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Chapter 23: Shadows of the Past
Author: Lady Dreamer
last update2025-09-22 20:17:21

The city never truly slept, and neither did Bella’s obsession. From her apartment overlooking the glowing skyline, she poured over the latest reports her private investigator had sent. Every photograph of Asher Hawthorne moving through the world, every detail of his meetings, every subtle nuance of his interactions with Charlotte was meticulously documented. She had begun to believe, against her better judgment, that she might find some fragment of the man she had once known—a glimpse of the Asher who had loved her, before her arrogance and disregard had cost her everything.

But every update confirmed the truth: he was no longer that man. He was deliberate, composed, and fully aligned with Charlotte in both vision and purpose. The empire he had rebuilt was untouchable, and so was he. Every glance she had once believed held hesitation or doubt now radiated certainty, command, and control.

Her fingers trembled as she set the reports aside. A part of her screamed that she should give up,
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