Chapter 345: Apologize to Her in Hell

It was no coincidence; the wax figure in the basement was a perfect, one-to-one replica of me. It even captured my expressions perfectly. This suggested that Yael had been studying me for a long time, even before my death. After my death, he lost his inspiration, but when Zoey, a girl with a face remarkably similar to mine, appeared, he began to target me again. His dislike wasn't personal; it was his obsession with the pursuit of ultimate art: skinning, disassembling bones, and sculpting. Just thinking about my lifeless, naked body being repeatedly examined by him before he created the wax figure sent shivers down my spine.

I wondered, “Carter, what should we do? Whitney is still suffering in Taylor’s clutches! You have to help her.”

“Chloe, I understand how you feel. What you need to do right now is stay calm. Yes, your sister is with a devil, but Taylor does have some affection for her. According to Yael, aside from disliking freedom, she’s safe for now. She’s living well and doesn’t face any immediate danger.”

I understood everything, but I still felt unsettled.

“Yes, we need to think long-term. How can we save Whitney? Since the Carlyns are a nest of monsters, I can’t go back there. That means I can’t meet Whitney. Has the police found any clues about the Carlyns?”

On the surface, the Carlyns were respectable businessmen. Without evidence, the police couldn’t just barge into their home.

“Nothing yet. The only leads we have are related to the Bloodshade, but the Carlyns aren’t involved in that. That’s why they haven’t left and openly showed their faces right before our eyes.”

Seeing the worry on my face, Carter rubbed my head and comforted me, “Don’t worry. There’s always a way. The car repair shop incident already exposed half of their operation. They’re too cautious now to make any moves. If they make a mistake, we’ll uproot them completely. For now, they’ll lie low, waiting for the next chance to strike. And that’s actually better for us.”

Carter was right. I shouldn’t be the one panicking; it should be them. We’d forced them to retreat in fear, ruining all their plans. Whether it was the Sanders or the Boltons, they couldn’t touch us for now. We held the upper hand.

Maybe the elevator, or even many places within the Carlyns’ territory, had surveillance cameras. Taylor must have known I was hiding in the cabinet from the start. It makes sense for him to put on a show in front of me. The reason I died in my past life was twofold: first, I was the Sanders’ daughter; second, Taylor needed my heart to transplant into Whitney. But he didn’t know about my rebirth, and I was Carter’s wife in this life.

That night, the bodyguards were right outside; he couldn’t touch me. If he did, it would expose his whole plan, and Carter wouldn’t spare him. So, he played along and took Whitney, leading her to the bathroom, creating the perfect opportunity to get me out of the way. They wanted to recuperate, which meant we had to strike first.

“Carter, what are you suggesting?”

“I’ll monitor the Carlyns closely. If Whitney is your sister, Anna may be the Whites’ missing girl. If we capture Anna, the whole situation will be easier to handle.”

“Last time, we caught her visiting Silas’ grave, so she probably won’t go back there anytime soon.”

“If Silas’s trail is cold, we’ll try another one. Both the Carlyns and the Whites are good entry points.”

Carter gripped my hand tightly and said, “You’re safe for now, but don’t be alone with him, and if you have to meet him, try to act natural. Don’t give him a reason to be suspicious. I’ll place a bodyguard at your school to protect you.”

“Okay, I understand.”

“Chloe, you need to give me a little more time.”

With him by my side, I felt at ease.

“By the way, Bill’s back in Snowville. He’s invited us to dinner tonight.”

Before, he and Mom had to rush for a flight, and many things were left unsaid. Now that he’s settled the property division and finalized the divorce with Mom, he’s returning quickly, likely to deal with the aftermath in Snowville. After all, he was the father of this body, and I couldn’t sever ties completely. I agreed, “Okay.”

As Carter and I arrived at the restaurant, we saw Sadie on the ground, holding onto Bill’s legs, crying desperately.

“Dad, even though you aren’t my biological father, our father-daughter bond over the years is real. Do you know how awful my life is now? I’ll never accept that fat pig as my dad. He doesn’t care about me or Mom.”

I stopped Carter from opening the door and quietly observed Bill’s reaction. In the past, Sadie could always coax him into giving her anything she wanted, even the stars. But now, as he listened to her, Bill’s face was cold, with not even the slightest shift in his expression.

“So what? Should I give you an award for filial piety?”

Sadie pleaded, “I want to be your daughter again, Dad. Please take me in. This time, I’ll be good. I won’t make you upset again.”

Bill sneered coldly and asked, “You? My daughter? You think you qualify for that?”

“Dad, I—”

Before Sadie could finish, Bill snapped. He grabbed her from the ground like a ragdoll, slammed her back against the car’s engine hood, and clenched her throat with his hand.

“How dare you mention being my daughter? If it were for you, I wouldn’t have lost everything. Now, I have no home. You still think you can have one?”

I couldn’t see Bill’s face, but I could feel Sadie’s breathing slowing as she struggled to free herself.

“Dad… let go…”

Bill’s cold voice came through, “Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon. Go to hell and apologize to her!”

This is it. Bill had completely lost it!

I quickly opened the door and shouted, “Dad!”

Bill’s movements froze the moment he heard my voice. I hurriedly ran up to him and gently patted his hand. “Dad, can you let her go?”

He looked at me, momentarily confused, but then he obeyed. Sadie’s body slid off the car and onto the ground. She gasped for air as she clutched her throat. It was terrifying. At that moment, I knew Bill truly wanted her dead.

I shot her a vicious glance and said, “Get lost.” There were cameras everywhere here. If Sadie died at Bill’s hands, he’d spend the rest of his life in prison.

Sadie scrambled to her feet and fled. Bill looked at me. He had lost so much weight; his eyes were shadowed with dark circles, and there were traces of Bloodshade in his gaze. Even his once dark hair had a few white strands. That once charming, domineering middle-aged man seemed to have lost everything after his divorce. There was no light in his eyes anymore. Even though I knew he brought it on himself, a small part of me still felt a twinge of sympathy, and my heart ached slightly.

I gently embraced him and said, “Dad, you still have me.”