Chapter 209: Chloe, I Love You

On the way home, I rested against Carter’s chest, feeling his warmth and listening to his steady heartbeat. From my own near-death experience to Penelope's collapse, Esmee’s car accident, and now Ethan’s—the only survivor was barely clinging to life. I clung tightly to Carter’s shirt, unable to understand such cruelty. What had the Sanders done to deserve such madness?

“Carter, haven’t you found anything about the Carlines yet?” I asked, frustration rising in my voice.

Carter gently stroked my head, his voice soft. “I had someone look into it again, but the conclusion is the same. As far as the Carlines go, there’s no deep grudge with the Sanders.”

“And what about the owner of the garage, Fabian Carline? Have you found anything on him?” Ethan’s death triggered a rush of anger, and I was desperate to uncover the truth.

“He has no connection to the Carlines, but the garage itself has an interesting history.”

I quickly looked up at him and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Many years ago, that area was nothing more than a mass burial site. After the country’s big push for development, especially in the city, old buildings were demolished to make way for skyscrapers, and even fields and rural areas were overtaken by developers. That area, however, didn’t experience the economic boom other areas did. There were no shopping malls or major projects, so a real estate developer never built there. Then, about 30 years ago, someone bought the land and turned it into a garage, which made sense given the cost of the land.”

“You said 30 years ago? Fabian is only in his 30s, right?”

“Exactly. The person who bought it and built the garage was named Lionel Cress.”

The more I listened, the more confused I became. “Do they have any connection?”

“From the information we’ve gathered, no. It seems to have been a standard real estate transaction.”

“Do you have any details on Lionel?”

He was the first to build something on the former mass burial site, so if there was something shady, it would likely be him.

“The records from 30 years ago are long gone. Fabian took over the garage about 10 years ago. The sale and transfer of ownership were handled through an attorney Lionel hired, and so far, we haven’t found anything concrete about him.”

So, Lionel must be at least in his 40s or 50s. With the land having been built on 30 years prior, he could be old enough to have a grudge against the older Sanders generation. I held onto the hope that Grandma could offer some answers. If only she would speak more.

Carter held me gently. He said, “Chloe, these old stories have been buried for a long time. Trying to uncover them won’t be easy. Your real enemy isn’t Anna—it’s the massive organization behind her. Maybe they’ve spent decades setting this up.”

“Ethan’s death reminds us of something else,” he continued. “You can’t let anyone find out about your second life. If they do, you’ll become a target again.”

I furrowed my brow. “But Luke, he—”

“He won’t say anything. You can’t trust anyone other than us. Do you understand?”

Carter could see my fear, so he tenderly cupped my face in his hands. He stated, “Chloe, the only person in this world who will never hurt you is me.”

His words soothed me, and I felt a sense of peace settle over me.

When we arrived home, we paused our conversation. As we entered, I saw Bill in the living room, smoking. There were scratches on his face, like he had been clawed by a cat. My heavy heart lightened a little when I saw him looking so defeated. It seemed like Mom had finally listened to me. No longer hiding her feelings—she was fighting back.

There was a piece of paper on the floor. Bill had just reached down to pick it up when I snatched it first. It was a divorce agreement.

“Finally, Mom has come to her senses.” I couldn’t hold back my smile.

Bill grabbed the paper from me and ripped it into pieces.

“What’s so great about that? I’m telling you, I won’t sign it!” He shot me a glare. “You’re married. Why do you keep running back to your mother’s house?”

“Because I want to. It’s none of your business!” I rolled my eyes at him and walked to my room. Bill was visibly frustrated with me and directed his gaze toward Carter. “Control your woman.”

Carter responded calmly. “I marry her to pamper her, not control her.” With that, he turned and left. If this had happened before, Carter would have slammed the door and stormed out, but today, he stayed, even sleeping in the guest room.

I had witnessed Ethan’s death with my own eyes, and the coldness in my body made me shiver. After soaking in a warm bath for a while, I finally felt some warmth spread through me. I gathered my thoughts before heading back to the room.

Carter was already lying in bed, patting the space next to him. “Chloe, come here.”

When my identity was revealed, I felt something strange. Zoey was younger, and they didn’t know each other before. He saw me as Chloe, and I had been with Luke for so many years. Though it had only been one drunken night, it left an imprint on my heart, and I wasn’t sure how to handle this new situation. I had considered him as my elder for years, but in this life, he was my contractual husband. All this while, I had never imagined falling for him. I had always approached our relationship pragmatically, but now he seemed to have feelings for me.

I stood there, flustered, unsure of what to do. He seemed to read my thoughts and looked at me with gentle eyes. “This pajama look is pretty on you.” I had chosen a conservative set of pajamas instead of a nightdress, thinking about how we would share a bed.

“Th-thank you.”

He smiled softly. “How long are you going to stand there? Chloe, I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept well the last few nights when you weren’t around. Would you mind turning off the lights and coming to bed?”

I saw the exhaustion in his face, and guilt tugged at my heart. I quickly turned off the lights and climbed into bed, curling up under my covers. In the darkness, I felt his long arm slip under the blanket, pulling me close to him. I could feel a warm, male body against mine.

“C-Carter,” I whispered.

“Is it because the lights are off and you can’t see my face that you’re not afraid anymore?” I almost cried from the weight of it all.

“I’m not afraid of you,” I quickly explained. “I just need time to adjust. I’ll get used to it soon.”

He gently stroked my back and said, “I know this past month has been tough for you. You’ve experienced so much, and then Ethan’s death. I know you’re struggling to process everything. But Chloe, there’s one thing you need to understand…” He sighed, a deep, long, lingering sound that was strangely sexy.

“Hmm?”

He took my hand, his rough fingers interlocking with mine. His warm breath caressed my ear. “Chloe, I love you.”