Chapter 314: Take Her Back

Grandma lay still in bed, unable to move. Mrs. Lambert leaned close and softly spoke in her ear, “Mrs. Penelope, Mr. Bolton is here to see you.” I didn’t know how Carter had managed to move Grandma here, but Mrs. Lambert seemed to trust him completely.

“Grandma, can you see me?” I asked, leaning forward. Her eyes slid past me, focusing instead on Luke and Carter. Her voice broke sharply when she saw him. “Get out!” Her words were slow and labored, as if she had to force each one out. She looked better than when I last saw her—she had gained weight and looked healthier. But now, her face was flushed with anger, and her eyes narrowed on Luke. Luke stood there, looking caught off guard and pale. “Penelope, I…”

But Carter wasn’t going to waste time on explanations. He went straight to the point. “Penelope, can you see Chloe?”

Grandma’s expression clouded with confusion. I realized immediately that she couldn’t see me anymore. She had seen me before when she was on the edge of life, with no will to live, all thanks to Anna. But now, as she recovered, my presence seemed to fade. It was a good sign, though. It meant she was out of danger, that she was getting better.

Carter’s usually calm face showed signs of worry. Maybe he already knew the truth but didn’t want to burden Grandma with it. He was trying to protect her from more fear. But Grandma wasn’t naïve, even if she couldn’t move. If Carter was here, asking about me in the middle of the night, of course, she’d be concerned.

“Chloe, how…?” she murmured.

Unable to keep it from her any longer, Carter gently explained that my spirit had left my body. Grandma’s eyes filled with tears. She trembled with emotion, her body making an effort to get up.

“Grandma, don’t move. I’m right here,” I said, reaching out to stop her, but my hand passed right through her. I watched helplessly as Mrs. Lambert tried to calm her. “Mrs. Penelope, please don’t worry. If Ms. Chloe is really here, she’d be so worried about you. You’ve just come back from death’s door. If anything were to happen now, what would she do? You’re her only support in the Sander family.”

Carter added, “Yes, Penelope. I’ve checked Chloe’s body. Her heart rate is fine. She’s just in a coma. As soon as her soul returns, she’ll be okay.”

At last, Grandma stopped trying to rise. But her tears flowed freely, and I wished I could wipe them away, yet I couldn’t do a thing.

“Grandma, I’m so sorry. You’re at such an age, and you’re still worrying about me.”

“Uncle, could it be that Penelope can’t see because Chloe’s not here? Maybe we should try the candle again.”

Carter lit the candle once more, and everyone watched as it flickered softly. In the quiet, warm room, the candle suddenly snuffed out. Mrs. Lambert gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my, Ms. Chloe really is here.” She shuddered, rubbing her arms. The older generation used to talk about restless spirits, but that had always seemed like a story. Now, facing it firsthand, even someone as brave as Mrs. Lambert was visibly rattled. Grandma’s tears started flowing again as she whispered my name. “Chloe…”

“Grandma, please don’t cry.” Carter’s face grew pale. He had hoped the candle would bring me back, but it seemed futile.

“Mr. Bolton, it’s already very late. Why don’t you both stay the night? You can try again tomorrow,” Mrs. Lambert suggested, her eyes full of concern.

Outside, the snow was falling heavily, and the roads were slick. What if they got hurt trying to hurry in the cold? But Carter couldn’t give up yet. Though my body seemed fine for now, what if my spirit stayed away too long? What if my body began to deteriorate? Every second was critical to him.

“Take care of Penelope. We’ll leave now, but there are still things we need to take care of…”

“Mr. Bolton…”

“Mrs. Lambert, the situation outside is dangerous. Don’t contact anyone. If Penelope reappears, it’ll be too late. We’ve pushed them into a corner. They’re dangerous now.”

“Alright, Mr. Bolton. Please be careful.”

Carter and Luke left again. In the car, Luke’s face was filled with frustration. “Uncle, what do we do now? We don’t know anything about the supernatural. Should we get a priest?”

Carter tightened his grip on the armrest. “You go back to the residence. I’ll figure out what to do with Chloe.”

“But—”

“We’ve already stumbled into their hideout and cut off their financial flow. Even if they don’t know it was us, their original targets were the Boltons and the Sanders. They might retaliate. The Boltons can’t be left unguarded.”

Carter placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder and spoke seriously. “Luke, I know you’re upset about Chloe marrying me. But think about it, you only became friends with Chloe because you claimed to have saved her life. We both know it was me. I gave you a chance with the Boltons and Chloe. I don’t owe you anything now.”

“For years, things have come easily to you. That’s why you’ve never learned to take responsibility. And here you are, in this mess. You’re turning 30 this year. Thirty is when a person should start a family and work for success. It doesn’t matter who your father is. You’re still a Bolton. You’re the treasure Jeffrey and Adam have always protected. It’s time you did something for the family.”

Luke lowered his gaze. “Uncle, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t owe me an apology. You owe it to the people who had faith in you. I know you’ve been moping around. You’ve avoided treatment. Maybe you think you deserve to die for your past mistakes. But the truth is, even if you did die, it wouldn’t do anything for the Boltons. It wouldn’t fix anything.”

“Luke, hasn’t Chloe’s death been enough to make you realize what really matters? Life is about making the most of the time you’ve got. That’s how you start to make things right.”

“Uncle, I know what I need to do now.”

Carter patted his shoulder. “Good. Go back to the Boltons. Someone will give you a ride.”

“What about you?”

Carter stared out at the falling snow, his voice steady but soft. “I’m going to find my wife.”

Luke watched him walk away, his heart heavy with a mix of emotions. He had lost. Completely.

“Uncle, I trust you with Chloe. I’m at peace now.”

He opened the door and stepped out of the car. It hit him then—the gap between him and Carter was wider than he’d ever understood.

Once Luke left, Carter waved off the driver and sat alone in the car. He looked at the empty seat beside him, as if he could sense me there. A faint smile played on his lips. “Chloe, how about a little drive?”