When She Rose From the Ashes

Chapter 30 The Day She Chose to Leave

The immigration officer finally let out a breath of relief when Jensen confirmed his connection to Natalie.

“Mr. Luke, Miss Natalie Summers had filed an application for travel documents with us. Everything’s approved now, but we haven’t been able to contact her. Should we mail it to her home or will you pick it up?”

Jensen froze.

“Travel documents? When did she apply?”

“Ten days ago.”

The words hit him like a brick.

Ten days ago? That was the day.

The day he married Sharon.

The day he left Natalie behind on her birthday.

He felt a sharp chill crawl up his spine.

“And… how did she look that day? Was she okay?”

The officer sounded slightly puzzled. “I’m sorry, Mr. Luke. We handle too many clients each day to recall individuals clearly.”

Jensen didn’t press further. He ended the call.

“Take me home.”

Since Natalie’s death, he’d been holed up at the hospital. A part of him couldn’t face going back to their shared space

the pain was too sharp.

—

But now… now he needed to go back.

needed to see

was the

had always been

–

broken, cowering, bleeding in the Summers family’s backyard

he let Sharon drag him into that street

he’d been young, impulsive, and a little

wild, reckless men. She loved

—

thrill, the spotlight.

1/3

a touch-me-not. Sharon had burned like

then. He raced to impress her,

did, Sharon disappeared. Left the country. Went off

Only Natalie had stayed.

begged Witch Doctor to

he was on the brink of death – to donate a rib. That single act had complicated everything, tangled guilt

That had

years, everything he gave

—

the gifts, the

–

was always

Wasn’t that enough?

place they’d called home for five years, Jensen

Something was missing.

noticed it: the wind chime by the

were the thousand paper cranes Natalie had folded by hand while

chime and hung it there – not for show, but as a

weren’t worth much, not like the expensive gifts women usually gave him. But they meant something.

They were them.

they were

took down the paper

tore through the penthouse like a