Chapter 379: The Odds Are On Your Side

I always thought Carter was the one person in the world who would never make me cry. He loved me so much; he'd never let me feel even the slightest injustice. How could he possibly make me cry?

But as soon as I thought about all he had silently given up for me, I couldn't stop the tears. Fearing he might notice, I closed my eyes and let the bathwater slide down my cheeks, pretending I hadn't been crying. Carter, what have I done to deserve someone like you, someone who would give up everything, even his life, for me?

Sitting on the floor, I hugged my knees tightly. It wasn't us who deserved to suffer—it was those devils. Why did Carter and I have to pay such a heavy price?

It became clear Amber was no ordinary person. She recognized the origin of the stone with a single glance. When she said those words, did she already guess my true identity? How could a stranger even consider something as absurd as reincarnation? Unless… she was involved, too.

Peter, Amber… Could they be the missing Bolton twins? But Peter didn't resemble Adam, nor did he look anything like Luke. Had their faces been altered? If they were twins, it didn't add up. After all, wasn't it they who caused the car accident that harmed my Esther and Carter? If they harbored ill intentions toward Carter, they had countless chances over the years to harm him. Yet today, they seemed very kind to him.

The truth was right in front of me, but it felt as if a fog covered everything, blocking me from seeing the full picture. Where had I gone wrong?

Regardless of who they were, their apparent goodwill toward Carter didn't mean they'd have the same attitude toward me. Especially if Amber had figured out my identity—then I would be in the greatest danger. They had already tried to kill me once, and they would certainly try again. I had to stay away from them.

Once I managed to distract myself, my emotions finally calmed. I cleaned myself up, ensuring my eyes weren't red, and then walked out as if nothing had happened. Carter had already changed into his pajamas and gently placed the Soulstone around my neck.

The cold stone pressed against my chest, sending a shiver through me. Quickly, he rubbed it with his hands to warm it before settling it back down. Such a gentleman—why did he have to love me so much? I didn't deserve it and couldn't bear to look into his kind eyes.

"Carter, I'm going to check on Zoey." "Okay."

I had once thought of the stone as my life-saving talisman, but now all I felt was unease. It had become more of a death omen.

As I turned the corner of the stairs, I saw feathers drifting through the air like a snowstorm. Zoey and Harlan had somehow managed to get the down feathers out of the pillow. Among the feathers, I saw Zoey sitting on Harlan's waist, playfully smacking him with the pillow. Their carefree atmosphere lifted my own gloomy mood. Harlan must have been too lenient with Zoey. How else could she have captured him like this?

Leaning against the stairs, I watched them with a wry smile. "Quite the playful scene."

Zoey quickly put the pillow down, looking at the chaos around her. "Hmm, I didn't mean for it to happen. It's all Harlan's fault for tempting me," she said.

Harlan pouted, "All I did was kiss you once. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" "How dare you bring that up? You rogue!"

As I watched them tease each other, a heaviness settled back into my heart. I wanted to be carefree too, to be able to cuddle up in Carter's arms without a care in the world. The truth was a heavy burden, and I couldn't help but wonder how much pain Carter must have been hiding all this time, holding onto the truth by himself.

"Mr. Pearson, Zoey and I need to have a private chat. Could you please let her go?" I spoke up.

Zoey slipped off Harlan's lap and, pulling me along, led me into the bedroom. She said frantically, "Chloe, I swear it wasn't on purpose! He just suddenly leaned in and puckered his…"

I couldn't help but smile. "What are you explaining to me for? I'm not the headmistress here that forbade you from seeing someone at a young age. Zoey, I need your help with something."

"What is it?" she asked.

"I need you to come with me to town again, but this time, we can't let Carter know." "Why? Aren't you two close?"

"It's a long story, but it's really important to me. Not just for Carter, but Harlan can't know either. Just tell him that you miss your mom, and I'll go with you."

Seeing my serious expression, Zoey also grew serious. "Okay, I understand."

"Zoey, I'm not joking. If this information gets out, one of us—Carter or I—might end up dead."

Zoey was startled. "Don't scare me. I swear, I won't tell anyone. I'll listen to you."

"I think someone may already be watching me. We need to have my dad come pick us up. It will be safer that way."

"Okay, I'll get Dad to arrange a private plane. Don't worry, Chloe."

Zoey knew I wasn't playing around. She held my hand tightly. "This time, with me, Carter, and my parents, we'll protect you. No one will hurt you again."

Her solemn expression moved me, and I pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Zoey."

"No, thank you, Chloe. You're the savior of our family. This time, the odds will definitely be on your side!"