Ashes and promises
240 Words
The air was heavy with tension as the family gathered in the grand hall. The moment of reckoning had arrived.
Aurora stood beside Adrian, clutching the files that held the truth—proof of the betrayals, the manipulations, and the lies that had festered within their family.
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Grandfather Moore’s voice cut through the silence. “It is time to confront the ashes of our past and build from them.”
One by one, the evidence was laid bare. Faces hardened, eyes widened. Accusations and denials volleyed back and forth.
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Lila, her mask slipping, fought to maintain control. “You think this will destroy me? It will only make me stronger.”
Aurora met her gaze steadily. “We’re not the ones who need to fear the truth.”
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The confrontation fractured the family, but also cleared the way for healing.
Old wounds were exposed, but also tended.
Promises were made—not just to protect the company, but to protect each other.
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Later, beneath a sky softened by dawn, Aurora and Adrian stood hand in hand.
“We survived the fire,” Adrian said softly. “Now it’s time to build something real.”
Aurora smiled, hope shining in her eyes. “Together.”
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The past lay in ashes, but from it, new promises were born—promises of love, trust, and a future they would create side by side.
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End of Chapter Twenty
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