Chapter 220: Clues from the Corpse

The instant his eyes met mine, my body froze. When the dagger pierced my back, disbelief, not pain, struck me first. As I spun around, those cold, dark eyes met mine. Before I could process what had happened, the dagger was already out of my flesh, effortlessly withdrawn. Those eyes, the tormentors of my nightmares, now glared with the intensity of a deadly predator. Despite my altered appearance, my heart pounded uncontrollably under his gaze, a surge of adrenaline flooding through me. It felt like being on a roller coaster, shooting up to the peak in a heartbeat, my heart suspended at the apex. My mind urged me to ignore his stare, but instinct screamed with fear, a stark reminder of his attempt to kill me.

Suddenly, a towering figure stepped into view, and a wave of relief washed over me.

“Mrs. Zoey, would you like some water?”

It was Damian. The man was tall and imposing, but Damian, with his own tall, sturdy frame, effortlessly blocked the other man's gaze.

“Thank you.”

No one could tell that I was drenched in a cold sweat, as if I had just escaped death by a hair's breadth. I took a sip of the warm water, letting its heat spread through my body, restoring some life to my limbs. In a low voice, I said, “He’s here, at the ten o'clock position, over six feet tall.”

Carter turned to Damian, his voice steady. “Watch him closely, but don’t alert him.”

“Understood.”

I added, “This isn’t his real face. He’s excellent at hiding his true identity.”

“Understood.”

Whether it was the day he attempted to take my life or our unexpected meeting at the art exhibition, his face appeared different today. But I was certain—it was him, those eyes, that figure! I lowered my gaze, pretending to speak with Carter, who held my hand, feeling my body tremble.

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered softly.

My body betrayed me, trembling like a mouse before a cat, driven purely by instinct. The man’s eyes never left me. Even if I refused to meet his gaze, I could feel it burning into me. I couldn’t remain as composed as Carter. Damian had already moved on, and I couldn’t help but think about confronting that person today. I longed to rip him apart, tear away his disguise, and uncover the monstrous face hidden behind that mask!

Carter, fearing I might reveal myself, gently urged me to push him away. There wasn’t much connection between us and Ethan, so we had planned to leave right after the funeral ceremony. Once we were back in the car, as the door closed behind us, I unexpectedly threw myself into Carter’s arms.

“Don’t be afraid, Chloe. I’m here,” he whispered, holding me close.

I clutched his clothes tightly, my teeth clenched. “I want to kill him, tear his skin off, and break his bones!”

“Chloe, I promise, that day will come. Don’t act recklessly. We’ll wait for the right moment.”

I murmured, “Okay.”

Even though I nodded in agreement with Carter, a sense of unease still gnawed at me. I was afraid of losing track of him, yet at the same time I feared alerting him too soon. Carson feared that we might become targets as well, so he decided to take me away first.

“How about we go back to your mom’s house?” he asked.

The house was swarming with leeches, which had already been bothering me. “I don’t want to.”

“Then back to the Bolton Residence?” he asked again.

“I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want Damian to find that person as soon as possible.”

Carter gave my head a gentle pat. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you somewhere.”

I was taken aback when he led me into a furniture store. “Why are we here?” I asked, tasked and confused.

“We’ll need to move out eventually. Don’t you want to help decorate our new place? We’ll be living there together for a long time.”

I thought back to the new house I had planned with Luke—the design, the construction, everything I had overseen for years. Even down to each tree, I had personally chosen it. But in the end, I never even got to live there before it became messy. The thought of starting all over again drained me.

Carter seemed to read my mind. “Chloe, Anna has probably been wary of you for a while. We need to do something to throw them off and keep your mind occupied. Do you understand?”

“Got it.”

As we entered the store, I began picking out furniture with care. When we passed the children’s section, Carter paused. “Aren’t you curious? This is a good opportunity to get a few things for the future.”

I felt my face heat up. “We don’t even have kids yet. It’s too soon to be looking at things like this.”

Carter looked into my eyes. “We’ll have them someday, won’t we?”

“Yeah,” I replied softly.

The baby section was filled with warmth and comfort, with soft, pastel colors in shades of pink and light hues. My mind wandered to that poor child, whose gender I didn’t even know. Without realizing it, I found myself holding a rattle drum, wondering if, when I got pregnant again, it would somehow return to me.

“Do you like it?” Carter asked.

I couldn’t hide the emptiness in my expression. During the time I was fighting to keep the baby at the hospital, the only thing that kept me going was that child. I even bought baby clothes and toys online, but it was gone so quickly. No one knew, but after I was discharged, the packages kept arriving, one after another. Each time I touched one, a sharp pain would strike my chest. Eventually, I destroyed it all with my own hands. Now, whenever I come across these small reminders, they tear open the deepest wound in my soul. It hurts!

Carter took my hand gently. “This time, it won’t happen again, darling. I’m ready to build a life with you, and our child. Please, trust me.”

I gave a small nod. “Alright.” He isn’t Luke. He won’t bring me pain.

Carter took his time helping me pick out items, and the salesperson couldn’t help but compliment us. “Ma’am, your husband is so thoughtful. He’s already so caring before the baby is even born. Just imagine how doting he’ll be in the future. Men like him are hard to find these days.”

I blushed as she spoke, and we spent a long time selecting things together. It truly felt like we were preparing for a child. It was so different from before, when Luke was still tangled with another woman, leaving me to juggle my anxieties and hopes alone.

We spent the entire day at the furniture store, choosing everything from sofas to the master bedroom set, even picking out vases and dinnerware. While I cradled a cute, bread-shaped pillow in my arms, Carter’s phone suddenly rang.

“Carl, this is…”

He picked up the call, and his face instantly turned serious. A knot formed in my chest, sensing that Damian had information on the other side of the call. Once he hung up, he let me take the pillow and wrapped up our day by settling the bill.

As soon as we were in the car and on our way, I couldn’t wait to ask, “What happened?”

“Our plan is on track. He returned to that car repair shop.”

“That’s right. Esmee spotted him there! Something’s definitely off with that place.”

I couldn’t contain my excitement. “Carter, my spirit once visited an underground room. It was enormous, and my body was lying on a stone bed! Didn’t you mention it was a mass grave? I believe the room is directly below the car repair shop.”

I held his hand tightly. “Carter, I have to go check. There has to be some clues that connect to my corpse.”