All Chapters of Rising from the ash: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Chapter 41Ryan let out a dry chuckle. Yeah, well, welcome to my life. And you've always been there Lana smiled a little at that truth There was a moment’s silence before Lana spoke again. ’Okay, but about the whole professors reporting to her thing—what are you going to do about that? You can’t let this keep happening. ’Ryan sighed. 'I don't know. I was thinking about talking to my professors and asking them not to give her updates, but let's be real—if my mom wants information, she'll find a way to get it. 'Lana nodded. 'Of course, she probably has half the faculty in her pocket. 'there is a walsh auditorium for a reasonRyan rubbed his temples. Ugh, don’t even get me started on that. At this point I’d have to assume she paid someone to keep track of my attendance.Lana smiled. 'Anytime you feel the urge to disappear, just give me a call. I'll help you stage a dramatic getaway. 'you know I have your back Ryan chuckled despite himself. "Oh yeah? What’s the plan?"Lana rubbed

Chapter 43Ryan figured he needed to speak to Jessie. He hadn't seen or spoken to her all day—actually, not since last night’s incident. He felt like he owed her an apology, at least for how things had transpired. Leaving her mid-conversation to answer his mom’s call had been careless. He could have handled it better. Now, as he sat at the café with Lana, he found himself distracted, tapping his fingers against the table while Lana was completely busy with taking pictures of their food. He sighed. Somehow, she had convinced him to buy lunch for both of them, and now she was treating their meal like a personal photoshoot. "Are you planning to eat that or frame it?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow as she adjusted the angle of her phone. Lana smirked but didn’t look up. "Food this pretty deserves appreciation." She snapped another picture. "Besides, you paid, so I get to enjoy it however I want."thanks for buying by the way , you owed me after all Ryan rolled his eyes, but his mind

Chapter 45 It was quite late into the night, almost past 11, when Olivia finally returned from her date. She quietly pushed open the door to their dorm, careful not to wake Mia, who was already fast asleep. The lights in the room were turned off save for the bedside lamp, which was left on by Sophia, who was still up, scrolling through her phone.Sophia looked up as Olivia tiptoed in, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," she teased, sitting up and patting the bed beside her. "So, are you going to spill, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"Olivia grinned as she kicked off her heels, stretching her tired feet. "Oh my God, Sophia, it was amazing!" she whispered excitedly, settling onto the bed. "I don’t even know where to start.""How about from the beginning?" Sophia said, raising an eyebrow. "Glad it was that nice. Like, what even took you so long? I was beginning to think Jake kidnapped you or something."Olivia laughed

Chapter 47They all said their goodbyes to each other and went their separate ways to their respective departments. Sophia adjusted her bag strap as she walked toward her first class of the day, mentally going over her schedule. The morning air was cool and the campus was already busy with the students hurrying to their lectures, chatting in small groups, or grabbing a quick breakfast from the nearby stalls.Sophia had unknowingly started to make a name for herself in her department. She wasn’t trying to stand out, but her intelligence and work ethic had earned her recognition among both her professors and classmates. Her name was frequently brought up in discussions—sometimes in admiration, sometimes in comparison.She was aware of the attention but didn’t necessarily enjoy it. Sure, she appreciated being acknowledged for her efforts, but she wasn’t the type to bask in the spotlight. She preferred to keep her head down and focus on her studies.Unfortunately, not everyone saw it that

Chapter 49Sophia checked the time again—1:40PM. She had exactly 20 minutes left to get to Pappie’s, but the walk was at least 30 minutes. There was no way she was going to make it.She began panicking as she picked up her pace, walking as fast as she could. She wasn’t just walking—she was practically jogging. But she knew it wasn’t enough. There was no way she’d get there on time unless she found a shortcut or, better yet, a ride.She was already imagining the disappointment on Harris’s face. The one chance she had to finally start making money, and she was going to blow it on the first day.Frustrated, she ran a hand through her hair and kept moving. That’s when she noticed a car parked just ahead. Normally, she wouldn’t have paid any attention to it—except she recognized the person behind the wheel.Ryan. She stopped in her tracks, staring for a moment. He was the friend of that girl who had taken all her savings. He had sounded reasonable that day , even though there wasn't reall