When Love Turns to Ashes Chapter 14

Victoria's mother was so furious she walked out mid-dinner, leaving a parting shot in front of everyone: "I'd rather you stay single forever than acknowledge this embarrassment as my son-in-law!"

The gathering dispersed awkwardly.

Victoria felt unprecedented humiliation—shame caused by her partner, something she'd never experienced with Ethan.

Ethan came from good stock, was articulate and sophisticated. He'd been an asset at any event, not a laughingstock like now.

Adding insult to injury.

Hayes Corporation was competing for a massive international project but had employed aggressive, irregular tactics that created a deadly enemy with an overseas conglomerate.

The opposing company had complex, ruthless backers who decided on retaliation.

Learning that Victoria deeply cared about Ethan Brooks—closely connected to Sophia Chen—they orchestrated an "accident" targeting Ethan to devastate Victoria.

One evening, Ethan and Sophia drove together to an important charity gala.

Their car was on a relatively secluded mountain road when a modified heavy truck that had been lying in wait suddenly burst from a side road, slamming into their sedan at high speed!

"CRASH——!!"

The deafening impact! The car was instantly crushed and flipped, airbags deploying!

Sophia, on the impact side, suffered severe head trauma and lost consciousness immediately.

Ethan was trapped in the mangled passenger seat, bleeding from his head, barely conscious—the situation was critical!

The truck fled the scene.

Almost simultaneously, Victoria—who'd had people secretly monitoring Ethan's safety—received word.

Hearing "Ethan Brooks in critical car accident, life or death unknown," her mind went white. Then came infinite panic and heart-stopping pain!

Like a woman possessed, she bolted from her office, jumped in her car, floored the gas, ran countless red lights, racing toward the accident site in complete hysteria!

Only one thought occupied her mind:

Save him! She couldn't lose him! Absolutely not!

Reaching the scene, she saw carnage.

The mangled car billowed black smoke, gasoline and blood thick in the air.

Rescue workers were trying to cut through the doors. Sophia had been extracted, lying unconscious on a stretcher nearby.

But Ethan remained trapped in the passenger seat, deathly pale, breathing shallow.

"Ethan!!!" Victoria let out a soul-shredding scream, ignoring rescue workers' warnings, her eyes wild as she charged forward!

"Ma'am! Dangerous! The car might explode!" firefighters shouted.

Victoria heard nothing! Her eyes saw only Ethan's pale face!

She clawed at the twisted door with her bare hands, nails breaking, palms sliced open by sharp metal, blood streaming—but she felt no pain!

Only one thought remained:

Get him out!

"Ethan! Hold on! I'm here! I'm here!" She frantically pried at the door while screaming at the semi-conscious Ethan inside, her voice shaking uncontrollably.

Maybe survival instinct, maybe hearing her voice, Ethan's eyes fluttered open slightly. Through blurred vision, he saw Victoria's face twisted with extreme fear and desperation.

Finally, through Victoria's nearly self-destructive efforts and the rescuers' help, the door was forced open just enough.

Without hesitation, Victoria reached inside, using every ounce of strength to carefully support Ethan's head and neck, slowly, gently pulling him from death's grip!

Just as she helped Ethan move a few meters from the vehicle—

"BOOM!!"

A massive explosion! The car erupted in flames! Searing heat and the blast wave roared toward them!

In that split second, Victoria didn't think. She spun around, using her entire back to shield Ethan completely!

"THUD—"

A huge, burning piece of car debris—like a red-hot blade—embedded itself deep in her back!

Excruciating pain hit. She groaned, vision going black, but her arms around Ethan never loosened!

She used her last bit of strength to protect him as they fell to the ground.

Before consciousness faded completely, she felt Ethan stir slightly in her arms. She thought she heard him weakly call her name...

Then, nothing but darkness and silence.

The smell of disinfectant permeated the ICU. Machines beeped rhythmically.

Victoria struggled through endless darkness and agony for days. Finally, a sliver of light pierced her consciousness.

Her heavy eyelids lifted slightly, vision gradually focusing.

First, she saw pale sunlight filtering through the window, then a quiet figure sitting beside the bed.

Ethan.

He sat there in an elegant cream turtleneck sweater, profile turned toward her, gaze on the window, expression calm and unreadable.

Sunlight outlined his clear features, gilding them faintly.

For that instant, Victoria felt transported back to those peaceful, warm afternoons before betrayal and pain—before everything fell apart.

Her heart felt struck, joy and bitterness intertwining, nearly bringing tears.

She moved her cracked lips, trying to speak, but only managed a hoarse wheeze.

That tiny sound caught Ethan's attention.

He turned, his gaze landing on her face—no surprise, no excitement. Just like looking at any ordinary patient who'd just woken.

He picked up the water glass by the bed, moistened a cotton swab, and gently dabbed her parched lips. His movements were practiced and natural but carried clear, polite distance.

This small act of care was like a key, violently opening the floodgates Victoria had suppressed far too long—floodgates marked "regret."

Massive emotion crashed through like a breached dam, destroying all her reason and pride.

She suddenly reached out, using every bit of remaining strength to grab Ethan's wrist as he started to pull away!