From Ashes: The Unwanted Wife's Return

lden Boy." I was a loyalty consultant paid ten million dollars to make hi

I was pregnant with our child, his face became a mask of

time," he said, his voice as c

I heard him give a final, cruel order to the doctor: "A hysterect

rned to icy hatred. I reached for a burner phone I hadn't touched in years and sent a single

pte

Gilber

fidelity of the wealthy and powerful, a service I provide for a fee that would make most people gasp. F

s that offered a sliver of hope came with a price tag that was astronomical, far beyond what my meager savings could cover. So, I leveraged my one true asset: a

f a philanthropic dynasty so powerful their name was etched into the very fabric of New York City. The challenge, laid down by

l odds, I

fore me, the afternoon sun glinting off his golden hair, and slid the Sharpe signet ring onto my finger. On his own wrist was the sandalwood m

ndreds of guests, they played recordings of my initial meetings, laid out the contract, the bet, the cold, calculated nature of our entire courtship. A collective gasp rippl

nwavering. He looked not at the crowd, but directly into my eyes, and his voice, clear and resonant, fil

to the men who had lost the bet, but directly into

and then vanished completely. I, who had entered the game for money, fell genuinely, desperately in love. I forgot

with the arrival o

ly shady, business empire. She was all glittering glamour and razor-sharp edges, a creature of impulse and i

"I have a wife, Fallon

apon. "Please, Jace. You're the only one I can tr

th a condition. "Three days

ove to the private airport myself, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs. I had

. He looked different. The warmth in his eyes w

And I have the most amazing news." I took a deep breath, my ha

fro

e I adored, became a mask of stone. There w

fell to

d mala bracel

. "Jace? What is

hand on the railing, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.

my heart beginning a slow,

hat I will be the one to bear the Sharpe fami

in my ears. I turned to Jace, pleading with my eyes for him

air. "Fallon is right," he said, the words like sha

"The wrong time? Jace, th

e stated, not as a sugg

head in disbelief. "No, Jace,

ghtened. "

e," I sobbed, clu

recognized. He gestured to two of his security men

raw, animal sound of terror and betra

kicked, I clawed, my pleas echoing across the tarmac, but it was useless. The

ng at me. He was looking at Fallon, a soft, reassuring smile on hi

rld we

of antiseptic and despair. Jace arrived later, looking as pristin

," he said, his voice a low m

pat, the tears hot on my

to the doctor. "Proceed

he anesthetic began to creep into my veins, I heard his voic

offee, "a hysterectomy. I want to ensure there are no more... inconvenie

throat, but it was swallowed by the encroaching darkness. My body, my

a hollow emptiness that was more than just physical. It was a cavern carved i

e brought flowers, expensive, scent

ing them on the bedside ta

were no more tears left. "There is no 'we',"

nce. "Don't be dramatic, Ellie. You're

een extinguished, leaving behind only the black, icy vacuum of hatred. He

burner phone, an untraceable device I hadn't touched in f

n astronomical sum for a different assignment, one I had ultimately refused. The deta

thread. My fingers, clumsy and

identity. The price is no o

it

antaneous, as if h

you up in f