Ashes to Phoenix: A Love Reborn

vening, his face a thundercloud. He found E

fury. "Did you have to involve my father? Now Jeanette is lo

scold me, Julian? For your sister assaulting me

elle is my friend.

sly quiet. "The kind you kiss in a hospital room? The kind yo

t realized she knew. "She' s... she'

orless sound. "You have no

weary frustration. He tried to soften his approach, re

led from

t," sh

ake things difficult. I promise, I' ll send Estelle away

rotecting Este

ing the utter contempt

o Estelle' s room. She heard their low

wearing Ember' s wedding dress, posing seductively in front of a mirror

mple: "Doesn' t i

e beautiful dress, a custom Vera Wang she had dreamed of since she w

. All that was left was the cold, ha

lost on her. She sat in the back of the limousine, her white dress a pristin

clutched her stomach. "Oh! The pain!" she moaned, h

iately ordered the driver to pull over. He was out

" he asked, all his a

rts so much! But... but we can' t be l

aid firmly. "I' m taking you to t

Get out of the car, Ember. I' ll send it b

of the highway. On their weddi

al. A public humiliation designed

she didn' t feel pain. She felt a profound sense

r gown rustling around her. Sh

waiting for

Estelle to hear her. "What wa

all, secret smile an

standing on the shoulder of the hig

d for the first time in four

, hiked up her expensive

ase," she said.

last call to Carlo Copeland. "It's d

's voice replied. "Go

m her phone, and snapped it in two.

own at the city shrinking below. She was leaving behind a life of pain

e thought, goodbye.