The Illegitimate Flame: Bride of Ashes-Chapter 137- The Night of Goodbyes

Her slender figure swayed like a withered flower in the wind—fragile, barely holding on.

With every gust, she looked as if she could collapse at any moment.

Janet blinked rapidly, trying desperately to bring the world into focus. But just then, a sharp screech of tires rang in her ears, and everything went dark again.

Startled, she instinctively stumbled backward.

A trembling hand covered her lips as her breath hitched in quiet sobs.

Can I not even walk straight anymore?

Is this how far it’s come?

A red Ferrari screeched to a halt in front of her, and as the door swung open with a crisp thud, a familiar voice called out from above.

"Janet... what happened to you?"

She looked up through teary eyes, the blurred edges of her vision slowly revealing a face she hadn’t seen in so long... yet one she recognized instantly.

Her tears flowed harder.

"Janet... talk to me. What’s going on?"

Manfred knelt before her, heart twisted in pain as he saw the devastation etched across her once radiant face.

He had always believed she was happy.

That Charles loved her sincerely.

He never imagined... he’d find her like this.

"Manfred... please... help me," Janet choked out, her voice raw with desperation. She didn’t know what to do anymore.

She couldn’t give up on the baby.

She couldn’t give up on Charles.

And she didn’t want to lose herself either.

"Shh, it’s okay," Manfred whispered, wrapping her into his arms as she fell against his chest. "Just tell me what you need. I’ll do it—I’ll help you."

The moment she leaned into him, he felt something inside him crack again.

Janet... she had always been his weakness.

His destined heartbreak.

Manfred helped her into the car, half-carrying her, shielding her with his presence as he drove away from the place that had broken her spirit.

She couldn’t even walk on her own anymore.

Once again, he brought her to the same quiet beach they’d come to before.

The last time, she had just escaped Derrick’s clutches.

It was here that he’d told her his deepest secret—one he’d never shared with anyone else.

And when she cried for him back then, it had moved him more than he ever admitted.

Maybe it was that moment...

Or maybe it was the first time he saw her.

But the truth was—

He had fallen for her long ago.

"Don’t ask me anything... please, just let me stay like this a while," Janet said softly, her voice barely carried by the sea breeze.

She sat on the sand, tiny footprints marking her place.

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head down.

The salty wind tossed her long hair into the air as Manfred draped his suit jacket over her shoulders.

They sat like that—back to back—just as they had before.

His quiet strength behind her, holding her up when she no longer had the energy to stand on her own.

She remembered Hawaii.

The beach.

The laughter.

Charles’s low whispers by her ear.

The way they looked like the perfect couple...

It all flickered before her eyes, leaving her breathless with longing.

Her vision blurred with fresh tears.

She pressed her face into her knees, breathing in deeply.

Thank God.

She could still feel the sea. She could still feel... something.

Manfred said nothing.

He could read her sorrow in the lines of her delicate face, the tremble in her hands, the emptiness in her eyes.

And so, he didn’t press her.

He simply stayed.

Watching.

Waiting.

Protecting.

When he brought her home again, she still hadn’t spoken much.

But in her glassy, vacant eyes, he could see it—

The spark was fading.

And yet, he longed to bring light back to her.

Before she stepped out of the car, she turned to him suddenly.

"Manfred," she asked, her voice serious now, her gaze steady.

"If I ask you for something... anything... will you help me?"

Her words weren’t casual.

She wasn’t the same woman he’d met at that gala so long ago.

The pride and judgment she once carried toward him had vanished.

Now, in her eyes...

There was only trust.

And desperation.

Manfred didn’t hesitate.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Whatever it is... I’ll help you."

"Yes. Always."

Manfred met her shimmering gaze and gave a firm nod.

Once, he had lived only for August.

But now... if Janet needed him, he would give her the same unwavering devotion.

"Thank you..." Janet smiled gently, her expression filled with quiet gratitude.

That promise—those simple words—were enough.

If she could fulfill her final wish, then... maybe she could finally leave without regret.

Charles returned home that night to find the villa completely dark.

Not a single light on.

Odd. Normally, Janet would be waiting for him downstairs, her smile brighter than the chandeliers.

His heart, which had been on edge since her morning call, clenched tighter.

He moved quickly up the stairs and pushed open their bedroom door.

The sealed room was pitch black.

"Janet?" he called, reaching instinctively for the wall switch.

But before he could press it, a pair of soft, delicate arms wrapped around him from behind.

Her body, warm and scented with the faint fragrance of jasmine, pressed gently against his back.

"Don’t turn on the light... please?"

Her voice, almost a whisper, carried a plea that sounded like seduction to his ears.

With a swift motion, Charles turned and pulled her into his arms.

Even in the darkness, her luminous eyes pierced through the night.

"Wife... are you trying to seduce me?" he rasped, voice rough with desire.

Janet didn’t reply.

Instead, she lifted her hands to his face, tracing his features with trembling fingers. freewebnøvel_com

His sharp brows, his deep-set eyes, the slope of his nose... the curve of his lips.

She etched every detail into her heart.

Her Charles.

Her love.

She was terrified.

What if one day... she couldn’t see anymore?

Would she forget what he looked like?

No—she couldn’t let that happen.

Her fingers trailed every inch of his face, followed by soft, fleeting kisses—

One on his brows,

Another along his jawline,

And finally, her lips hovered over his.

Charles growled low in his throat and caught her in a passionate kiss.

One hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer, deeper into his embrace.

Their lips melded, tongues entwined, breath mingling in raw desire.

He drank her in greedily, as if afraid she might disappear.

Only when her breath turned ragged did he finally let her go, his gaze still burning.

"Charles..." Janet’s cheeks were flushed, her hand gently pressed against his chest, shielding her belly.

She was filled with happiness—so full, it almost spilled over.

She wanted to tell him everything.

Now was the moment... wasn’t it?

"You said there was something important?" he asked, still panting slightly, his hands not releasing her.

She hesitated.

"I... I wanted to tell you..."

Her eyes dropped, but when they lifted again, there was clarity in them.

Steady.

Resolved.

Her soft voice sliced through the intimacy like a dagger.

"Charles... let’s get a divorce."

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