Ashes of Ambition

When Caiden Fowler had only seven days left to live, he begged Alexandra Clayton to give him a chance to make up for his regrets.

"Alexandra, the truth is, I've always loved Leyla," he said. "Now, at this point, I don't want to settle anymore. Can you sign the divorce papers and let me be with her?"

Yet, he was the one who had abandoned his wife and child, and now he was the one crying for reconciliation.

...

At Willow Haven Manor, a whip cracked through the air, striking the man kneeling in the courtyard.

Blood mixed with rainwater, pooling beneath Caiden's knees.

After what felt like an eternity, the sound of the whip finally stopped.

Caiden's body swayed as he slowly lifted his pale, bloodless face.

He looked toward the figure standing in the shadows under the corridor. "Alexandra, let these hundred lashes settle the debt of the eight years I deceived you," he said. "For the time I have left, I hope you won't disturb Leyla and me."

With that, he struggled to his feet and walked toward the gate.

Alexandra clenched her fists tightly upon hearing his words.

She never imagined that her husband of seven years would leave her like this.

"Caiden!" She took two steps after him, her voice heavy. "Aren't you afraid of losing everything, of your reputation crumbling?"

Caiden paused, then turned to meet her gaze, his voice calm. "Given how things are now, what do I have left to fear?"

Without another word, he walked away, leaving no trace of hesitation.

The gate opened and closed.

Alexandra tasted blood in her mouth, unsure if the wetness on her face was rain or tears.

After a moment, she called her lawyer. "Draft a divorce agreement," she said.

Then she instructed the household staff, "Pack up all of Mr. Fowler's belongings and move them to storage."

After finishing these tasks, Alexandra went upstairs.

She took down their wedding photo and tossed it into the fire.

The image of them, once so close, twisted and blurred in the flames.

Her vision blurred as well.

Caiden and Alexandra had been married for seven years, deeply in love.

Or so she thought, until that day, when she realized it was all a lie.

Three months earlier, Caiden went abroad on business and was kidnapped.

Though he escaped, he had been injected with a new, unknown toxin.

They tried everything to find an antidote, even funding a dedicated research lab.

But no matter what they did, there was no progress.

Despair crept into both their hearts.

Until that day, when the lab confirmed Caiden's body could only hold out for one more week.

That was when he came to Alexandra, begging for a chance to right his regrets.

"Alexandra, my heart has always belonged to someone else," he said. "With so little time left, I don't want to keep pretending. I hope you can let me go."

Only then did Alexandra realize she had always been his compromise.

The door clicked open.

Her assistant strode in with a stack of documents. "Ms. Clayton, we've gathered information on Leyla Morrison and her past with Mr. Fowler."

Alexandra flipped through the files.

Leyla and Caiden had once been lovers.

Leyla came from a humble background, while Caiden was the heir to a wealthy family.

Their love had faced fierce opposition from his family.

In the end, Caiden chose his family over Leyla, abandoning her.

Now, for Leyla, he was abandoning Alexandra.

Her assistant held out her phone. "Ms. Clayton, look at this."

Just half an hour earlier, Caiden had rented every LED billboard in the city to confess his love for Leyla.

"Leyla Morrison, I love you."

Those words burned Alexandra's eyes.

Once, Caiden had gone to similar lengths to profess his love for Alexandra.

He had said, "In this world, you're the only one worth this kind of effort."

Back then, everyone envied Alexandra for choosing the right man.

She gave a bitter smile.

"Ms. Clayton!" her assistant exclaimed suddenly, her voice bright. "The lab just sent word. They've decoded the toxin's molecular structure. With this, they'll likely develop an antidote soon. Mr. Fowler can be saved!"

Alexandra's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively dialed Caiden's number.

Before she could speak, a woman's low, sharp scream came through the phone.

Then Caiden's voice, slightly breathless, answered. "What is it?"

Alexandra gripped the phone tightly, her voice cold. "Caiden, what are you doing?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Alexandra, I told you not to bother me anymore," he said.

The call ended.

The mechanical busy tone filled her ears. She took a deep breath and redialed.

But then she realized he had blocked her.

Alexandra put the phone down.

From Caiden and Leyla's history, it was clear.

Caiden was a cold, calculating man.

Now, facing death, he was willing to throw everything away.

Alexandra wiped away the tears that had fallen unnoticed and gave a hollow laugh, her gaze settling on the man in her phone's wallpaper.

Caiden Fowler.

If he found out he wasn't going to die, would he still be so reckless?

She would wait and see.

Caiden's public declaration of love for Leyla was anything but subtle.

News of his infidelity spread like wildfire through their social circle.

Alexandra's phone buzzed incessantly with calls.

Her parents, who had been traveling abroad, and her older brother, who was away on business, rushed back home overnight.

When Alexandra saw them, the tears she had held back all day finally fell.

Josh Clayton, her brother, took one look at her and turned to leave. "I'm going to settle this with Caiden right now!" he said.

Alexandra quickly stopped him. "Josh, there's no need. Making a scene will only make it look like I can't let go."

Josh's expression darkened, but he halted.

"What's wrong with Caiden? Weren't you two happy together?" he asked, turning back to her.

Alexandra briefly recounted the story of Caiden and Leyla.

Her father, furious, slammed his hand on the coffee table. "Fine, just fine! I thought he was loyal, but I misjudged him!"

Alexandra gave a bitter smile.

Hadn't she misjudged him too?

The Clayton family was one of the most prominent in Glimon Province, and Alexandra, as the family's eldest daughter, was strikingly beautiful and exceptionally capable.

Back then, her suitors could have lined up from the Clayton estate to ten miles beyond.

Caiden had been one of them.

At first, Alexandra was drawn to his looks, though not enough to consider marriage.

But then she had a severe car accident, and while her other suitors panicked, Caiden tirelessly sought the best doctors for her.

He stayed outside her hospital room for an entire week without rest.

The day she was discharged, Alexandra kissed him and smiled. "Caiden, let's get married."

Looking back now, she realized his devotion likely had ulterior motives.

Alexandra's lips twisted in self-mockery, her expression slowly hardening.

If that was the case, she no longer wanted him.

"By the way, Alex," Josh said, remembering something. "Are you still attending the charity gala tomorrow?"

Alexandra let out a cold laugh. "Why wouldn't I? I'm not the one who betrayed our marriage."

The charity gala was a fundraising event for community development, attended by the city's elite.

When Alexandra arrived, the event was already underway.

Seeing her arrive alone, the crowd exchanged subtle glances.

Some busybodies wanted to pry into whether she and Caiden were having issues, but her status kept them at bay.

Her closer friends, sensing her reluctance to discuss it, acted as if nothing was wrong. "Alex, come here," one said, pulling her over.

Alexandra smiled and accepted a glass of champagne.

A commotion stirred at the entrance. She turned to look.

A woman in a blue mermaid gown walked in, arm in arm with Caiden.

Alexandra's expression froze.

Then she laughed.

Well done, Caiden. Truly well done.

The woman bore a striking resemblance to Alexandra, almost six parts identical.

The esteemed eldest daughter of the Clayton family had been someone's stand-in for seven years!

Her grip on the champagne flute nearly shattered it.

But Alexandra refused to let others see her as a laughingstock.

It took every ounce of self-control not to march over and slap Caiden.

Caiden, as if oblivious to her presence, led Leyla to another corner of the room.

After an awkward moment of silence, the gala resumed its lively hum.

Her friends could no longer pretend nothing was wrong.

"Alex, are you okay?" one asked.

"What's gotten into that jerk Caiden? I thought the rumors were false, but he's actually cheating!" another said.

Some tried to console her.

"That mistress is clearly just a stand-in for you. Caiden's probably just chasing something new," one said.

"Men are like that. Once he gets bored, he'll toss her aside," another added.

"She's not a stand-in," a cold, deep voice interrupted from behind.

Alexandra looked up to see Caiden standing there, his arm around a teary-eyed Leyla.

Caiden, tall and imposing, carried an air of authority from years in power.

In his navy suit, he seemed to command the room.

His piercing gaze swept over the group, finally landing on Alexandra. He spoke slowly. "I've always loved Leyla. Seven years ago, I did. And seven years later, I still do."

The implication of who the real stand-in was hung in the air.

Sympathetic glances turned toward Alexandra, more intense than before.

Her nails dug into her palm.

She thought his public declaration of love was the worst he could do.

Yet he continued to trample her dignity in front of everyone.

As if that wasn't enough, Caiden paused, then spoke again. "Leyla isn't a mistress. I'm the one who pursued her relentlessly," he said. "And here, I formally request a divorce from Alexandra Clayton, the eldest daughter of the Clayton family."

The room erupted in gasps.

Alexandra could no longer hold back. She stepped forward and slapped Caiden hard across the face.

Alexandra lost her composure in the end.

Her hand trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. "Caiden, you damn bastard!" she shouted.

Caiden's face turned from the slap, and when he looked back, he froze.

In his memory, he had never made Alexandra cry, but now he had.

His tone softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Alex. I don't want Leyla to suffer anymore," he said.

Tears fell from Alexandra's eyes.

She sneered, glaring at the man before her, each word deliberate. "Caiden, this is the last time I'll cry for you."

Caiden's heart jolted. "Alex..."

"Miss Clayton, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your marriage," Leyla's voice interrupted.

Alexandra's gaze shifted to Leyla, who clung to Caiden's arm.

"Do you think you have the right to speak here?" she asked coldly.

Leyla's face paled.

Alexandra's lips curled, her eyes dripping with scorn. "Don't flatter yourself. Even without you, I'd still divorce Caiden."

Leyla swayed, looking as if she might collapse.

"Alexandra!" Caiden's face darkened.

Alexandra ignored him, turning to the crowd with a smile.

In an instant, she seemed to reclaim her former pride and radiance as the Clayton heiress.

"This was a private matter, and I didn't want to make a spectacle," she said loudly. "But since Mr. Fowler has laid it all bare tonight, let everyone bear witness. No matter how much he regrets it later, the Clayton family will never let him set foot in our home again!"

The Clayton and Fowler families were the most prominent in Harbor City.

No one dared interfere in their affairs.

Silence fell, so heavy a pin could be heard dropping.

Only Caiden's calm, cold voice echoed through the hall. "I won't regret it," he said.

He handed Alexandra a divorce agreement in front of everyone.

Her expression barely flickered, but her smile grew sharper, her eyes colder.

Caiden was doing this to defend Leyla.

She didn't take his papers. Instead, she pulled another document from her bag.

"Sorry, Mr. Fowler, but this is the one you should sign," she said.

When Caiden saw the bold words "leave with nothing" on the agreement, he froze.

He remembered signing this very agreement before their marriage.

Alexandra had said, "Caiden, our circle is full of fleeting relationships, but I want a lifelong partner. Can you promise that?"

Caiden had replied, "Let's make a deal. Whoever betrays the marriage leaves with nothing."

Alexandra had stared at him for a long time before smiling. "Alright," she agreed.

Now, Caiden was the one humiliated.

But he didn't let the awkwardness linger.

After a brief hesitation, he signed the document.

Alexandra watched his every move.

When the final stroke fell, she closed her eyes.

In that moment, Caiden was completely erased from her heart.

The gala, which had begun as a fundraiser, ended with this dramatic scene.

With the divorce, Alexandra gained a massive fortune.

She waved a hand and donated two hundred million.

The event shifted to casual mingling.

Alexandra swirled a glass of red wine slowly.

She was exhausted, but as long as Caiden and Leyla remained, she couldn't leave first.

Otherwise, tomorrow's gossip headlines would read, "Fowler CEO attends event with new lover, Clayton heiress leaves alone in despair."

"Miss Clayton, we really do look alike," a smiling voice said suddenly.

Alexandra looked up to meet Leyla's bright, smug eyes.

"You must know by now that Caiden always saw you as my substitute," Leyla added.

The words stung like salt in a wound, and Alexandra's blood boiled.

But her face remained calm. She raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Leyla smiled. "I'm just letting you know that Caiden has always loved me. You never meant anything to him."

Alexandra's breath caught.

Then she laughed, her gaze turning to pity as she looked down at Leyla.

"Leyla, love is the cheapest thing there is. Haven't you learned that already? Oh, and I forgot to mention-the antidote is almost ready. Do you think Caiden will stay with you once he knows he's not going to die?"

Leyla's pupils shrank. "What did you say?" she asked.

Alexandra crossed her arms. "What, disappointed?"

Leyla stared at her.

After a moment, she shook her head.

"No, of course I want him to live," she said. "And I want him to stay with me forever. So..."

With that, Leyla stepped back, smiling, and fell into the pool behind her.

A loud splash echoed as water sprayed everywhere.

Caiden, hearing the noise, dove into the pool without hesitation.

Alexandra watched coldly.

When Caiden pulled Leyla out, he demanded, "What happened?"

Leyla, shivering under a towel, said, "It's my fault for upsetting Miss Clayton. If this helps her vent, I'm okay with it."

Caiden's icy gaze shot to Alexandra.

She said nothing.

Before anyone could react, she kicked Leyla back into the pool.

Grabbing a bucket of ice, she dumped it over Leyla's head and spoke coldly. "No, this is how I vent."