December 19, 09:18 Thu

Chapter 396: Easily Deceived

I raised my hand and brought the knife down with all my strength. At the same time, he moved. But instead of hitting him, the blade struck a moth. The sharp edge sliced through the insect’s wings, and the rest of its body fluttered, struggling helplessly. It felt like a reflection of my own fate—fighting against what I couldn’t change.

I glanced up at him. “Sorry, I thought it was a cockroach. You really startled me.”

For a moment, a flash of something cold crossed his face, but it was gone almost immediately. I could feel the chill of fear still gripping me. He had been testing me, hadn’t he? If I’d gone through with it, if I’d tried to strike him, he would have overpowered me in an instant. It would have completely contradicted everything I had told him about staying. What would have happened if he’d called me out on my lie? Would I end up like Whitney, locked up and forgotten?

I managed to keep my composure. If I tried to kill him, I had no chance of winning, not without proper training. Even the angle of the knife wouldn’t have been enough to do any real harm. The risks were too high. I had to change my approach. That had been a close call.

“You’re scared of cockroaches?” he asked, taking the knife from my hand and twirling it casually between his fingers. The sound of the blade scraping against his skin made my heart skip.

“Who isn’t? Snakes, cockroaches, and slugs,” I replied, forcing a smile as I tried to ignore the unease creeping up my spine.

He tucked the knife away and patted my head lightly. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Scare me? I keep having dreams of snakes chasing me,” I said, trying to act frustrated, though I wasn’t sure it was convincing. Then, without warning, he pulled me into his arms. I froze, unsure of what was happening. Was this another test?

But then he said, “How about I take you away from here?”

I blinked, caught off guard by his words. Was he serious? Maybe it was another trap.

“Really?”

“You’ve already made your offering to my family. We can leave now.”

I blinked. “You’re not making me into a sculpture?”

He gave my nose a gentle tap. “I can do it anywhere. Sculpting stone isn’t something you finish in a day.”

So, from the start, he had been toying with me!

“Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to my brother’s wedding. I had planned to leave you here on the island, but since you’re so scared, I thought better of it. But you have to promise me something. You have to stay by my side. If you try to get Carter’s attention, I’ll have to make sure you stay with me, my way.”

His thumb brushed lightly against my cheek. “Chloe, it’s not the woman who wants your life. But if she finds out you’re still alive, she will kill you. Even I won’t be able to stop her then. You’re smart—you know what you need to do.”

I couldn’t believe he was actually letting me go back. I nodded quickly. Even if I couldn’t meet Carter face to face, just catching a glimpse of him would be enough.

“I understand.”

“Good girl, Chloe. I think I’m starting to like you more.”

In that moment, I realized Yael wasn’t looking at me the way Taylor had looked at Whitney. There was no romantic interest. It was more like a child clinging to a memory of warmth. He remembered me only because I had stayed with him to wait out the rain. It wasn’t love or desire—it was a mix of gratitude, appreciation, and some other tangled emotions. His feelings for me weren’t about possession like Taylor’s were for Whitney. Whitney was about to marry a man like that. She must be in agony.

“When do we go back?” I asked.

“The sea’s too rough tonight. We’ll leave when the wind and rain calm down.”

“Okay.”

I looked at him seriously. “Do you have anything to eat? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, I’ll make something.”

He tied on an apron and headed to the kitchen. I said, “Remember the first time we met, you said your mom…”

Chapter 396: Easily Deceived

“…hit you and you sat under a tree, not moving. Now look at you. You’ve grown up so much.”

I wanted to get closer to him. Maybe he’d be the key to helping me turn things around.

“You remember that?”

“I just thought of it. But what about your mom? You never talk about her.”

The person slicing vegetables stopped for a moment. “She… wasn’t a good mother. Let’s not get into it.”

“Then can you explain why Amber wanted to kill me? She’s not even part of the Carlyns. Why would she hate me so much?”

He gave a dry, bitter laugh. “Maybe she’s just messed up.”

I furrowed my brow, sensing that something about his connection with Amber was off. Every time he mentioned her, it was always with that distant, impersonal tone. It was clear they were on the same side, but how? He didn’t seem interested in talking more, and I couldn’t press him further. All I could do was hope that when we returned, more of the answers would fall into place.

At three in the morning, after being gone for three days, I was finally given a hot meal. The warmth almost made me tear up.

“Chloe, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so hungry.”

I glared at him.

“Well, of course, I’m hungry! Try kneeling on an empty stomach for a whole day and see how you feel.”

He didn’t take offense. Instead, he smiled, his tone surprisingly cheerful. “Sorry, Chloe. It won’t happen again. As long as you stay with me, I’ll take care of you.”

There was something about his demeanor—he seemed like someone who’d never known love. If I hadn’t helped him that day, would he still think about me?

As the storm began to ease and the first light of dawn broke through, we finally made our way home. The speedboat skimmed over the choppy waters, the waves splashing against my face. Yet, I wasn’t afraid. I just wanted to get back and figure out what Carter’s life was like now.

Once back on land, we still had a long, winding road ahead. Just as I was still wondering how he could keep such a massive secret, he asked me to change into a dress and put on some makeup. His skills were impressive; he could have easily worked as a professional makeup artist. No wonder they could slip away right under people’s noses. I hardly looked like myself anymore.

“Alright, Chloe,” he said, “this is someone from our organization. You’re going to impersonate her. Just keep your head down, your eyes lowered, and act humble. You’ll pass for her.”

“Got it.”

He handed me a small red pill. “And then there’s this.”

I eyed it carefully. “What’s this?”

“It changes your voice. Take it. Your real voice is too easy to recognize. Not just her—my brother would pick you out right away.”

“Are there any side effects?” I was hesitant.

“Chloe, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to manipulate you. Do you really think I’d waste time with this pill if I didn’t need to? My brother will be here soon to pick us up. If you don’t take it and expose us, I won’t be able to protect you.”

I scowled and swallowed the pill. Almost immediately, my throat began to itch. As I started to realize something wasn’t right, I opened my mouth to speak. This pill—

But no sound came out. My voice had disappeared—completely silent. He chuckled, clearly enjoying my panic. “Chloe, you’re so easy to trick. Once you take this, you won’t be able to speak. Sorry, but I’m not giving you any chance to contact Carter.”

He gently stroked my cheek. “You’re mine. Only mine.”