When She Rose From the Ashes

Chapter 41 A New Face

He remembered how, even in the middle of surgery, Natalie had murmured Jensen’s name over and over again. The thought made his chest blaze with fury, and the temperature in the room seemed to plummet.

Natalie noticed the shift immediately and rushed to explain. “That’s not what I meant. I-”

“Enough,” Baron interrupted. “Whatever you meant to say, whatever you think you’re feeling-let it go. If you want to fully recover, it’ll take a long time. Rest and surgery. I’ve already contacted Witch Doctor. Once your body’s stable, he’ll perform the skin grafts. Your face might not look the same afterward. But if you want it to, Witch Doctor might be able to restore it.”

Natalie paused.

She raised a hand instinctively, trying to touch her face-but she stopped halfway and let it drop again.

Her skin couldn’t handle the pressure. Even a light touch could cause damage.

What is she now, really?

A monster? A child would cry just looking at her.

If she’d survived, it was only because of Baron.

She owed him her life.

But since the fire hadn’t killed her, she wasn’t going to let what Sharon and Jensen did slide.

The old Natalie was gone. Whether her face could be restored or not didn’t matter anymore.

“Baron, I want a new face.”

Before she turned eighteen, she was the misidentified daughter of the Summers family. After that, she was the gilded canary Jensen kept under lock and key.

sacrificed everything for him-in the

at twenty-three severed her from Jensen forever-and left

now on, she would belong to

saw the determination in her eyes and finally relaxed a

are painful. The process is long and grueling. Are you sure about

I have to offer. Witch Doctor never helps anyone without

rules Witch Doctor

tone was calm. “We’ll deal with that later. First, focus on healing for the next month.

“Okay.”

1/3

Natalie nodded.

right now. If the pain becomes unbearable, tell me. I’ll have someone bring you pain

She shook her head.

I want to remember this pain.

her lip. Her eyes were steely. But when she looked at Baron again,

to thank you. It might be the last piece

He froze.

he had assumed it was just something she’d said in passing. Now it turned out she hadn’t been

did you

with a flicker of joy he didn’t

A gift?

been years since anyone

from the things he

Natalie had created herself-just for

leaned in close. His gaze was so clear, so focused, that Natalie felt like she was staring into the

help but smile a little, even though it hurt. There was