From Ashes To His Embrace

her parents, anyone who would listen. He told them about their life in Oh

belie

sent, her time living in his small apartment-it was all gone, buried under a mountain of money and influence. To the world, she had simply ta

is voice tired. He held up one of the letter

a flicker of uncertainty in them. But it w

trying to copy her handwriting. It's pathetic." He took a step closer, his voice dropping to

ven Jordan the opening he needed, and now it gave hi

the basket full of them. He couldn't let her see these. Even with her memory gone, the

e letters he was holding into the wastebasket. He grabbed the Zippo f

et out a cry and threw himself backwards, crashing into a small

, spilling burning letters and gl

flew op

w the small fire, the overturned lamp, and Jordan o

ion, she shoved Elias asid

rom him!" s

fluttering over him. "Jordan, are

rful performance of a victim. He p

oice full of feigned revulsion. "He tried to force them on me. When I refused,

r eyes blazing with a hate so

onster,"

ed," Elias said, his vo

mbling with rage. "I saw it with my own eyes!

insisted. "He was trying to des

"Issy, my ankle... I think it's

icable human being." She looked at Elias as if he were something she had scraped off her

The woman he loved, the woman he had protected and cared for, was lo

eant nothing to her. Jordan's fabr

room. It stirred the ashes in the fireplace, sending a sin

at Isado

r, looping script on the charred paper. Her own handwriting. A flicker o

that? It fel

from the floor, clutchi

doubt was forgotten. She pushed it away, her

completely. She helped Jordan to his feet, her arm wrap

the room without a s

. The smell of smoke, the scattered ashes of h

ad clung to was gone, turned to

l from the strange, powerful woman who had

, leaving the last remnan

them. They were filled with gifts for him, they said. Custom-tailored suits, handmade

stant, Mr. Harrison, supervised the delivery. Behind him, two stern-fac

nds her profound apologies for last night's security breach. It will not happen again. In fact, she has instructed us to provide you with this." H

overwhelmed. He was a man who owned two pairs of jeans and a coll

Harrison continued. "A hostile takeover bid requires her full at

numb, slipping the

lvation. But it felt like he was trading one c

ll had some control over his own life. He had to give her a gift in

ng his voice. "I need to go out.

d, but he recovered quickly. "Of course,

to stop in front of a famous, ridiculously expensive jewelry store. He stepped out, hi

d immediately dismissed him. They greeted other customers with fawni

t the glass cases, looking for something that felt right for a wo

re until they surrounded him. He recognized them instantly. They were Jordan's

, a trust-fund kid with a cruel mouth. "Look what the garb

Elias said, turn

ocked h

lightly. "We heard you put your hands on Jordan. We