But he never tried to find out how she was doing, nor did he act on any urge to contact her.He had learned not to force things when it came to fate.If two people were meant to meet again, they would. If they were never meant to be together, they would have to go their separate ways.Yvonne, however, saw this as a golden opportunity.It did not matter if Jaxon refused to return to Kingsport.Jade was out of the picture, and Yvonne had all the time in the world to win him back.She began making frequent trips between the two cities.Every week, as s

Chapter 23

Yvonne had never imagined that Jade was the real power behind Sinclair Corp, the company that had been targeting Sawyer Corp at every turn.She had never taken Jade seriously, let alone bothered to investigate her background.Jade had caught her completely off guard and brought the fight right to her doorstep. Yvonne had already lost the upper hand.Furious and humiliated, Yvonne forced herself to stay calm. She let out a cold laugh and shot back.“Sinclair Corp? So what? You think your little company can take on the Sawyer family? One day, I’ll make you leave Kingsport with your tail between your legs. I might even drive you out of the entire Grand Bay Area.”Jade showed no fear. “Ms. Sawyer, anyone can make threats. Why don’t you see if Sawyer Corp can even survive that long?”The tension between them grew intense. Neither woman was willing to back down, and a confrontation seemed inevitable.“That’s enough.”Jaxon stepped between them and gave each woman a cold look. To him,

Chapter 24

The harbor lay shrouded in darkness, like a beast waiting to strike.The salty sea breeze hit Jaxon’s face. Far away, a few fishing lights flickered through the thick fog.When Jaxon reached the meeting spot and got out of the car, two men in ordinary work clothes stepped out of the shadows.One of them had a cigarette between his lips. He gave Jaxon a once-over and asked in a hoarse voice, “You here for your grandmother?”“Yes.”Jaxon’s voice was calm despite the bitter wind.Only he knew that cold sweat had already soaked his back.He had taken part in countless operations and faced danger more times than he could count.But this was the first time someone he loved was in danger and depended on him to save her.He was terrified.He was not afraid of death. Ever since he joined the force, he had accepted that he might die on the job.But he could not bear the thought of losing Linda forever.The man gave his companion a look.The other man stepped forward and roughly se

Chapter 25

Anna kept her gun trained on the unconscious Linda in the corner.“I was supposed to switch boats in international waters and disappear for good. But after a lifetime of power and luxury, I ended up in your hands. I can’t let that go. There’s no way I can live with that humiliation.”Jaxon stared at her coldly. “What do you want?”Her gaze crawled over his tense face and body. She broke into a revolting grin.“You’re good in a fight, and you’re an excellent shot. But I wonder how much pain you can take.”She spoke slowly and purposely waved the gun.“Take off your clothes. One piece at a time. I want to see what makes you so irresistible to Yvonne.”A chill ran through Jaxon.Anna intended to torture him to death.Linda’s faint breathing pierced his ears like needles.He knew he had to play along. Otherwise, both he and Linda would die here.“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.Under Anna’s watchful gaze, he raised his hands and slowly unbuttoned his jacket.It slipped f

Chapter 26

Bang! Bang! Bang!Gunfire erupted across the old cargo ship.Jaxon threw himself to the side on instinct. Several bullets tore through the spot where he had stood just moments ago, sending splinters flying in every direction.He quickly rolled behind a stack of crates and fired back.His right hand was injured, but all the hours he had spent training himself to shoot with his left hand had paid off.Every shot drew a scream from the enemy.But there were too many of them, and his ammunition was running out fast.He rolled behind a steel winch for cover. His magazine was empty, and cold sweat soaked his back.When Anna heard no more gunshots, a cruel, triumphant smile spread across her face.“Officer Wilder, out of bullets, are you? Why keep fighting? Come out quietly, and I might give you a quick death.”Footsteps came from several directions as the gunmen cautiously closed in on the stern, where Jaxon was hiding.Jaxon pressed his back against the cold steel wall and tried

Chapter 27

“Jade!” Jaxon caught her before she could fall. His eyes were wide with panic.The speedboat raced back to shore at full speed. Jade was rushed to the nearest hospital and taken straight into surgery.During the long wait, an elderly butler from the Sinclair family arrived.When he saw how distraught Jaxon was, he approached him and spoke in a low voice.“Ms. Sinclair has always worried about you. When she found out you hadn’t gone home and had instead gone to Carpford, she knew something was wrong. She immediately gathered her people and rushed over there.“Mr. Wilder, her feelings for you are genuine. If she makes it through this, could you… could you give her a chance?”Jaxon felt a jumble of emotions.He finally understood that someone had been quietly looking out for him all along. When he faced danger, she had been there for him. At the most critical moment, she had thrown herself in front of a bullet that could have killed him, without a second thought.He thought, ‘Ja

Chapter 28

Jaxon admitted it without hesitation, and Yvonne froze.“But that was in the past.”His gaze grew distant as he thought back to those long-ago days.“From the moment you brought Yulian to face me and used him to humiliate me, my love for you began to fade little by little, until it was gone.”He turned to Jade, whose face was still pale, and his expression softened.“Now, I want to try loving someone who values me, respects me, and would risk her life to protect me. I want to… see if we can make this work.”“You…”Yvonne felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her legs nearly gave way.She saw the tenderness in Jaxon’s eyes as he looked at Jade.It was a look she had not received in a long time, and she knew she would never see it again.Just then, a faint cough came from the hospital bed.Jade’s long eyelashes fluttered before she slowly opened her eyes with great effort.She looked at Jaxon, whose face was streaked with tears, and managed a faint smile.Her voice wa

Chapter 29

Jade’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.“That’s even better! Then we won’t have to do long-distance anymore. You can focus on solving cases, and I’ll work hard to earn money. Our life will only get better from here!”As Jaxon met her clear, bright eyes, he finally understood why he no longer felt afraid.Someone in Kingsport believed in him completely. Someone admired him for who he truly was and loved him for the person he was inside.What did he have to fear?Jaxon took her hand. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll end up in another shootout like the one that night?”Jade laced her fingers through his.“As long as I’m with you, I’m not afraid of anything.”Jaxon smiled and gently ruffled her hair. “Funny. I feel the same way.”Six months later, Jaxon returned to Kingsport and resumed his duties.Jade could not wait to introduce him to her parents.They were delighted with his handsome looks and calm, dignified manner. They kept telling Jade how good her taste in men was.A year

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