Even after Her Death (Chloe and Luke) novel Chapter 413

I knew I shouldn't be so pessimistic, always thinking of the worst-case scenarios.

Zoey would be fine. She had to be fine.

But no matter how much I tried to comfort myself, the image of that snowy night when Silas drove a knife into me kept replaying in my mind.

Back then, I never imagined something like that could happen.

The door creaked open, and Harlan stepped out, glancing around. "Where's Janice?"

"She went back," Carter replied.

"Back? That woman left me again!" Harlan stomped his foot in anger.

Perhaps he sensed Zoey's change and was growing uneasy.

Without saying more, he rushed off, and Carter followed him.

Left alone, I stared at the leftovers from last night's takeout on the table.

Zoey's words replayed in my mind.

"May you guys live long and happy lives."

She had already prepared herself to face death.

Knowing full well the danger ahead, she still chose to walk into the lion's den. She wanted to eliminate all the threats for me.

My fists clenched tightly and the nails dug into my palms until I felt a sharp pain.

A storm of hatred brewed in my heart.

Why was the world so unfair?

The wicked roamed free, living comfortably, while the good suffered and died young.

Whitney was still trapped in her nightmare, and I had narrowly escaped death at Amber's hands.

It wasn't supposed to be this way!

Carter wanted to rewrite fate. Zoey was willing to take the hit for me to survive.

But the ones who deserved death were Amber and the Carlyn brothers.

A surge of resentment engulfed me, spreading through every corner of my soul.

I had to do something. I couldn't just let others shield me while I stood idly by.

I began reviewing every detail from the moment of my death up until now.

Whitney had mentioned that the Sanders residence was rigged with bombs. Aside from the chip, her family was also being used to control her.

My first step was to relocate the Sanders and question Grandma about the truth behind the Carlyns' claims.

Second, I needed to uncover the true story of Carter's biological mother. Who was she and was she dead?

Why did Yael refuse to call Amber "mom," yet Amber showed such kindness to her nephew?

I remembered when Carter brought this plant home. I had watered it a few times myself.

It was just a plant—why had he brought it all the way to Jaford?

A thought crossed my mind, and suddenly, everything clicked.

I rushed over to the Bodhi tree.

Jaford's climate had been kind to it, and tiny fruits had started to grow, their green skins tinged with a faint blush of pink.

Squatting down, I carefully sifted through the soil.

Beneath the dirt, nestled in the pot, was a pitch-black Stone of Duality.

No wonder I hadn't found it in any of the places I had searched.

He had hidden it right under my nose.

I recalled the small wounds on his hands that he always brushed them off as accidents. He had been nurturing this plant with his blood!

Fortunately, Amber's interference led me to discover his secret before his plan could succeed.

I was about to bury the stone back when I felt someone standing behind me.

Carter's cold voice sounded above me, "Chloe, what are you doing?"

My heart skipped a beat.