When She Rose From the Ashes (Natalie and Jensen) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Do You Even Hear Yourself?

Chapter 12 Do You Even Hear Yourself?

Natalie touched her cheek. Crimson blood stained her pale fingers.

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There was a time when even the slightest cough from her would send Jensen into a panic, rushing to call every doctor he could find. But now–now she was bleeding, and he didn’t even blink. And those words he’d just spoken… they stabbed straight into her already shattered heart.

She stared at him and let out a cold laugh. “Do you even hear yourself right now?”

“You knew I wanted to marry you, but you never brought it up once in the past five years. And now, suddenly, you’re offering marriage to get me to retract the evidence against Sharon?”

“You said this hundred–million–dollar villa is enough to make up for what Sharon did to me. So tell me- can I do the exact same things to her that she did to me, then hand her a hundred million and call it even? I’ve made far more than that for Luke Corp in the last five years.”

“And you said if she hadn’t nearly beaten me to death, you and I never would’ve met? Well, let me tell you something–I’d rather we never met at all.”

With each sentence, Jensen’s expression darkened.

By the time she finished, he looked shaken.

“Natalie… what are you saying? You regret meeting me? You regret falling in love with me?”

He stepped forward in a rush and grabbed her wrist, pinning her against the display shelf by the door.

“Say it!”

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

But the love that used to shine in hers was gone, replaced with a calm and icy clarity.

Jensen’s eyes turned bloodshot.

With a hoarse voice, he said, “Natalie, from the moment I saved you five years ago, you’ve been mine. After everything we’ve been through, everything you’ve done for me–we stopped being two separate people a long time ago. Don’t say that kind of thing again. I don’t like it. Do you hear me?”

In that moment, the intensity in his eyes almost made her believe he still loved her.

But how could that be?

Before she could respond, Jensen’s phone rang.

That familiar ringtone snapped her back to reality.

Jensen immediately let her go and answered the call.

Quincy’s voice came through the speaker, panicked and crying.

“Mr. Luke, Sharon just woke up. She remembered the press conference. She said if those videos get out,

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7:30 pm P

Chapter 12 Do You Even Hear Yourself?

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she’ll be too ashamed to face anyone. She’d rather die than live with the humiliation. Please, Mr. Luke, you have to help! She’s all I have. If she dies, I won’t go on living either!”

Jensen’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Tell Sharon I’ll take care of the video. She just needs to stay alive. I’ll be back to see her soon.”

He hung up, then turned to Natalie with a colder, more commanding gaze.

“Natalie. Go get changed. You’re coming with me to the station to delete the video files.”

“No.”

Natalie didn’t hesitate.

She must’ve been blind earlier to think Jensen still had feelings for her.

What was she compared to Sharon?

She’d gone

through hell to secure those video archives. There was no way she was giving them up now.

ensen didn’t look surprised.

He glanced down, slowly running his fingers over his phone, his voice dropping a few degrees.

You know my temper, Natalie. When I want something, I always get it.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

What are you trying to say?”

He said quietly, “I think I still have some videos and photos from your birthday last year–when you got runk and started stripping. What do you think would happen if those got out?”

Jensen!”

he never imagined he’d threaten her with those.

lack then, she’d done something crazy out of love, pouring all her courage into it. And now that love had ecome a weapon to destroy her.

ust for Sharon, he was willing to tear her apart.

Natalie raised her hand and slapped him–hard.

The sound echoed through the room as his head snapped to the side. His cheek turned red and swollen Imost instantly.

He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and looked at her–at the way she trembled, holding back ears, refusing to let them fall.

Then he spoke again.

Come with me to the station. Delete the video and the backup. Do that, and I’ll delete those photos and/4

7:30 pm

Chapter 12 Do You Even Hear Yourself?

videos too. Natalie, don’t force my hand.”

Natalie suddenly laughed–loud, bitter.

But this time, the tears finally fell.

“I’m forcing you? Jensen, you win!”

She stormed off

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She didn’t want to erase the archive she’d sacrificed so much to get, but she also couldn’t risk those photos being leaked.

With Jensen smothering her identity and nude photos hanging over her, she’d have nowhere left to go. One leak and the world would drown her in scorn.

She knew it.

She’d lost.

Her footsteps felt like lead. The helplessness–the feeling of being trapped no matter what she did–made her want to scream.

Jensen watched her back as she walked away. The sting on his cheek felt like it was seeping into his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Still, thinking of Sharon waiting at the hospital, he followed quickly after her.

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