Chapter 401: Chloe, Come With Me

The location I sent him was near the beach, and he must have deduced the presence of a nearby night market. Maybe he came on a whim, hoping for a chance encounter. Even though the likelihood of running into me was slim, he still came. I’d told him not to act recklessly, but to him, even the smallest chance was worth the risk.

Thankfully, fate reunited us. Watching Yael walk off toward a candy apple vendor, I quickly ran to Carter. He pulled me behind a large tree and wrapped me in a tight embrace, like he wanted to crush me to the bone. I held back my tears and clung to him just as tightly, greedily taking in his familiar scent laced with the sharp bitterness of tobacco. He must have smoked a lot. It was something he would never do in front of me before.

Suppressing the emotions bubbling in my chest, I whispered, “Carl, don’t worry. I’m fine, really.”

“Chloe, come with me,” he rasped. His bloodshot eyes made my heart ache. Has he been sleepless since I disappeared?

I felt a pang of guilt and sorrow as I explained, “I’m sorry, but I can’t leave. Whitney is still in their hands.”

Carter frowned. “Chloe, I don’t care about anyone else’s life but yours. Not even your sister’s. I won’t allow it if helping her puts you in danger. You have to come with me. Do you know what these past days have been like for me?”

Panic surged within me. As much as I wanted to escape with him, I couldn’t ignore the image of Whitney’s haunted face and her desperate attempts to create opportunities for me to leave even before she knew who I was. Such a kind soul didn’t deserve this fate.

“There won’t be a better chance than now, Carl. Trust me.”

“Chloe, stop being stubborn!” Carter’s tone grew firm as he tried to drag me away.

Standing on tiptoes, I caught him off guard with a kiss. It was fleeting, far too brief to calm his restless heart. If I left now, Yael would surely take his fury out on Whitney—not necessarily killing her, but tormenting her in ways I couldn’t bear to imagine. Whitney had already suffered twenty years of agony. I couldn’t let her endure any more of it.

“Carl, please, help me. Help Whitney. Please.”

Carter sighed as his gaze lingered on the Stone of Duality hanging from my neck. Finally, he relented and placed a dagger into my hand. “Protect yourself and stay in touch.”

He had given in. In the fleeting time we had, he kissed me fiercely, leaving me breathless. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

And then, he was gone in a flash. I gripped the dagger tightly, knowing it wasn’t ordinary. Besides being a weapon, it likely had a tracking device. It was his way of staying connected when I couldn’t use my phone, giving him some peace of mind. Exchanging our lives with the Stone of Duality was imminent, and he feared any disruption to his plan. However, he didn’t know that I had already disposed of the real Stone of Duality. His plan was doomed to fail.

“Chloe, what are you thinking?” Yael’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was back with a candy apple. I sighed in relief as he didn’t notice anything unusual.

“I was wondering if Whitney had eaten one in all these years. She used to love them. The night we were separated, she had one in her hand, but…”

My sorrowful expression complimented my reddened eyes, keeping Yael’s suspicions at bay. He studied me deeply. “Chloe, do you know why I like you so much? Because there’s no one else in this world as pure and kind as you. Here, take this. I’ll go get more.”

He handed me a candy apple and gently pinched my cheek before heading back. I knew Carter hadn’t gone far. He was watching us from the shadows. The world thought of him as a cripple. They would never associate the towering figure nearby with him. I caught sight of his clenched fists. It must have taken all his strength to resist whisking me away.

The greatest distance in the world isn’t life and death. It’s being so deeply in love, standing within reach, yet we could only look at each other from a distance.

I murmured under my breath, “Carl, don’t act rashly.” His knuckles turned white before he finally relaxed his hands. He looked at me and mouthed, “Be careful.” I nodded and turned away to hide my emotions.

Yael returned, this time carrying an entire rack of candy apples. “Chloe, I bought enough for you and Whitney,” he said with a bright smile.

I froze. His smile was so clean and untainted that, had I not experienced death firsthand, I might have believed he was just an innocent boy. “Chloe, you must be hungry. Let me take you somewhere nice to eat.”

Carter followed us from a safe distance. His presence was a quiet reassurance. No matter what I did, if I turned around, he was always there. For fleeting moments, I felt an overwhelming urge to run into his arms and hold his shattered heart together. I even wanted to throw everything aside and escape with him to a hidden paradise. I didn’t want to be bothered by destiny or sisterly ties. However, those fantasies faded quickly, doused by the weight of reality.

Yael was right—I hated my so-called kindness. I wished I could be selfish. I wanted to care only about my own happiness and forget the suffering of others. But, Whitney’s pale face haunted me. If I had been the one who fell into the river that day, the pain would have been mine to bear. I had only suffered for a moment, but she had suffered every day for twenty years. I had abandoned her once and I won’t let go of her this time.

I forced myself to look away, resisting the urge to glance back at Carter again.

Carl, I’m so sorry.

Thankfully, Yael seemed oblivious to my turmoil. If he noticed my somber mood, he attributed it to Whitney. He cheerfully loaded the trunk with our spoils. However, the rack was too long to fit. Pulling a cleaver from the trunk, he began hacking at the extra wood.

Thwack! Thwack! The sound sent chills through me. I couldn’t help but imagine him using that cleaver to hack at a human bone.

When he turned to face me after he finished, my panicked gaze met his. “Chloe, you’re such a nice girl. I’d never hurt you. Get in the car.”

My legs trembled beneath me. “Want me to carry you?”

Shaking, I scrambled into the passenger seat and closed the door quickly. In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of that familiar figure. Carter was right behind me. If I turned back and ran to him, he’d take me away. My fingers hovered over the door handle, trembling with indecision.