Chapter 387: Drop the Act

At last, I had the proof! I rushed to the sink, quickly washing my hands, then grabbed my phone. I needed to warn Carter about the Doltons. Something wasn’t right.

The phone rang several times, but no one picked up. Was he in a meeting? If he was, he would have sent me a text to explain. Had he not heard it? I waited a moment, but when there was still no response, I tried calling again. Once more, no answer. He’d said something earlier about having plans this afternoon.

I decided to call Damian instead, hoping he’d know what was going on. He answered immediately.

“Damian.”

“Ah, ma’am. What might you need?” Damian asked, his voice as reassuring as ever.

“Damian, is Carter with you? I’ve been trying to reach him, and I’m getting concerned.”

“Sorry, ma’am. I’m not with him right now. I’ll check on him right away.”

I hung up, my nerves getting the best of me. Was Amber planning something? Was she about to go after Carter? But why hadn’t she acted sooner? Time dragged on. My heart was racing. Was Carter safe?

A few minutes later, Damian called back. I grabbed the phone as soon as it rang. “Did you find him?” I asked, desperate for answers.

“Ms. Dolton set him up. She drugged him, and he’s not looking good right now.”

“Where is he?”

“I’m close by. I’ll come to get you right now.”

“Okay,” I said, barely holding it together.

I was furious. Tiffany—what was she trying to do? Why was she causing all this chaos? Just as I was about to lose my patience, Carter’s name appeared on my phone screen. A wave of relief washed over me.

“Carl, are you okay?” Carter’s voice was hoarse. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“How are you feeling right now?”

“I’m fine,” he said, but the way he sounded didn’t match his words. Something was wrong.

“Turn on the video. Let me see you.”

“Okay.”

He switched to video, and I saw him on the screen. His face was pale, and there was an unnatural flush on his cheeks. His Adam’s apple bobbed with every shallow breath. In the background, Tiffany lay unconscious on the floor.

“Chloe, I didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t touch me.” His words were shaky, and I could see how badly he was struggling. “Carl, I’m coming over. I won’t leave you alone.” I hated seeing him like this.

The call was still going when Amber stepped into view. At the same moment, Tiffany started to stir, and before I knew it, she was crawling toward Carter.

“Carter, I love you. Please, just make me yours already. I’m still a virgin…”

Amber slapped her hard, the sound so loud that I felt it through the phone.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Aunt Amber, I love Carter! Please, just let me take him. He’s already been drugged. He can’t escape me. Please, just help us…”

Amber raised her hand again, slapping her a second time. “Didn’t I tell you this would never happen? How dare you do something so disgraceful? Maybe I should just end you right now.”

Carter could barely respond, too weak to stop anything. Amber seemed to lose control. Two slaps weren’t enough. She grabbed a baseball bat and swung it down at Tiffany.

“Do you even know what you’re doing? This is… this is…”

Is what? Her sentence was cut off abruptly.

The only sound in the room was Tiffany’s faint sobbing. Amber, however, remained utterly unmoved—cold and ruthless. By the time I arrived, Peter had already taken Tiffany away. She was barely conscious, barely able to stand, while the room was now eerily empty.

Carter sat in a chair, his shirt undone at the collar, exposing more skin than usual. The contrast to his usual composed, controlled self was jarring. His clothes were drenched in sweat, clinging to him as he gripped the armrests of the wheelchair.

When he looked up, his eyes were bloodshot, but there was a flicker of recognition.

“Chloe?” His voice cracked, as though it had been too long since he last spoke.

I locked the door behind me and slowly walked toward him.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“I had Damian bring some sedatives. Chloe, you should leave. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Despite everything, he was still thinking about me. I knelt beside him, brushing my fingers across his damp cheek. “Carl, I’m your sedative.”

“But Chloe, I might lose control. I…”

I pressed my lips against his to silence him, then wrapped my arms around his neck, sitting across his lap.

“Carl, I’m willing to do this.”

The drug took over, and Carter lost all sense of restraint. He needed me again and again, and I realized I had underestimated both the drug and him. There were moments when I thought I might pass out, only to wake up in his arms again. He was no longer the man I knew. He was like a wild animal, driven purely by instinct. I couldn’t even imagine the kind of drug Tiffany had used on him, and it broke my heart.

The night passed without a pause. When the first light of dawn crept in, Carter held me close, his face full of remorse. “Chloe. I’m so sorry.”

I gazed up at him, my voice soft. “Are you feeling better?”

He tightened his arms around me, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m fine now.” We both sounded hoarse from the night’s ordeal. I rested my head against his chest, wrapping my arms around him. “Carl, I’m not as fragile as you think. I’m just tired. I’ll be okay after a bit of rest.”

But the drug still had its grip on him. He was alert, his eyes wide open, showing no sign of fatigue after a long night.

He guided me to the bathroom to clean up and then helped me get dressed.

“I’ll have Damian drive you home. I need to handle something. Stay inside and wait for me,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

I was too tired to think straight, but I managed to nod. “Okay, come back soon.”

Before I knew it, I was lying in the back of the car, a thin blanket covering me. My eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. I lost track of time, but then the car seemed to jolt more than it should. Something wasn’t right. The roads in the city were usually smooth, but this felt more like a bumpy, winding trail.

Then a voice, familiar yet unsettling, broke through my foggy thoughts. “You’re awake?”

Yael.

My eyes snapped open. The figure beside me became clearer. It couldn’t be him, could it? I was sure I’d gotten into Damian’s car. Why was Yael here? Fear gripped me. I forced my voice to stay steady. “Yael, what are you doing here?”

He leaned in closer, his face inching toward mine, stopping only when he was dangerously close. As his face drew near, a chill spread across my skin. My heart hammered in my chest. I was curled up in the backseat, and he was hovering over me, his eyes locked on mine. A twisted smile formed on his lips, and he said, “Drop the act, Chloe.”