Chapter 481: Everyone’s Getting It

The night had settled in, and the lights outside flickered on. I nestled into Carter’s arms, still unclean; both of us sticky from what had just happened. His movements were gentle and careful as always, mindful of the little life we were nurturing.

In this rare moment of peace, I traced the outline of his abs, a smile tugging at my lips. “When did you find out about the Carlyns? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Carter’s fingers sifted through my hair as he spoke. “We were right. They were targeted by the organization, but they’re no strangers to danger. They faked their deaths to escape. The fewer people who know about it, the better. The Carlyns didn’t want to drag you into this. After we parted ways on the island, they probably already had this planned. They even sent Whitney away early to keep her safe.”

I looked up at him, confused. “But how did you find out?”

“Two days ago, someone left a hairpin in my parking spot. I recognized it immediately. It was Amber’s. That’s when I knew she was letting us know they were safe.”

Frustration bubbled up inside me, and I bit down on his chest. “Why didn’t you tell Whitney? Do you have any idea what she’s been through these past few days?”

“Chloe,” he said gently, “If the Carlyns wanted her to know, they wouldn’t have needed me to tell her. Don’t forget, the people who died were after you and your sister.”

I blinked, the realization sinking in. “So you’re saying someone used Whitney to test if the Carlyns were still alive?”

“Everyone knows how Taylor feels about Whitney. If we’d told her too soon, it would have been easy for the truth to slip out. I wanted to wait, but I didn’t expect her to get sick. And I sure didn’t expect Taylor to come to me, asking to see her.”

I was speechless. If it had been me, I knew I couldn’t have stayed disinterested if Carter had been ill. Whitney, however, was different. I figured it out from her reaction—and from Carter’s words. The moment she saw him, even from behind, she recognized him. In that instant, she must have pieced everything together. She pretended not to know him and said things to hurt Taylor. She was probably blaming him for hiding the truth.

After everything that had happened, Whitney understood why Taylor had made those decisions all those years ago. Though she couldn’t fully accept the bitter history between the Sanders and the Carlyns, her heart had more honesty than her mind. Before, she could have acted like it didn’t affect her, but the news of their deaths shattered her. Now, I was certain the joy of their reunion far outweighed everything else. Maybe, behind closed doors, they were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t even notice anything else.

“Is something wrong with Luther? He approached Whitney and me a few days ago,” I asked.

Carter nodded. “Yeah. Taylor thinks that school might be their second base.”

I blinked in disbelief. “They’re that bold? And the Carlyns don’t know about it?”

Carter smirked, tapping my nose. “Why the sudden confusion? From the start, Commander and his wife used the Carlyns to get rid of the Sanders. Do you really think they’d let the Carlyns in on too many secrets?”

“True,” I muttered. “Dominic faked his death just to chase after his wife. If he’s that unreliable, the organization wouldn’t trust him again. And Amber’s no better.”

It seemed like Taylor was the only one keeping the family together. He had to clean up his father’s mess while caring for his innocent younger brother and his sister, as well as Whitney, who both loved and resented him. It was a tough situation.

“We found that auto shop—it was just a cover for organ trafficking. But this financial academy is something else. Many of the students are high-level professionals. I did some digging, and a lot of them have moved abroad.”

“Are they being restricted?”

“Yeah. Their friends and families are well-off. These students paid massive membership fees—some were over a 100,000—just to network. What they didn’t know was that, thinking they were heading overseas for better opportunities, they were walking straight into a trap.”

I shook my head. “Isn’t this just a pyramid scheme?”

“Exactly. A lot of people got scammed. Once they’re overseas, they can’t report anything to the police. And even if the authorities catch on, they’d face jail time when they return. Many got a taste of the rewards and started expanding their networks. Now, they’re too deep into it and have no plans to come back.”

“Without Taylor’s past connection to the organization, I wouldn’t have known about this so quickly. He’s been working in the shadows to gather evidence. It’s not just about revenge; he wants to make up for his past and live a clean life. He knows he can’t be with his love one in this position, so he’s been doing everything he can to protect her.”

I sighed. “He really does care.”

Even though he had been an enemy, I couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for him now.

“But he must be in serious danger, right?”

“Definitely. But don’t forget, he’s been at this for years. He knows how to keep himself safe.”

“If Luther’s really part of the organization, he’ll mess up eventually.”

Carter shook his head. “I’ve already pulled our people back. If Luther is with them, making a move now would only raise suspicion and make Taylor’s investigation harder. The thing is, Luther’s out in the open, just like Taylor. Their identities are clean. Even if you look into them, you won’t find anything. The only way to uncover the truth is to follow the connections. Let Taylor handle this. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“But…”

“Chloe, you’re at risk too if we don’t uncover the truth.”

Carter’s fingers brushed my forehead gently. “In a situation like this, no one walks away untouched. So, let’s give them these final hours together.”

Though he spoke lightly, there was no mistaking the depth of Taylor’s decision to risk everything just to see Whitney. His devotion was undeniable.

I got up, dressed quickly, and opened the door to find Damian waiting outside. He, too, was playing his part—creating this precious time for them.

“By the way, Carl, there’s something off about Alisa’s pregnancy…”

“Taylor already told me. Alisa’s scheduled for an exam tomorrow. I’ll have someone keep an eye on her test results.”

I nodded in agreement. “I see.”

I glanced at the closed door, letting out a soft sigh. Time, slow down just a little, and give these two a few more moments together.

When the door creaked open, I made my way down the stairs. Whitney’s IV had finished.

“Dr. Mervin, are you heading out?”

Taylor’s voice remained as calm as always. “Yes. Ms. Sander’s fever has dropped. Just follow the instructions I left, and she’ll recover.”

“Got it.”

I turned to see Whitney in the room, her eyes red and tired, looking fragile, like a bunny. It made my heart ache for her. I recalled what she had said earlier and reminded Dr. Mervin, “Dr. Mervin, I think you forgot your stethoscope.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Mrs. Bolton.”

As he turned to grab it, I saw, from where I stood, Whitney lift the covers, step away carefully from the bed, and rush into his arms. She held him tightly, her voice soft, barely a whisper.

“Taylor…”