Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 27

Luke slept off his hangover until the afternoon, waking up groggily. Before even opening his eyes, he absentmindedly traced the smooth skin of the woman beside him, softly murmuring, "Chloe ... "

But when he opened his eyes and saw who it was, he jumped back in shock, shoving Anna away.

"What are you doing here?"

I sat at the nearby table, gently swinging my legs, calmly watching this spectacle unfold.

When I saw this scene again, I felt calm indifference rather than fury.

As sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I noticed my body had faded slightly.

I began to understand why, even in death, I remained tethered to Luke. Perhaps it was because I had spent so much of my life entangled with this man.

Even after all the hurt, I couldn't easily let him go.

My attachment ran too deep, binding my soul to his side against my will.

But as I saw his true nature, the restless bitterness within me started to fade away.

I realized that the day I truly let go of him would be the day I vanished from this world completely.

On the bed, Anna put on a pitiful expression. Luke's first instinct upon seeing her was to push her away, and her sad look only deepened.

"Luke, when you left last night, you looked upset, so I came to check on you. But you were drunk and mistook me for Chloe. We ... "

Luke rubbed his forehead, his face contorting in discomfort as if he regretted being with Anna.

I couldn't help but find it laughable. If a man is truly drunk, he won't be able to get it up.

Last night, he had been with Anna several times, each round lasting longer than the last. He seemed pretty pleased then, but now he was trying to play innocent.

Anna began to sob softly. "Luke, I never wanted to ruin your relationship with Chloe. I didn't. But you were drunk, calling out her name over and over, and I couldn't bear to see you like that, so I ... "

Unable to stand her tears, Luke pulled her into his arms. "This isn't your fault. It's all on me."

Anna rested against his chest, a faint, victorious smile playing on her lips.

"Luke, when Chloe comes back, you should focus on your life together. I won't interfere anymore."

"Anna, you're too kind. How could I not worry about you?"

The two of them exchanged sweet words in bed for a while longer before Luke finally remembered the flight to Cloudville he had asked Roy to book for today.

Realizing he had overslept, he angrily dialed Roy's number.

"Why didn't you remind me? I missed my flight because of you."

Roy, who had long suspected that Luke and Anna's relationship was more than friendly, saw his suspicions confirmed last night.

Given the circumstances, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened between them, and he wasn't about to walk in on anything awkward.

"Sorry, Mr. Bolton. You were pretty drunk last night, and I didn't want to disturb your rest."

"You're getting more useless by the day."

Luke sighed. "Whatever, just rebook my flight through the neighboring city. Find another route into Cloudville."

"Yes, Mr. Bolton."

Anna, who had been holding his hand, suggested, "Luke, let me go with you this time. I want to apologize to Chloe in person. Maybe if she lets her anger out, she'll come back."

Luke's face softened, filled with both pity and affection. "If Chloe were as understanding as you, she wouldn't give me such a headache."

The sun sank behind the mountains, taking with it the last bit of daylight.

The road was mostly empty, and without streetlights, the outside was pitch black, save for the occasional crow flying past.

"Luke, I'm so scared." Anna took the chance to snuggle into Luke's arms.

Roy driving the car couldn't bear to watch; knowing the truth about their relationship kept him on edge every second.

On the other hand, I felt strangely at ease. I even found myself wondering what Anna's next move would be and what she and the person who killed me were after.

Watching her toy with Luke like this gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Throughout the drive, I entertained all kinds of scenarios, like the car breaking down in the middle of nowhere. But nothing happened. By early morning, we arrived in Cloudville.

Luke hadn't slept all night; his eyes were bloodshot with anger and exhaustion.

The closer we got to Cloudville, the darker his expression became.

Anna gave the address of the rental apartment my relatives had found for me back then, and the car headed straight for the destination.

At the entrance of the alley, Luke shook off Anna and stormed ahead. If I hadn't seen the whole charade last night, I might've believed he was genuinely worried about me.

He knocked on the door, but there was no response, so he kicked it open with a violent shove.

"Chloe!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the space.

Scattered around the living room were two pieces of men's clothing, and right by the door, a pair of worn men's slippers lay abandoned.

Luke's rage boiled over as he fixed his gaze on the bedroom door. With one swift kick, he burst through it.