icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Sign out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon

After the Fall: Redemption in His Arms

Chapter 3 Between What Was and What Could Be

Word Count: 1223    |    Released on: 16/07/2025

't touch

did.

corner of the restaurant, the dim lighti

white tablecloth. Slow, aching jazz drifted from the speakers overhead, soft and una

through the air, mixing with old memor

hate

on a time, it h

eared his throat, the words snag

ice was flat. "Don't sta

t being

about why you le

air getting knocke

maybe that would help him tread gently through wh

pression flat and unamused. "

ty behind his words. "The best I've got is... I spent so much time building an empire,

tened. "Too la

kno

elt thick and breakable, l

m. "Don't get it twisted, Ethan. This doesn't change anything.

o win," he said.

pkin in her lap until it wrinkled. "You trying now does

hed. She

saying a word. The birthdays you m

it now," h

how annivers

her silence. T

his was his one last chance. "Do you remember that night we danced in the ki

thrown. "You

ery single time I st

g came out. When she finally found her voice, it was

said, voice softer now. "Ju

es to the table. H

and hovering across the tabl

hurt her, like touching it would be the thing

aid softly, her eyes fixed on the t

n't even hesitate

her look

wasn't arroganc

admir

sp

g that hurts worse th

eath c

lly walked away?" she asked,

ecause I finally

little, but she blinked

me now," she said qu

kno

denly, chair

dn't hav

om his seat too, u

out, just enough to brush her wri

fr

es locke

he murmur of conversation, the way jazz still spun in

e he always wore, the one she used to bury he

" she w

u," he said. But his voic

dn't

neither of

etween th

you,"

ho you us

rom her wrist.

chase me now like I'm something new. I've alway

ooking

ack. Like bre

ven if her heart wasn

dn't

n't

watched

ho against the marbl

But to Zoe, it all felt distant and blurred, like s

eep the chill from sinking too deep. Not against th

ad sh

she let

d in, just a little, w

hone

ssage fr

verything. But I'm not g

tared

it

it. No repl

ike he might spot her somewhere in the skyline. Bu

key. Watched the city vibration

ht it did

weight of goodbye, an

stepped into her offic

eart

, lipstick

aw it. The flicker

gh n

tightly. "J

d

n walked into his boa

ed a brow. "You

el wo

prob

dn't cor

wasn't his w

he was trying to

might never

way to fight for

epped into her apa

was

eds o

g the room like they we

n

t nee

ning, her chest lifting and falling lik

hone

RTER is

dn't a

lock him

petals brushing against her knees, she let out

Claim Your Bonus at the APP

Open
1 Chapter 1 The Beginning of the End2 Chapter 2 His Turn to Bleed3 Chapter 3 Between What Was and What Could Be4 Chapter 4 The Fire We Tried to Outrun5 Chapter 5 The Taste of War6 Chapter 6 Between Want and War7 Chapter 7 Public Enemy8 Chapter 8 His Secrets, Her Survival9 Chapter 9 Her Silence, Their Secrets10 Chapter 10 Ghosts Don't Stay Dead11 Chapter 11 Shattered Mirrors12 Chapter 12 Control, Delusion, and The weakness of Freedom.13 Chapter 13 Resurrection, Vengeance, and the Cost of Secrets14 Chapter 14 Breaking Chains , The Price of Freedom15 Chapter 15 The Cost of Secrets16 Chapter 16 Vengeance is a Woman's Name17 Chapter 17 The Fall Before the Flight18 Chapter 18 Rebirth or Ruin19 Chapter 19 The Devil's Bargain20 Chapter 20 Ashes of Tomorrow21 Chapter 21 Burn Them All22 Chapter 22 A Queen with No Throne23 Chapter 23 Resurrection24 Chapter 24 The Crown of Ash and Fire25 Chapter 25 Blood Crown26 Chapter 26 Queen of Ruin27 Chapter 27 Kingdom Of Ash28 Chapter 28 The Throne of Ruin29 Chapter 29 The Queen's War30 Chapter 30 The Empire Rises31 Chapter 31 Her Reign Begins32 Chapter 32 Blood Crown33 Chapter 33 The Throne of Ash34 Chapter 34 No Mercy35 Chapter 35 The Final Bullet36 Chapter 36 Queen of Ruins37 Chapter 37 The Last Prayer38 Chapter 38 Ghosts Don't Stay Dead39 Chapter 39 The Devil You Know40 Chapter 40 The Fire Between Lies41 Chapter 41 The Mirror in the Fire42 Chapter 42 Resurrection43 Chapter 43 The Ashes of Truth44 Chapter 44 The Imposter45 Chapter 45 Truth Isn't Always a Light-Sometimes It's Fire46 Chapter 46 Rising from the Ashes47 Chapter 47 The Monster You Created48 Chapter 48 Identity Rewritten, Love in the Line of Fire49 Chapter 49 Blood Doesn't Make You Family -Choice Does.50 Chapter 50 The Ghost in Vienna