Ashes to Phoenix: A Love Reborn

er in a filthy alley and had bled out on a cold hospital floor. What remai

d family' s immense power to scrub the internet of any negative press about her, painting her as the innocent victim of a v

tcase. Her art supplies, once her most prized possessions, were already in storage. S

ed. Julian walked in, looking haggard. For the fir

d, his voice strained

nding Estelle. They' re saying she' s a homewrecker. You wouldn

augh. It was a dry, bitter sound. The man she had saved, the man she ha

, her voice dripping with a sarcasm

so sorry, Ember! I never meant for any

ult, Stel." His hand, however, stopped midway as he went to com

ng again. "She' s been through enough. She' s

ed for the

ere with us for a while.

a command. He was bringing

ve gone pale, but she

igner couple' s shirts hanging in the now-empty closet. She had bought them for the

doing?" Julian

," she sa

ement. He had smiled and said, "I can't wait to wear these

oom, but he grabbed her w

ere. I know your reputation before you met me wasn' t exactly...

y independent woman she had been before him. The woman he once claimed to admire

ars on her back and whisper how brave she was, how he would never let anyone hurt

d, Julian," she said, her voice dangerously calm.

nse. "I' ll get her settled in the guest room. I'

a thin, tired smil

es from the kitchen. Julian was cooking. He rarely cooked, b

es. He was smiling, a genuine, happy smile that Ember hadn' t seen in years. He was patie

, so enchanted by her performance of helpless femininity, that