Chapter 218: The Autopsy Result

My throat tightened as uncertainty washed over me. “…I’m not sure,” I murmured.

His fingers grazed my cheek softly, his gaze locked onto mine, studying every flicker of emotion. “Would it upset you if we did that?”

I caught the hesitance in his tone, and a thought stirred. He was scared, worried I might hold this against him.

“It would,” I admitted.

As expected, the light in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a shadow of regret. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

I lifted my hand, placing it gently against his lips. “Hear me, pet. When I say I feel upset, it’s not because of you. It’s because… I don’t feel like I’m truly a part of it!”

He finally raised his eyes to meet mine, quiet and patient, waiting for me to continue.

I hesitated, licking my lips nervously. “The truth is… in my past life, I had a long-term relationship with Luke. We were together for years, but the only time we were ever intimate was after we’d both had too much to drink. The next morning, I couldn’t even remember what happened.”

My voice dropped, tinged with embarrassment. “It’s not about what happened last night. It’s about how, once again, I let myself go in a drunken blur, losing that moment without being fully present. It’s supposed to be something shared between two people, something meaningful. I just want to experience that connection, to truly be there.”

Carter seemed caught off guard by my explanation, but a soft smile crept onto his face. He pulled me into his embrace and simply said, “Nothing happened.”

Leaning close, his lips brushed against my ear as he murmured, “Your first time is something so special. How could I take that without your consent? I made a promise—to wait until you willingly give it to me.”

His words sent a gentle warmth spreading through my chest.

“Carter, you’re truly a good person,” I whispered, feeling my heart soften.

“I still like it better when you call me Carl,” he said softly. His hand brushed against my cheek, his touch tender. “After all, I’m the one who met you first.”

I looked into his warm eyes, and it felt as if time rewound itself. Faint, distant memories surfaced, fragments of a life I had nearly forgotten.

From the moment I met Luke at eight years old, he made it clear that I wasn’t to have any connection with Carter. Whenever I ran into Carter, his cold stare would freeze me in place, and all I could manage was a quick nod before retreating.

Until I was ten, I was as mischievous as ever. One day, I climbed a peach tree, only to lose my footing and slip. The swaying branches scattered a flurry of peach blossom petals to the ground. Yet, the pain I expected never came. Instead, I fell into the arms of a young boy.

A quiet groan escaped his lips, and his brows knitted together in discomfort. Panic welled up in me as I blurted out, “Carl, are you hurt?”

He reached for my hand, his grip firm but warm, a faint smile curving his lips. “So, you haven’t forgotten me after all.”

The boy I once knew had grown into a man, but that familiar smile, the one that always held a trace of kindness, was exactly the same.

I let out a wistful sigh. “If Luke hadn’t stood in our way, would we have been together much sooner?”

He held me close, his voice gentle yet firm. “Chloe, I’m the fortunate one. I should be thanking God for returning the treasure I thought I’d lost forever.”

We clung to each other, our hearts racing in unison, the intensity of the moment filling the space between us.

In my past life, I met such a tragic end, and I had blamed God for being unfair. Why was the one who ended my life allowed to go free, while kind souls seemed destined to leave too soon? But now, I finally see the grand design. God had His reasons all along. Maybe God cared for Carter too much, wanting to use my second chance at life to finally express my love for him.

After drinking, his behavior was completely different from Luke’s. I couldn’t bring myself to leave. It wasn’t until I was cleaning up that I noticed numerous faded kiss marks on my skin. Carter is no longer young, and he’s never been with a woman before. It must have been hard for him to stop when he did.

As I stared at the marks he left, even though I had forgotten the details, the mere thought of his striking face kissing every part of my body made me blush. How embarrassing!

As I slowly made my way out the door, he was already dressed and seated in his wheelchair, his eyes soft and affectionate. “Come here, darling.”

At first, I couldn’t stand such a cheesy nickname. If it had come from a rough man, I’d have probably lost my dinner. But then again, it was Carter saying it. Not only does he have a voice that could rival a voice actor’s, but his face is straight out of a comic hero.

I used to believe that I wasn’t someone who cared about appearance. But now, I realize that ever since meeting Luke, I’ve been subtly manipulated by him. I never considered anyone else but him, so I never paid attention to how other men looked. With Carter’s approval and admiration, I broke free from my old self and formed a new sense of beauty and perspective.

“What?”

He pulled me onto his lap, effortlessly wrapping his arms around my waist, leaning in close, and whispering softly in my ear. “I won’t disappoint you.”

I blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

He replied, “Our first night together will be something you’ll never forget, darling. You can look forward to it.”

I felt my cheeks flush and bit my lip, unsure how to respond. With a red face, I could only whisper, “Okay.”

After last night, our relationship had moved forward significantly. Not only did I no longer pull away from his touch, but after hearing his words, I actually felt a hint of excitement.

“Chloe, as stunning as you are right now, making me feel all kinds of things, there’s something I need to tell you. I just got news from the police station that the autopsy report for Ethan is out.”

The sudden shift in tone pulled me out of the charged atmosphere and into one of tension.

“Is something wrong?”

Carter explained, “No, he was driving normally, no signs of alcohol or drugs, and he was completely clear-headed at the time of his death.”

“Then what caused his death?”

He answered, “The car was tampered with, and the area where the accident occurred was especially slippery, causing the car to crash through the guardrail.”

I grew anxious. “What about Anna? Have they found anything? That car was hers! She’s the one who asked Ethan to go there! This has to be connected to her!”