Ashton's Betrayal, Her Unyielding Vengeance

is

rver, each severed connection was a deliberate cut, severing the cord that tethered me to Ashton Maxwell. My phone, a relic of a life I was shedding, vibrated const

lonel Hall. This knock was impatient, demanding. Before I could even reach for the pistol tucked beneath my

one grunted, his eyes s

transformation wasn't yet complete, and

windows. Every turn, every street, a memory. A decade of my life, played out again

ace impassive, greeted them without a glance at me. They ushered me into

st. Not the familiar scent of Ashton's expensive cologne, bu

s gone, replaced by an explosion of pastel colors and ornate furniture. My heavy mahogany desk, where I had spe

d decorative ceramics and a collection of romance novels. My breath hitched. Ever

portrait. Elodie. Posed in soft lighting, her hair cascading around her, an innoc

diant than before, flushed with triumph. Ashton, on the other hand, seemed... differen

ing her closer. "Iris," he said, his voice bet

hetic. "Ashton told me so much about you, Iris. His... efficient a

ds were a slap, deliberately

flat, betraying nothing. "L

ble in their depths. He seemed almost pleased by my composure

e. We entered the grand ballroom, already filled with the city's elite. Ashton's family, his inner circle, pr

, my boy," he boomed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Splendid news! A

Iris," he said, his voice clipped. "My Chief of Staff. She handles the... less glamorous as

s, darling, you're so good at all that dreadful paperwo

tight, brittle thing. "I assure you, Elodie," I said, my voice dange

le in his eyes. He seemed to approve of my perform

d hands a public declaration of owne

t of Ashton's. "Iris, dear," she whispered, her eyes shrewd. "I always thought... well, you and Ashton seemed

torm. "Aunt Agnes," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Iris is an invaluable employee. Nothing more. Her

. It was a test. A publi

something raw, something almost like pain, in his. But it was

y to the Maxwell family is absolute. My relationship with you has always been stri

it second, widened. Shock? Relief? I couldn't tell. B

he slipped her hand into Ashton's. "Darling," she purred, "come, let

webs. His hand, which had been resting on my arm, dropped away. It was

ing around him. As they moved, a slow, elegant waltz, his eyes found mine again. A deep, unsettling emptiness stared back

. "Remember your place, Iris." The words, though si

Tonight, he had amputated my heart. But he had also forged s

le that didn't reach my eyes. You have

e. My time in the shadows was over. It was time for me to

tdown ha