Devouring Love in the Raging Fire — Novel

About

In a world where love can feel like a prison, Ivana Millian faces the ultimate betrayal. Five years of devotion to Ernest Gilmore have led her to a bitter revelation: she was never more than a placeholder for his true love, Sydney. As she awakens in a hospital bed, nursing injuries from an ice-cold punishment, the stakes become painfully clear. Can she reclaim her identity in a life that has revolved around someone else's whims?

As Sydney returns, flaunting her reign over Ernest’s heart, Ivana must confront her own feelings of worth. With every text and social media post, she feels the weight of being a mere substitute crush her spirit. Will she continue to bend to Ernest's demands, or will she find the strength to break free?

In the heat of this emotional fire, Ivana’s journey toward self-discovery ignites. Can she rise from the ashes of her past, rekindle her passion for baking, and chase the dreams she once abandoned? Or will the flames of unrequited love consume her completely? In a story of resilience, desire, and the struggle for autonomy, Ivana's fight for love—both for herself and the art she cherishes—has just begun.

Devouring Love in the Raging FireChapter 1

Five years ago, Ivana Millian accompanied Ernest Gilmore through the collapse after being abandoned by his 'favorite woman.'

To save his 'favorite woman,' Ernest locked Ivana in a freezer. She survived but lost a toe.

Later, Ernest compensated Ivana with four toes, kneeling on the ground and begging her to come back, "Even if you cut off my entire leg, I would still willingly endure it!"

***

"You stay inside! I waited for you for so long, now you'll stay inside just as long!" Ernest shouted at her.

In July's heat, Ivana wore thin clothes in the freezer at minus twenty-two degrees Celsius. Within seconds, her lips turned purple from the cold.

"Ernest, I didn't mean to! I swear, the traffic was bad! Punish me in some other way, please?" Ivana kept jumping up and down while pleading with Ernest.

He shouted, "Punish you another way? On Valentine's Day, you made me wait for five full minutes in public. Do I spoil you too much?"

"No, no, it's not like that." Ivana anxiously slapped the freezer door, shivering from the cold. The extreme temperature made every part of her body ache unbearably.