Ash Rose 2

Chapter 2 

My hands trembled as I signed the contract. 

Only then did Alexander flash a satisfied smile. He handed the agreement to the woman behind him, Annabelle. 

She held the papers with smug delight, lifting them in front of me with a bright smile. 

“Thanks so much, Vivienne.” 

“I’ll bring my mother over soon so we can both live in the family estate officially. She’ll be thrilled.” 

I was too furious to speak to her. I turned to Alexander instead, forcing myself to remain calm. 

“Now can you let Bobo go?” 

He nodded and gestured for the bodyguards to release him. 

Just as he bent down to help me to my feet, a sudden shriek from Annabelle rang out behind us. 

“Aah! Help me!” 

“My wheelchair. It’s acting up!” 

Annabelle’s voice was full of panic as the electric wheelchair surged backward out of control. 

In a blink, the chair rolled straight over Bobo, crushing him under its weight before slamming into the wall and finally 

coming to a stop. 

“My leg, it hurts so much!” she cried. 

She could still scream in pain. 

But Bobo was different. His legs were still bound and had no way to escape. He could only endure the full force of the 

wheelchair as it crushed him. He let out a sharp, agonizing yelp and then fell silent. 

Alexander just turned a blind eye to it. He stepped over Bobo’s limp body as if it didn’t exist. 

Then he scooped Annabelle into his arms, her face pale. His voice was gentle as he comforted her. 

“It’s okay, I’m here. I’ll take you to the hospital right away.” 

And just like that, he rushed out with her. 

I stumbled, half-falling, crawling toward Bobo. Blood was already trickling from the corner of his mouth. 

Grabbing the nearby vet’s arm, I shouted, 

“Save him!” 

“I think he’s stopped breathing! Aren’t you a doctor? Do something!” 

The vet bent down and checked Bobo’s nose for breath, then shook his head at me. 

“Ms. Kingsley… he’s gone.” 

A sharp ringing exploded in my ears. 

The rest of the afternoon became a blur. 

I couldn’t even remember how I ended up at the crematorium, clutching Bobo’s lifeless body like a walking corpse. 

I had no real family left. 

My mother died early, and my father had betrayed us. 

All these years, the only ones I had truly loved were a man and a dog. 

༩ ༩ 

And now,. Bobo was dead, and Alexander had betrayed me. 

Standing by the furnace, its heat searing my skin, I still felt frozen to the bone. 

My phone buzzed twice in my pocket. 

It was a message from Alexander. 

“The wheelchair just rolled over him a little. He still made a sound, so he’s probably fine, right?” 

“Annabelle, on the other hand, was badly shaken. I’m staying with her at the hospital tonight. Since the contract’s signed, go ahead and cancel the court hearing tomorrow.” 

“Don’t be upset. I’ll love you even more from now on.” 

I didn’t reply. 

I picked up Bobo’s urn, my gaze dropping to the engagement ring on my finger. The irony was suffocating. 

Love? 

To hell with his love. 

Alexander had known this would hurt me. And he still did it. 

That wasn’t a mistake. That was a choice. 

Between hurting me and loving me, he chose to hurt me, a deliberate choice to hurt me. 

And that kind of man could never be forgiven. 

That afternoon, instead of canceling the lawsuit, I packed my bags and moved out of our shared home. 

I took the ring off, which once symbolized our love. 

And I left it on the coffee table. 

That ring now felt like nothing more than trash to me, and Alexander’s love was even more worthless. 

My phone buzzed again. 

This time, it was a message from the airline: 

“Dear Ms. Kingsley, your ticket for flight CA8785 from Ravenhill to Seabrook has been successfully booked. The flight departs at 10:15 a.m. the day after tomorrow. We wish you a pleasant journey!” 

Then another message followed, this time from an unknown number: 

“Ms. Kingsley, we’ve confirmed it. Annabelle was never in any car accident.”