Fire and ash

Chapter Three: Fire and Ash

The dress hung there, untouched, hanging in the middle of her room like a forgotten memory.

It was soft, pink, the fabric that once reminded her of moments with him—of their first date, of the way he had looked at her like she was the only thing worth chasing.

Now, it was just fabric.

And that’s exactly why she was about to burn it.

She glanced at the lighter Christopher had left on her kitchen counter, the sleek metal catching the dull light from the lamp.

She had never done anything like this before. No part of her had ever dared to defy her own nature, to take such a deliberate step into something she didn’t understand. But when she thought about him—her ex—his words echoed in her mind.

“You’re too innocent for me.”

But Christopher’s words had been different. His words felt like they came from a place of knowledge, of control. The way he’d said them made it clear he was a man who had seen more, understood more.

That had unsettled her, but it had also ignited something—something she couldn’t name.

She reached for the lighter.

Christopher had arrived earlier that evening, waiting in her living room with a glass of whiskey in hand, watching the firelight from the fireplace flicker and dance on the walls.

She could feel his presence like heat radiating from the room. He didn’t speak much—he rarely did—but his eyes were always on her, like he was studying every breath she took.

When she entered, the dress still clutched in her hands, he didn’t move. Didn’t say a word.

Just watched her.

“Do you really want to do this?” His voice was a low hum in the otherwise quiet room, like the calm before a storm.

Vivienne looked down at the dress in her hands, then back at him.

“Yes,” she said, voice firm, though a tremor of uncertainty clung to her tone.

“Good.” Christopher’s voice softened, but there was no warmth in it. “Now let’s make sure you burn it right.”

He stood, walked over to the fireplace, and gestured for her to follow. She didn’t hesitate this time.

The flames beckoned her. She stepped toward them, the firelight dancing across her face, making her look almost fragile.

Without saying a word, he took the dress from her hands. There was something ritualistic about the way he moved, as if this moment had been rehearsed. He held the dress up to the flames, watching it flicker in the heat for a brief second before dropping it into the fire.

The fabric ignited with ease, turning into a blaze of soft pink and orange.

Vivienne stared at it. The ashes began to curl in the air, drifting away like pieces of a lost past.

Christopher stood behind her now, close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. His breath near her ear was steady.

“Goodbye, old Vivienne,” he murmured. “It’s time for something else.”

She shivered. It wasn’t cold, but she felt it anyway.

She had done it. She had let go.

But there was something unsettling in the way the fire burned. Something in the way the heat made her feel alive… and exposed.

In the silence that followed, all she could hear was the crackle of the fire and her own breath.

Christopher moved away from her, back to his seat.“Now,” he said, leaning back, taking another sip of his drink, “lesson two begins.”

Vivienne turned, still feeling the pull of the fire in her chest.

“What’s lesson two?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied her, the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

“Lesson two is simple,” he finally said, voice low. “It’s time to stop pretending you’re someone you’re not. You’ve already started. But that little act of burning something that meant so much to you? That’s just the beginning.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

Christopher took a long drink, then set the glass down with deliberate slowness.

“I mean that now, you’re going to learn how to stop being the girl who lets others define her. I’m going to teach you to take control. Over your body. Over your emotions. Over the things that make you weak.”

He smiled then, but it wasn’t a smile of kindness. It was the kind of smile that held a promise of things she wasn’t sure she was ready for.

Vivienne’s stomach fluttered, but she didn’t back down. Not this time. She had come too far.

“And if I’m not ready for all of it?” she asked, her voice tentative but stronger than before.

Christopher leaned forward, his gaze piercing.

“You will be,” he said quietly. “Because you’ve already started the hardest part. Letting go.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***