Chapter 10 Ready To Burn

ASHER

I found the list exactly where I expected it placed gently on the glass desk in my office like a quiet cry for help.

Two columns. Pain and Dreams.

I read it once. Then again. And again.

Each word punched me in the gut harder than the last.

PAINS:

- Nana's medical bills.

- Ella's school fees.

- Feeding.

- My broken relationship.

- My job (or lack of one).

- My parents' debts.

- Credit card debt.

- College.

Dreams.

- Travel out of the country.

- See the Eiffel Tower.

- Fly private.

- Go to an underwater hotel.

- Take Ella to Disneyland.

- Get my own boutique someday.

- Wear a wedding dress that fits me like a second skin.

- Be happy without guilt.

I don't want to be bought. I just want to be chosen.

Simple things.

Things that should've been basic.

But for someone like her... they were distant galaxies.

I leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled under my chin. There was a tightness in my chest I didn't like. A heat behind my eyes I wasn't used to.

Fuck.

I wasn't supposed to feel this.

She was supposed to be like the others. A beautiful distraction. A body to spend time with until the thrill wore off and we moved on.

But she wasn't. Not even close.

There was something raw about her. Something that made me want to destroy anything that had ever hurt her and hand her everything she'd ever wanted.

Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone and dialed the logistics manager.

"Get our driver to the address she left for her family. I want her sister transferred to the best private school in the city-uniforms, books, everything. Also send medical-grade groceries and 30 vials of insulin to cover her grandmother's treatment."

"Yes, sir. Timeline?"

"Now. Before she wakes up. And call Kai and Levi. I want them in on this."

I wasn't going to sit back and let her suffer-not when I had the power to fix it in a heartbeat.

Because when Ivy hurts, something in me burns.

That had never happened before.

Even with all the women we'd played with over the years, I'd never felt this possessive. This... territorial.

Levi and Kai were the only people I trusted in this world. We had history. A lifetime of loyalty built through blood, risk, and billions.

Sharing our women had started as a way to avoid complications. Keep feelings out of the game. The rules were simple-no one gets attached.

But Ivy was shattering every rule.

Levi saw it too. In the way he looked at her like she was poetry wrapped in lingerie.

Kai-he tried to hide it, but I saw the softness in his eyes when he touched her.

And me?

I wanted to keep her.

Not just her body.

Her laughter.

Her loyalty.

Her fire.

I wanted her to feel safe. To never have to choose between her dreams and her survival again.

She'd been so damn careful not to ask for anything and that only made me want to give her more.

⸻

An hour later, I got the confirmation text: Delivery complete. Items received by elderly guardian. Child enrolled. Medical fridge stocked.

I exhaled slowly.

That was the bare minimum she deserved.

⸻

When I heard soft footsteps down the hall, I knew it was her.

Ivy.

She knocked lightly before peeking into the office, holding the hem of her nightdress like she needed permission to exist in the space.

Later that night, long after she'd gone back to her room, I reviewed the security footage-not to spy, but because I needed to see her.

I watched her trace her fingers over the edge of the desk after dropping the list. Like she was scared to touch anything. Like she thought she didn't belong.

But she did.

God, she did.

She walked back to her room slowly, barefoot, the same way someone might walk through a dream they didn't want to end.

I watched her climb into bed, curl into herself, and stare at the ceiling for minutes before finally closing her eyes.

She looked guilty. But she also looked relieved.

She looked like a girl still deciding if she could live with the choice she made...

And I'd make damn sure she could.

IVY

The warmth of the morning sun trickled through the gauzy white curtains, . I blinked against it, stretching like a cat beneath the covers. I had slept without interruptions. No nightmares, no worries , no anxiety clawing at my chest. Just peace. Silence. Serenity.

I sat up slowly, a soft smile brushing my lips. The air was still and fragrant with fresh linen and something subtly citrusy. No distant car horns. No crying. Just quiet.

And Asher wasn't here.

He'd left for work early his absence echoing in the hush of the house, but it wasn't a bad kind of silence. It felt like space to breathe.

Slipping into a simple tee and soft leggings, I padded downstairs barefoot. The house was alive but calm. Staff moved gracefully, bowing their heads when they passed me. Instead of isolating myself, like I might've before, I wandered into the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I help?" I asked the chef, who looked up from garnishing a plate of eggs and gave me a warm smile.

"Miss Ivy, it would be an honor."

And so, we cooked. Nothing complicated-just fruit salad and croissants, but I laughed. Laughed when I spilled flour, laughed when the chef mimicked a French accent so terribly that I cried actual tears. I'd forgotten I could laugh like that. Forgotten what it meant to feel like a person.

I wiped my hands on a towel, sipping from a glass of cucumber water as I looked out the window. My heart felt lighter. My shoulders, looser.

For once, I didn't feel like I was carrying the weight of everyone I loved on my back.

Just as I was about to head back upstairs, the housekeeper approached.

"Miss Ivy," she said gently, holding a long rectangular box wrapped in deep red ribbon. "This was delivered about an hour ago while you were in the kitchen."

A soft gasp escaped me as I took it.

On top sat a single long-stemmed rose and a small cream-colored card.

Dinner by 9. Your driver knows where.

No name. No signature. But I didn't need one.

My heart skipped.

I checked the time-it was already past six.

My steps quickened as I headed to my room. I ran the water for a long bath, letting lavender oil swirl into the steam as I slipped inside. My skin melted into the warmth, muscles unwinding again. I couldn't help the small smile playing on my lips.

He always knew how to keep me guessing.

But tonight... I didn't want to be surprised.

I wanted to be ready.

After my bath, I stood in front of the mirror in my robe, debating between two dresses. One was black and slinky-dangerous. The other, blood-red silk that clung to every curve like it was meant to. I chose the red. It made me feel powerful. Wanted. Worshipped.

Jewelry next. A thin diamond necklace, a pair of delicate gold hoops. I brushed and styled my hair into a sleek bun, letting two curls fall free on each side of my face.

Before I could apply my lipstick, a soft knock sounded at the door. The chef rolled in a tray with a light dinner-roasted salmon, greens, and wine.

"You'll need the strength," he said with a knowing wink.

I laughed again.

After the meal, I touched up my makeup, sprayed the perfume Asher had left for me-roses and sandalwood-and slipped into black heels that made me feel like a goddess.

It was 8:58 when I stepped outside.

The driver opened the door for me without a word, and I slid into the luxury car with my heart beating just a little faster.

Because this time...

This time I wouldn't tremble.

This time, I wouldn't hesitate.

If I was going to surrender, I would do it on my own terms.

I was ready.