Even After Her Death

Chapter 405: Can You Bear to Leave Me?

Ever since being schemed by Damian, every day had been filled with anxiety, and I’d been desperate to see Carter again. Last night, we parted so quickly that I didn’t even get a good look at him. He had cleaned himself up just to see me. The stubble from the video call was gone, and every strand of his hair was perfectly styled. He didn’t want me to see him looking disheveled, but I could still tell he’d lost weight. In just a few short days, his features had become sharper, and his entire presence radiated an intense aura.

I reached out to brush away the shadow clouding his brow. I wanted to call his name, but no sound would come out.

“Chloe, come with me. I can’t leave you with the Carlyns anymore,” he said.

I shook my head and grabbed his phone, typing out a message: “Whitney has a chip implanted somewhere in her body. I don’t know the exact location. Also, the Sander residence is rigged with explosives. If we want to take Whitney, we need to solve these two problems first.”

Carter pulled me into a tight embrace. “Chloe, we’ll deal with Whitney later. Taylor hasn’t hurt her after all these years, which means he’s not planning to hurt her anytime soon. But you’re different—if you’re discovered, it’s a dead end for you.”

He spoke with logical calmness. “We’ve fought so hard to get to this point. Chloe, I know you can’t bear to leave Whitney, but can you bear to leave me?”

In the dim, warm light, his icy expression was replaced by a desperate plea. I silently mouthed his name. “Carl.” Conflicting emotions tore at me. If it were anyone else from the Sanders, I wouldn’t hesitate to leave. But it was Whitney. She was a victim, too.

I thought about the excitement in her eyes when I returned last night. She wanted me to escape, yet at the same time, she didn’t want me to leave her behind. I understood Carter’s concern for me. He would risk his life to ensure I survived. If anything happened to me, he’d lose his mind. He didn’t know I had already lost the Stone of Duality. My fate would no longer transfer to him.

Every moment I stayed with the Carlyns felt like dancing on the edge of a blade. Perhaps fate would have its way after all, and I would end up dying at their hands. My rationality told me to leave and to get as far away from them as possible.

But Whitney was still waiting for me. I clung to Carter’s jacket tightly. The world doesn’t allow for perfection. I couldn’t have it all. I loved him, and I also loved Whitney.

His fingers gently brushed my cheek. “Chloe, don’t you want a child? Come home with me. We’ll have children, lots of adorable children.”

This liar. He was using children to persuade me now. I buried my head against his chest, listening to the familiar rhythm of his heartbeat. I stayed silent, giving him neither a reply nor a promise. Whitney had endured 20 years of suffering, but hadn’t he waited 20 years for me as well? No matter what decision I made, one of them would be in pain.

“Carl, please don’t force me,” I pleaded with him silently.

He let out a soft sigh. “Alright, I won’t force you.”

Just when I thought he was about to give in, our eyes met. His gaze was deep and unwavering. Then, he pulled out a white cloth, ready and waiting. Before I could react, he pressed it against my nose and mouth.

“I’m sorry, Chloe.”

Before losing consciousness, I heard his apology. “I’ve never been a good person. Please forgive my selfishness. There will never be anyone more important to me than you. I can’t let you risk your life.”

Darkness swallowed my vision, and my body went limp in his arms. Carter, for the first time, had refused me. And, he chose for me in his way. Outside, Yael had been effortlessly distracted by a cleaning lady, leaving Carter free to carry me away from the bustling exhibition hall.

Meanwhile, Whitney and Zoey were seated together. Neither of them had attended a fashion show before, not even Zoey. Growing up with the Gardners, Zoey had been consumed by depression. She didn’t know how to spend money or enjoy herself and ultimately ended up taking her own life. After her rebirth, she was determined to make the most of her limited time, doing everything she hadn’t done before.

Whitney and she both found the experience novel. The dresses weren’t just luxurious—they were ethereal. Zoey beamed. “Whitney, this ombre layered fringe dress is perfect for you. You’d look absolutely stunning in it!”

To Whitney, just surviving was the hardest thing in the world. She didn’t have the time or energy to care about fashion or appearances. She had never picked out clothes like an ordinary girl. But deep down, she was still a girl, and her innate love for beauty stirred.

Taylor noticed the longing in her eyes as she admired the dresses. At that moment, Whitney seemed alive—not a shell of a person, but a real, breathing human being. It reminded him of how she used to smile as a child. He hadn’t seen her smile in a long time. She used to smile so much.

Zoey grinned. “That one would look great on you too. You’re so beautiful; you’d look amazing in anything.”

Whitney fidgeted with her fingers. “I do not have to wear something like that.”

“Of course there is! I’ll visit you often, and we’ll have so much fun together. Let me buy it for you. A girl should always dress beautifully.”

“No, no, it’s too expensive. I don’t want it,” Whitney shook her head repeatedly.

Zoey understood Whitney’s financial situation. However, money was just a cold number to her, thanks to Bill, the emotionless money-making machine, who had taken over the Gardners’ business at a young age. Despite his divorce and the hefty settlement, his remaining assets were still astronomical. On top of that, his company generated money every second of every day. His way of showing concern for his daughter was simply giving her money. Recently, Harlan had also acted out of character and given her an additional card. Zoey lived surrounded by wealth. To her, spending tens of thousands or even millions on a dress was trivial. In her past life, she had suffered because she didn’t know how to spend money. Sadie and her mother had spent it all instead.

This time, she wouldn’t hold back. She immediately placed the order—not just for the dress but also for a whole array of accessories for Whitney. Some items were pre-orders, while a few were in stock. Soon, a staff member arrived with bags full of items at their feet.

When the event ended, Yael appeared before them. “Where’s Mute Girl?”

Zoey played dumb. “Mute Girl? What are you talking about?”

“The woman who went with you!”

Zoey looked aggrieved. “Didn’t she go to the washroom? She hasn’t come back yet? Why don’t you go look for her?”

The exhibition lasted three hours. His bodyguards had searched everywhere but found nothing. Someone had taken Chloe right under his nose, and he already had a suspect in mind. It was Carter. He instinctively felt Zoey was involved but couldn’t find a shred of evidence. Even if he did have proof, he had no standing to accuse her. After all, he’d been the one forcing Chloe to stay. Though he knew Chloe had vanished, there was nothing he could do.

Staring into Zoey’s eyes, he warned, “If you had anything to do with this, tell her she’ll regret running from me.”

The oppressive weight of his threat chilled Zoey to her core. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I don’t even know Mute Girl. We didn’t say a single word to each other in the car. Why are you blaming me for her disappearance?”

Yael smirked. “She’ll regret it.”