(Emery’s POV)
The morning Ashes & Embers released, Emery woke to silence.
No alarms.
No screaming headlines.
No smoke.
Just Luca asleep beside her, arm slung protectively over her waist, and Aurora nestled between them with her tiny fingers wrapped around Emery’s shirt.
For a few sacred minutes, it almost felt normal.
Then her phone buzzed.
And buzzed again.
And again.
Until it slid right off the nightstand from the weight of it all.
She didn’t have to check to know.
The book was out.
⸻
Within six hours, it was #1 on every bestseller list.
#1 in True Crime.
#1 in Memoir.
#1 in Investigative Nonfiction.
By the end of the day, it had been picked up by two major news outlets, optioned for a limited series, and condemned by at least one sitting senator.
Calls came in every f
