All Chapters of Scorched: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Tristan froze for a moment, and I took the chance to yank my hand free."Trying to play hard to get?" He scoffed. "Don't come crying when this blows up in your face. I'm not playing along.""You don't have to worry about that."I rubbed my reddened wrist, then turned to leave."What do you mean? What's wrong with you? If you wanna break up, just say it!"He grabbed my arm from behind, his expression livid.I stopped, turned around, and looked him in the eye. "Haven't we already broken up?"To me, we had been over for a long time.Three months ago, I stumbled across something he had posted online."We've been together for seven years. I remember coming home late one night and finding her asleep on the couch. When she woke up, her hair was a mess. She yawned as she rubbed her eyes and told me she made me soup to sober up."That look really killed the mood, and I lost my appetite for the hangover soup she made. I suddenly realized that I don't love her anymore. She used to be my

Tristan's face turned bright red, with veins bulging on his forehead. The fury in his eyes gathered, like a volcano ready to erupt."Who's this, Esther?""Come on. Introduce us.""Is he your fiancé?""Wow, he's hot! He looks like a celebrity. No, actually, he's better looking than a celebrity!"A few of the female classmates were gushing excitedly over the man beside me, curious about him.Meanwhile, the male classmates were quiet, watching us thoughtfully.Ignoring Tristan's murderous gaze, I lifted our hands, which were still tightly clasped together."Let me introduce you. This is my fiancé, Leon Russell."Leon smiled and nodded at the group.Tristan's eyes widened, and his face stiffened. The muscles in his cheeks twitched as he stared at me with confusion and disbelief.It took him a long time to process my words. When he did, he exploded in rage. "He's your fiancé? Then what am I? What have I been for all these years? You're really something else, Esther."The last se

"But it's okay," Leon said, "From now on, I'll try to stay by your side so you can get to know me better."He was right. Even though we had set a wedding date, Leon and I barely knew each other.Two years ago, my father, Nicolas Wilder, had fallen seriously ill. After his recovery, he expressed concern for me and started worrying about my future.When I returned to Axolis, I brought up the topic of marriage with Tristan, but he rejected me, citing the pressures of his career and his need to focus.I was heartbroken. At that time, we had been in a relationship for six years. But seeing him so overwhelmed with work, I couldn't bring myself to blame him.After breaking up with Tristan, I decided to listen to Dad and started accepting the blind dates he arranged for me.When my best friend, Ella Palmer, heard the news, she immediately told me that she had the perfect match for me."He's a workaholic, two years older than you, just over 30, and has never brought a girlfriend home. My

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I felt completely drained. I didn't want to move, so I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.When I woke up, the sky outside had already darkened. The dim yellow glow of the streetlights reflected on the window."Hey, you're awake. Still feeling tired?" Leon asked."What time is it?""Still not 7:00 pm."I curled up further under the covers, and Leon switched on the light. The events of the afternoon rushed back to me. I buried my face in my hands, not wanting to get out of bed."Not enough sleep?" His tone was heavy on the word "sleep", laced with an ambiguous undertone.Only then did I notice he had just come out of the bathroom. He was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. His toned chest and abs were fully visible. I swallowed nervously.Leon must have heard the sound as a glint of interest flickered in his eyes. He looked at me teasingly. "Want me to help you up?""No, I'll get up myself."In a panic, I hurriedly tried t

What right did Tristan have to go to Esther's house now?At that moment, his friend, Matthew Hudson, came up with an idea."Tristan, I just remembered. The Straburgh investment conference is next month. You can attend, representing your company. Since Russell Group is a major player there, they'll definitely be attending."Esther is a loyal person. You two have been together for eight years, and they've only known each other for a few months. How can he be compared to you?"Tristan tapped his fingers on the table and made up his mind. "Alright, Matthew, you're coming with me."…"Esther!"I didn't expect to run into Tristan here in Straburgh.As I walked down the hallway after coming out of the restroom, I heard him call my name. After eight years, I recognized his voice instantly.Looking toward the voice, I saw him leaning against the wall with a glass of wine in hand while squinting at me. It seemed like he had been waiting for me on purpose."What are you doing here?" I a