Chapter 192: You’ve Come Back

What is he doing here? How long has he been here? And, more importantly, how much has he seen?

After Carter’s last outburst, Lake had been stripped of his roles. Preoccupied with his recovery, his presence within the Boltons had all but faded. I assumed he wouldn’t show up today, given his strained ties with Anna. But I forgot—there was a time when he used to sit with me in the backyard, stargazing. For him to be here in this heavy snowfall, he must be mourning the past we shared. I never imagined he’d catch me red-handed.

Before I could jump down, Luke snatched the journal. He stared at me, his intuition undoubtedly telling him this was important. “Why were you in Chloe’s room? This belongs to her, doesn’t it?”

So he did see. I had Carter distract the rest of the Sanders family, thinking that would give me the leeway I needed. What I didn’t anticipate was Luke coming to the Sanders residence—let alone running straight into me.

I scrambled for a way to explain, but before I could speak, Luke opened the journal. “Give it back!” My plan wasn’t ready to come to light, not yet. But, like Anna, Luke had a knack for taking things in an unpredictable direction. He scanned the contents, quickly realizing what it was.

“This is Chloe’s diary. Why are you stealing her things? And how did you find it so easily when even the police couldn’t?”

My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to appear calm. “Chloe told me where to find it. That day, I fainted in front of her statue because I heard her voice.” Luke said nothing, his expression a mix of doubt and intrigue. I continued, “It might sound unbelievable, but I swear I heard her. That’s why I told Carter about her remains being inside the statue. Otherwise, why do you think the police searched your house?”

His brow furrowed, suspicion glinting in his eyes. “You’re not lying?”

“Why would I lie? If Chloe hadn’t told me, how else would I have found this diary? It might hold the truth about her death. That’s why I came here secretly. You’ve seen for yourself how the Sanders treated her while she was alive.”

I knew Luke’s soft heart could be swayed, so I pressed on. “If you truly loved Chloe, don’t you want to seek justice for her? Do you honestly believe her death was an accident?”

His gaze flickered, a trace of hesitation breaking through. “You think the Sanders had something to do with her death?”

I stared at him, my emotions conflicted. Even though I didn’t want any entanglement with him, the situation had escalated beyond my control. When it came to Chloe, Luke and I shared a common interest. For now, I could only feign an alliance.

“Whether it’s true or not, I think you already know the answer. The Sanders, a group of ignorant fools, were completely in the dark, almost as if Anna had cast a spell over them. Even Lake had harbored suspicions for a long time. But, just like the police, he had no evidence.”

“Luke, maybe the truth is hidden in this journal. Whether to turn it in or not is your call, but if you alert the wrong people and waste the message Chloe gave her life to send, I won’t be able to help.”

Luke fixed his gaze on me. “Before she left, did she say anything else? Did she…” His voice trembled. “Did she mention me?”

Mention you? Did she talk about how many ways you and Anna played around in bed?

I bit back my sarcasm and shook my head. “There wasn’t much time. I only caught bits and pieces. After that, you know what happened—I passed out, her statue shattered, and I believe she truly left this world.”

Luke had been the only one who could see me before I disappeared. While others doubted my words, he believed me.

“Fine. I’ll agree to keep this a secret for now. But in exchange, I need to know everything Chloe said to you before she left.”

I frowned but had no choice but to agree. After all, there was no third party to corroborate; I could make up anything I wanted.

“I’ll tell you, but only if Carter is present during our conversations. I won’t meet you alone. If you agree to that, then let’s drop this. Pretend I never said anything. It doesn’t matter to me whether we uncover the truth about Chloe or not. It’s not like I was close to her.”

Luke tucked the small journal into the inner pocket of his coat, pressing it against his chest like it was something precious. I scoffed internally. You didn’t cherish her when she was alive; now that she’s gone, your gestures are meaningless.

“Pleasure working with you, Aunt Zoey,” he said, extending a hand.

I didn’t take it. “Luke. Chloe died a tragic death. Maybe it’s because we look alike that I feel such a connection to her. I want to seek justice on her behalf. We’re not enemies—we’re partners.”

“I understand your concerns,” he replied.

I nodded. “I’ll head back inside. Give it a moment before you come in.”

“Okay.”

I finally exhaled in relief. At least I’d managed to keep Luke in check for now.

As I turned to leave, Snowflake emerged from the corner. I scooped the little creature into my arms. Snowflake, this time, I won’t leave you behind again.

From a distance, Lake stood watching, murmuring in a voice I couldn’t hear, “Chloe, you’ve come back…”