MasukShare
021 The Whole Truth Out Loud
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-23 11:07:14
Bab terkait
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 022 Finding Puzzle Pieces
(Ava)Paige nods slowly. “That’s what the cards say. The path you take… it changes everything. And once it’s chosen, there’s no going back.”I flinch. “I will always choose Lila. I have too.”“This isn’t just choosing your daughter over your husband. Zach is your soulmate. Yours forever in eternity. Breaking that bond will mean every lifetime you will have to suffer having a soul destined to be alone.”“Can I avoid it?”Paige shrugs. “That moment is coming. This isn’t about right or wrong. It’s about what you’re willing to sacrifice. What you’re willing to fight for. I don’t know how it will end.”I don’t speak.“I’m going to draw cards on Sienna now. You ready?”I nod.Paige pulls another card slowly, as if she already knows what it’s going to be. She flips it, and the second I see it, my skin prickles.The Moon. Reversed.“That’s Sienna,” she says flatly. “Of course it is.”The image on the card is eerie, even upright, but upside down, it’s worse. The shadowy wolves, the crawling cr
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 023 Finding Nico
(Ava)The boutique door clicks open with that same chime I remember from before.Paige and I shop here often. She loves one-of-a-kind stuff. Since her whole socials went viral with her tarot readings a year ago, she’s become one the biggest influencers in the world, and she has the bank account to match.We are a long way from where we started.I clutch Lila tighter on my hip, her bunny dangling from one arm like it’s always belonged to her. Paige walks beside me. Sunglasses on, lipstick red and unapologetic, as if we’re just here to buy a designer stroller or a diamond studded pacifier.The boutique is empty. Which is good. I’m not in the mood for a crowd. I’m still processing everything Paige said and also what happened with Zach and I.A man emerges from the back. Mid-40s, impeccably dressed, fitted waistcoat and vintage glasses. He’s served me a few times before. He actually sold me this bunny.“Can I help you?” he asks.I feel Paige tense beside me.“Yes,” I say, my voice too
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 024 The Fire We Feed
(Zach)She doesn’t say the word. Doesn’t tell me to go.Which is all the permission I need.The second she doesn’t push me away, I’m on her. My hands find her waist and I slam my mouth to hers like I’ve been starving for it—and I have. I’ve been starving for her since the second she started pulling away.I can never get enough of her. I want her tenderness and I want her anger just as much. I want all the fire and frustration she’s taken out on me for days. I want her fury, her confusion, her heartbreak.I want it all, because it means she’s still here.I have no clue what she's holding inside, what she’s holding back from me. But I want to feel every bit of it. I need it.She tastes like rage and cinnamon chai and a dream I’ve been chasing since the day I said I do.She moans into my mouth, gripping the front of my shirt. I press her back against the kitchen counter, lifting her up onto the edge without breaking the kiss. She gasps when I wedge myself between her knees.“You
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 025 The Edge of Us
(Ava)I’ve been given a second chance.And I still don’t know if he’s part of it—of my redemption—or the reason I’ll burn again.I twist the shower handle with trembling fingers and step under the spray. It’s hot. Too hot. But maybe that’s what I need. I close my eyes and press my palms to the tile, letting the water pound over me.My skin still tingles with his touch.Zach is behind me, naked, quiet. He doesn’t ask anything. Doesn’t speak.I turn to face him. His hand cups the back of my head gently, his fingers sliding through my hair. “Let me take care of you,” he says, voice hoarse.I nod.He lathers the shampoo into my hair, massaging my scalp with slow, careful circles. He rinses it out, then uses conditioner, and again, I let him.He rinses my hair clean, patient, gentle.Zach reaches for the soap and begins to wash my body, starting with my arms, my shoulders. Every motion is soft, reverent, like I’m something sacred. He doesn’t rush. He doesn’t touch with hunger—just devot
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 026 The Unchosen
(Sienna)I should feel triumphant. Instead, I’m seething.Zach was supposed to leave for Tokyo this afternoon. Leave her here, both angry with each other. Both doubting. That was the plan. My plan. I saw to it myself—helped his assistant rearrange his itinerary, confirmed his car pickup, even made sure the right press outlets would spot him at the airport.But he didn’t go straight there. He went to her.I followed him. I told myself it was just to be sure. To see him off. But when his SUV turned toward his mansion estate, I knew I’d failed. Again.He didn’t even hesitate at the gate.He just went in.Now, back in my own mansion, I rip the earrings from my lobes and toss them onto the glass tray on my vanity. I’d gotten ready for the cocktail hour with the board, but I wasn’t in the mood.My staff avoids my eyes as I storm through the living room.“Miss Sinclair,” says the housekeeper softly. “Your mother called earlier. They’ll be here in twenty.”Of course they will.I pace li
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 027 Everything in the Gaps
(Ava)By the time Paige pulls into the driveway, the air in the house still smells faintly like Zach.Musk and citrus. Wood and heat. It’s been an hour and he’s already flown out now. But his presence still lingers like a bruise I can’t stop pressing. And the bruises are darkening where his hands gripped my body.But he has some marks that will keep him thinking for me for the next 3 days he’s away. I won that battle, Sienna. He’s still mine.Paige eyes me the second she walks in. “Well,” she says, popping Lila in her highchair, “you’ve been thoroughly defiled.”I don’t answer. I don’t need to. My hair is damp, my cheeks are flushed. Despite the shower, there are signs. She can read it all over me.“You want my judgment or takeout?” she asks. “But only one involves soy sauce.”“Takeout,” I say, following her. “Always takeout.”She doesn’t ask questions. She’s a true best friend.“She’s different now,” Paige says quietly as she watches Lila. “Her energy feels heavier. Older.”I nod.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-25Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 028 Collateral Positioning
(Zach)The Tokyo skyline glows outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, but all I see in my mind is a hospital room three time zones away.Kai’s in there. I’m here. Still wearing the same suit I flew in with. Still pretending like this deal matters more than what’s happening back home.It doesn’t. But I can’t walk away. Not from this. Not with my father breathing down my neck. Not with everything cracking beneath the surface.Across the conference table, another exec launches into licensing terms like it’s a game of chess. Vincent, my CFO, nods like he’s tracking every move. I should be.But my brain hasn’t caught up since Ava picked up the phone and said, in that quiet voice she uses when she’s afraid and pretending not to be, “Are you okay, Zach?”She is literally the only person to ask me that and really care about the answer.I’m not.Vincent turns toward me. “Zach, you want to weigh in on the licensing schedule?”I glance at the numbers on the screen. My mind grabs the first safe c
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-25Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 029 Making Life Normal Again
(Ava)Paige doesn’t ask why I’m not taking Lila to visit Kai.She just takes her from my arms, kisses her on the cheek, and says, “you don’t need to explain. Go. I’ve got her.”I nod, I’m tense. My heart is pounding remembering Lila in that same hospital. Small, fighting a battle for her life she could never win.“She’s safe with me,” Paige says. “You just do what you need to do.”I try to say thank you, but it catches somewhere in my throat. Instead, I turn and head for the car before I unravel in front of my daughter. I suck in a deep breath. I have to push through this.When I park outside the hospital, I don’t get out right away.I sit behind the wheel with the engine off, hands still on the steering wheel like I’m waiting for a green light that will never come. The glass doors to the pediatric wing are just ahead, automatic and indifferent.They’ll open the second I get close.Here I am in this same underground carpark Nico helped me into the taxi with Lila hidden under a blank
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-25
Bab terbaru
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 032 Class Attack
(Ava)Luca slides the pickle off his burger and drops it onto my take out box without looking up.I pluck it off and pop it on my burger without a word.We’re having a quick bite before class resumes. We’re also finishing off our design details to hand in to the professor today for final assessment.“Rounded edge or squared off for the central island?” I ask.“Rounded. The rest of the space is straight lines. Needs some sexiness and curve.”“Exactly what I was thinking.”“You’re overthinking it. Just sketch what feels like the solution, not what looks like one.”“I’m trying to make it clean,” I murmur, biting my lip.“It’s too clean. Mess it up a little. That’s where your magic is.” He grins at me sideways. “We’re design soulmates.”“Or no one else can put up with our off-the-wall ideas…”“Either way, we have an edge.”Professor Moran’s voice pulls us from our rhythm. “Before we begin this class, I have an announcement you’ve all been waiting for.”Luca grabs my arm, mouthing, “Drumro
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 031 Something I Can Build
(Ava)Zach calls just after seven the next morning.I’m dressed, sipping my second coffee, Lila still asleep. I’ll take her to Paige in a couple of hours.I answer, keeping my voice casual. “Morning.”“Morning,” he says. “You’re looking gorgeous.”“Thanks. You look ready to smash some deals today. I’ve got a lunch meeting.”“With Luca?”“Yes.”Zach has that look on his face. The one that he always gets when Luca is mentioned. “Is that really necessary?”“Zach—”“I know what he’s up to, Ava. He’s still in love with you.”I sigh, setting my mug down harder than I mean to. “You’re not serious. You’re really going there? After you kept secrets from me with Sienna, you don’t trust me?”“I do trust you. It’s him I don’t trust.”I shake my head. “Unbelievable. Sienna drugged you for sex and I have to trust her.”“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Everyone has.”“He’s my future business partner. He’s also a friend. We’ve worked damn hard on this.”“A friend who wanted to be more. Maybe still
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 030 Is It Me?
(Ava)My phone buzzes just after I’ve cleared the kitchen bench. I’m still thinking about Kai, about how pale he looked earlier this morning.It’s eleven in the morning now. Have the doctors been to see him?Kai had Aplastic Anemia in the past time. Is it that again? Should I say something?Zach’s name flashes across the screen. Oh, at last. I answer.“Hey.”“Hey,” he says. It’s softer than I expect. “You home?”“Yeah. Lila’s with Paige. I’ve just been... regrouping. Going over my planner so I can fit in all my internships and classes. How’s Kai?”“The doctors did rounds. They’re sending Kai home.”My chest loosens a little. “That’s good.”“They’re still watching him, though. They said if anything else happens, they’ll start running tests—immune panels, marrow checks. I hate the thought of him having something serious.”My stomach turns. I sit down at the counter. “You must be so worried.”I know what it’s like to lose a child. But the marrow donation wasn’t the thing that killed Lil
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 029 Making Life Normal Again
(Ava)Paige doesn’t ask why I’m not taking Lila to visit Kai.She just takes her from my arms, kisses her on the cheek, and says, “you don’t need to explain. Go. I’ve got her.”I nod, I’m tense. My heart is pounding remembering Lila in that same hospital. Small, fighting a battle for her life she could never win.“She’s safe with me,” Paige says. “You just do what you need to do.”I try to say thank you, but it catches somewhere in my throat. Instead, I turn and head for the car before I unravel in front of my daughter. I suck in a deep breath. I have to push through this.When I park outside the hospital, I don’t get out right away.I sit behind the wheel with the engine off, hands still on the steering wheel like I’m waiting for a green light that will never come. The glass doors to the pediatric wing are just ahead, automatic and indifferent.They’ll open the second I get close.Here I am in this same underground carpark Nico helped me into the taxi with Lila hidden under a blank
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 028 Collateral Positioning
(Zach)The Tokyo skyline glows outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, but all I see in my mind is a hospital room three time zones away.Kai’s in there. I’m here. Still wearing the same suit I flew in with. Still pretending like this deal matters more than what’s happening back home.It doesn’t. But I can’t walk away. Not from this. Not with my father breathing down my neck. Not with everything cracking beneath the surface.Across the conference table, another exec launches into licensing terms like it’s a game of chess. Vincent, my CFO, nods like he’s tracking every move. I should be.But my brain hasn’t caught up since Ava picked up the phone and said, in that quiet voice she uses when she’s afraid and pretending not to be, “Are you okay, Zach?”She is literally the only person to ask me that and really care about the answer.I’m not.Vincent turns toward me. “Zach, you want to weigh in on the licensing schedule?”I glance at the numbers on the screen. My mind grabs the first safe c
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 027 Everything in the Gaps
(Ava)By the time Paige pulls into the driveway, the air in the house still smells faintly like Zach.Musk and citrus. Wood and heat. It’s been an hour and he’s already flown out now. But his presence still lingers like a bruise I can’t stop pressing. And the bruises are darkening where his hands gripped my body.But he has some marks that will keep him thinking for me for the next 3 days he’s away. I won that battle, Sienna. He’s still mine.Paige eyes me the second she walks in. “Well,” she says, popping Lila in her highchair, “you’ve been thoroughly defiled.”I don’t answer. I don’t need to. My hair is damp, my cheeks are flushed. Despite the shower, there are signs. She can read it all over me.“You want my judgment or takeout?” she asks. “But only one involves soy sauce.”“Takeout,” I say, following her. “Always takeout.”She doesn’t ask questions. She’s a true best friend.“She’s different now,” Paige says quietly as she watches Lila. “Her energy feels heavier. Older.”I nod.
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 026 The Unchosen
(Sienna)I should feel triumphant. Instead, I’m seething.Zach was supposed to leave for Tokyo this afternoon. Leave her here, both angry with each other. Both doubting. That was the plan. My plan. I saw to it myself—helped his assistant rearrange his itinerary, confirmed his car pickup, even made sure the right press outlets would spot him at the airport.But he didn’t go straight there. He went to her.I followed him. I told myself it was just to be sure. To see him off. But when his SUV turned toward his mansion estate, I knew I’d failed. Again.He didn’t even hesitate at the gate.He just went in.Now, back in my own mansion, I rip the earrings from my lobes and toss them onto the glass tray on my vanity. I’d gotten ready for the cocktail hour with the board, but I wasn’t in the mood.My staff avoids my eyes as I storm through the living room.“Miss Sinclair,” says the housekeeper softly. “Your mother called earlier. They’ll be here in twenty.”Of course they will.I pace li
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 025 The Edge of Us
(Ava)I’ve been given a second chance.And I still don’t know if he’s part of it—of my redemption—or the reason I’ll burn again.I twist the shower handle with trembling fingers and step under the spray. It’s hot. Too hot. But maybe that’s what I need. I close my eyes and press my palms to the tile, letting the water pound over me.My skin still tingles with his touch.Zach is behind me, naked, quiet. He doesn’t ask anything. Doesn’t speak.I turn to face him. His hand cups the back of my head gently, his fingers sliding through my hair. “Let me take care of you,” he says, voice hoarse.I nod.He lathers the shampoo into my hair, massaging my scalp with slow, careful circles. He rinses it out, then uses conditioner, and again, I let him.He rinses my hair clean, patient, gentle.Zach reaches for the soap and begins to wash my body, starting with my arms, my shoulders. Every motion is soft, reverent, like I’m something sacred. He doesn’t rush. He doesn’t touch with hunger—just devot
Revenge From Ashes, Ruin for the Billionaire 024 The Fire We Feed
(Zach)She doesn’t say the word. Doesn’t tell me to go.Which is all the permission I need.The second she doesn’t push me away, I’m on her. My hands find her waist and I slam my mouth to hers like I’ve been starving for it—and I have. I’ve been starving for her since the second she started pulling away.I can never get enough of her. I want her tenderness and I want her anger just as much. I want all the fire and frustration she’s taken out on me for days. I want her fury, her confusion, her heartbreak.I want it all, because it means she’s still here.I have no clue what she's holding inside, what she’s holding back from me. But I want to feel every bit of it. I need it.She tastes like rage and cinnamon chai and a dream I’ve been chasing since the day I said I do.She moans into my mouth, gripping the front of my shirt. I press her back against the kitchen counter, lifting her up onto the edge without breaking the kiss. She gasps when I wedge myself between her knees.“You
