Chapter 394: Seventy-Two Hours
After hearing the entire story, I was quiet for a long time. I had gone to the Sanders intentionally, hoping Josh would tell me the truth about the Carlyns. The moment I mentioned the name Carlyn, I saw his reaction. He knew the name but pretended not to. It was clear he was hiding somethingโhe didnโt want to be exposed.
Now I understood why Annaโno, Wisteriaโhad such a deep grudge against Penelope. It wasnโt just cruelty; it was personal. It felt like a twist of fate. My grandmother had lifted the Sanders to heights they didnโt deserve, and now her descendants were too ordinary to hold onto that legacy. The Sanders couldnโt even maintain their wealth for three generations. And Whitneyโshe had followed in the footsteps of the Carlyn matriarch, locked away in a basement by Taylor, just as a prisoner would be. This was the universeโs way of meting out justice for the victims. My death was tragic, yes, but so was the story of the Carlyns. The matriarch had been reduced to a pawn, simply because she was beautiful. In that chaotic era, others used her, treating her worse than an object. Penelope had caused the death of the Carlyns, and now the Sanders had to pay for the lives they ruined. It was a cycle.
โIโm sorry,โ I muttered, my head lowering.
โChloe, do you know what weโve been through all these years?โ Yaelโs voice was heavy with bitterness. โMy father and my uncle lost their minds. They lived every day in pain over the people they lost. As long as weโre alive, we canโt forget the hatred. As long as the Sanders live, the Carlyns can never have peace.โ
Yael squatted in front of me, his finger brushing my cheek. โWeโve already put everyone in the Sanders family on our list. I understand you more than you understand yourself. From the moment you switched your sisterโs fate, our revenge on the Sanders began. But theyโre lucky. That old woman still has one life left, hidden by you and your parentsโฆ Greg is still alive, too.โ
โYou can rest easy. Soon, theyโll join the old man. A family should be togetherโright? Before they die, Iโll make sure they know the truthโhow they killed their own daughter for an imposter. They shall die in regret.โ
โYouโve already died once. I wonโt hurt you again. All you need to do is stand by my side and watch the Sandersโ fall.โ
His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I had no words. If what he said was true, the Sanders were responsible. But what about me? Could I truly call myself innocent?
What about the Carlyns who died? Werenโt they innocent? The past had left its mark on their generation. It all made sense nowโWisteria, the Carlyn brothersโthey werenโt right in the head. The Sanders had cast a long shadow over their family, year after year, day after day.
Yael reached into his black bag and pulled out gold candles and some sort of powder. At first, I thought he was preparing for a climbโwater, foodโbut no, they were offerings for a ritual. He lit the candles and sprinkled the powder toward the great blue above.
โGrandpa, Grandma, can you see? The Sanders have come to bow to you!โ
The powder danced in the wind, rising into the sky. Even though my body was gone, Chloeโs spirit remained. Yael was filled with hatred for me. I didnโt dare provoke him, so I stayed kneeling, my head lowered in silence. Yael created a pyre, the flames growing stronger with each passing second. He knelt next to me, bowing deeply. โGrandpa, you can rest now. The old hag only has one breath left. The Sanders are about to collapse! Grandmaโs revenge is finally here!โ
I glanced at the tombstone. The photo on the plaque showed two young facesโprobably only eighteen or nineteen years old. Despite the black-and-white image, the manโs gentle expression and the womanโs delicate beauty were unmistakable. Thinking of their tragic end, I couldnโt figure out how to judge the Sanders for what theyโd done. To them, Grandma was a monster, unforgivable. To me, she was the only grandparent who had ever truly cared for me. I had long learned that people arenโt easily defined. Thereโs no simple label for anyone. I couldnโt bring myself to see Grandma through their eyes. So, I stayed kneeling. This was the price the Sanders owed the Carlyns.
The pyre burned down slowly as Yael stood up and looked down at me. โChloe, I know youโre not to blame, but your sin is to be born to the Sanders. Your grandmotherโs debt? Youโll pay for it. I donโt want your life, just your kneeling until the candles burn out. Then, the hatred between our families will end.โ
The candles would take at least three days and nights to burn completely. He intended for me to kneel that long. I had no choice.
โAlright. Iโll kneel.โ
Yael grasped my chin, his eyes cold. โDo you feel wronged? My grandfather was on his knees the same way you are, pleading with him to spare my grandmother. He spoke the words, but Quintus nearly killed him.โ
โNo, I donโt feel wronged. This is what the Sanders owe you.โ
I couldnโt afford to anger himโnot with my words or my actions. The situation required me to remain patient.
โGood. My father never had peace. He lived in torment every day, and by 39, he died of depression. He didnโt get a second chance like you.โ
โIโm sorry.โ
Yael turned and walked away. โStay kneeling.โ
I dared not rise. We were in the Carlyn family cemetery, and there could be hidden cameras. If he noticed I had moved, he might use my life to settle the score. But as he left, a deep fear settled in my chest. The cemetery was filled with Carlyn tombstones, but that wasnโt what made my heart race. It was the unsettling sounds from the distanceโthe hiss of snakes slithering through the grass and climbing the branches of nearby trees. It sent a chill straight to my bones. I sprayed more of the potion on myself and around my surroundings, just to be safe. I couldnโt afford to take any chances. One wrong move, and I could find myself back in the afterlife.
Half an hour passed, and the pain in my knees was unbearable. I had to kneel until the candles went out. He had said so. I looked at the photograph on the tombstone, sighed, and muttered, โMr. and Mrs. Carlyn, have mercy on me. Iโve already died once. I donโt want to face that again. I have people I need to protect. If you have any power at all, please make the Carlyn brothers stop. If this goes on, theyโll destroy themselves.โ
Though the Carlyns had made their move, the Sandersโ downfall felt like something fate had set in motion. Taylor and his brothers would face severe consequences for what they did as well.
Time crawled by. My stomach growled in hunger, and my body felt weak; I was afraid I might collapse. What scared me the most wasnโt the day, but the night. As darkness spread across the island, it seemed to consume everything. Only snakes, insects, and rats remained.
Perhaps it was fate answering my plea, but a sudden gust of cold wind swept through the air. I looked up. The sky had darkened, thick clouds swirling overhead. Thunder roared, followed by a sharp crack of lightning.
โAh!โ I gasped, taken by surprise. My eyes fell to the tombstone again, and I froze. A black snake had coiled itself on top, its cold, unblinking eyes locked on mine. In that moment, I felt true terror. Suddenly, large raindrops began to fall, hitting the ground with force and snuffing out the candles in front of me.
That was when I realizedโI could stand. I tried to push myself up, but everything went black. My body swayed, and I felt myself fall. I collapsed into someoneโs arms. For a brief, surreal moment, I thought I was no longer alone. I whispered without thinking, โCarl, you cameโฆโ