From Ashes to Queen: Now I Call the Shots novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83 Shattered Illusions

Luke only had to think for a second to figure it out.

That industry heavyweight had to be The Dreamer.

He’d said a few unpleasant things earlier while siding with Stanley, but he mostly kept quiet. That restraint had likely spared him.

Scarlett didn’t go for the kill – because he’d shut up just in time.

Luke suddenly stood straight, cold sweat running down his back.

All he felt was dread.

If he’d lost control and hurled insults like Stanley, he would’ve been blacklisted across the industry took

He’d expected to feel angry or bitter toward Scarlett.

Instead, he felt none of that.

Only a deep, crushing relief.

He was grateful he’d held his tongue.

“Mr. Stanley, one of my artists has an issue–I have to go

He said it while already running.

By the time Stanley realized what was happening, Luke had flung open his car door, jumped in, and sped away without another word.

Stanley was no fool. He’d been in the business long enough to know exactly what Luke’s reaction meant.

But he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Why would Scarlett–who used to treat him like a god, who used to fawn over him–suddenly drop a bomb that blew up every connection he had in the entertainment world?

He might’ve expected the industry to turn on him. The company. Even those directors he barely knew.

But Luke?

Luke was his closest friend. A brother in arms. Someone who had been by his side through it all.

And now, without hesitation, Luke had ditched him too.

It hit him like a sudden downpour, drenching and warping the world around him before he even noticed.

His hands trembled as he pulled out his lighter.

It took several tries to spark the flame. Just as he brought it to the cigarette between his lips, the wind blew it

out.

He crumbled.

Chapter 83 Shattered Illusions

Sinking to the ground, he gripped his hair with both hands, chest heaving with a flood of emotion couldn’t control.

Memories of Scarlett flashed through his mind. The warmth of how things used to be. He reached for it, be it shattered like glass, fragments falling too fast to catch.

What the hell happened?

Where did it all go wrong?

The difference between then and now burned like a hot iron straight to the chest. It left a mark he’d never be able to erase.

And in that moment, he finally realized something:

Scarlett had meant every

word.

When she said she was cutting ties, when she announced the end of their engagement she hadn’t been bluffing.

She truly, absolutely wanted out of the Joyner family.

He’d always known why she was brought into the family. It was for Rebecca. For her recovery.

He’d been careful not to get too close. He told himself not to develop real feelings..

But over time, Scarlett had grown on him.

Somewhere along the way, he changed his mind. He thought: once Rebecca was better, maybe he would let Scarlett stay as his sister.

Of course, that was only because he felt guilty. Guilty she might one day be asked to donate a kidney.

He always believed what he felt was pity.

Not affection.

Not love.

Yet now…

He clutched his chest, the pain twisting his hand into a spasm. He could taste blood in his mouth from the effort to keep breathing.

It took ages to find the strength to stand.

And after only a few steps, he felt dizzy. His vision swam, and he nearly collapsed.

Luckily, a security guard was patrolling nearby. He rushed over and kept Stanley upright, immediately calling 911.

At the hospital, they ran every test.

The results? Nothing but a mild case of lumbar strain.

He was given two boxes of medicated patches and sent home.

13:04 Sat, 2 Aug

Chapter 83 Shattered Illusions

Stanley left the hospital with his mind in pieces.

He didn’t even try to collect them.

Instead, he went drinking.

And it wasn’t until after midnight that he staggered drunkenly back to the Joyner home.

When he pushed open the door, the entire family was in the living room.

All of them glaring at him with unmasked fury.

He blinked, eyes glassy with alcohol.

Seeing everyone there, he actually laughed.

“Wow, look at this. Whole gang’s here.”

“What’s the occasion?”

Martha stormed over and grabbed his arm.

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