From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace novel Chapter 29

“No, really, I’m good. My mom just texted. She’s picking up my brother first, then me. I don’t have to head out until after ten.”

“Alright, get some more sleep then. I’m going to wash up.”

Laurinda gave Shirley’s soft hair a playful ruffle, neatly folded her blanket, and hopped out of bed to head to the bathroom.

By the time she strolled out of the school gates, almost an hour had passed. She slung her backpack over one shoulder and took slow, thoughtful bites of a breakfast bun, completely unbothered by the people passing by—most of whom couldn’t help but stare. Laurinda was just that beautiful. Even on a sleepy morning, she somehow managed to turn heads. Watching her eat, there was something so real about her, like her usual fairytale charm had dialed down and she was just a regular girl for a moment.

Someone nearby couldn’t resist. They pulled out their phone and snapped a quick photo, then uploaded it to the campus forum.

Warner spotted the post first. He immediately called Fabian.

Fabian, who was still half-asleep and grumpy, forgot all about his bad mood as soon as he heard the news. He never imagined Laurinda would show up at school like nothing had happened.

“Are you absolutely sure it’s her?”

“Fabian, come on. You could recognize Laurinda from a mile away. Remember that time you picked her out of a crowd just because you saw her hair tie? It’s her. She looks totally fine. Which means Jared and the others…”

Warner’s voice faded. He didn’t dare finish his sentence. His family had already tried to get information about Wade, and they’d come up empty. That only made things feel even more serious.

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