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

With Jeffrey gone, I turned to leave, but then my gaze landed on Amber and Dominic standing in the distance.

Dominic, dressed in solemn white, kept to the shadows, his figure barely noticeable. He didn't want attention. His quiet presence was a tribute to Jeffrey.

Years ago, Jeffrey had unknowingly saved his father and the Carlyns, and Dominic had never forgotten that debt.

Despite their efforts to remain hidden, I noticed them, trying to stay out of sight behind a tree. They looked suspicious, as if they were up to something.

Amber's voice suddenly broke the stillness. "We're here to pay respects, not to steal anything. You shouldn't crouch and skulk around."

Dominic reached over and ruffled her hair. "Calm down. We'll get in once the Boltons are gone."

Their relationship had clearly grown. Amber's voice wasn't as sharp as it once

was.

It didn't surprise me. Though Amber had come to love Dominic a little later, they had eventually found each other.

Life is short, after all. In the end, when two people truly love each other, the past seems like something better left behind.

Dominic's history wasn't much different from mine, either. He, too, had been shaped by loss.

I walked over to them, speaking softly, "Amber, it's been a while."

Amber jumped, startled. The moment she saw me, her face flushed red with annoyance. "Chloe, are you crazy? Do you enjoy scaring people?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Scaring others isn't fun. But you, you're a riot. It's been forever since I had your homemade fruit juice. I was actually starting to miss it. Is that why you've been avoiding me? You don't want to make me any?"

The mention of fruit juice made her blush even deeper. "Don't you dare bring up fruit juice! You've already stolen my son. Isn't that enough?"

The Emerald Dragon organization had all but crumbled. Yael, the man once protected by the Carlyns, had returned to campus. He'd visit Everett and Everly, bringing them new toys he'd made with his own hands.

He wasn't as closed off as before. With so much talent, he even started live- streaming his carving sessions. He kept his face hidden, but I'd sometimes tune in. His streams often attracted tens of thousands of viewers.

Mostly women, who'd flood the comments with things like, "Kyah, your hands are perfect!"

"His voice is so calming!"

"Even without seeing his face, I'm pretty sure he's got abs!"

"Ehehehe, please lift your shirt so I can screenshot your abs for my grandma. She's never seen anything like that!"

"Stop playing with rocks and play with me instead."

"Sisters, this is the comment section, not a wishing well! Hey, cutie, I'm 56 years old with 30 years of cleaning experience. I make 450 dollars a month, can take care of kids and handle hard work. I'd love to date you-not for your body, but to help clean your sculptures."

I couldn't take more than three minutes before I was completely freaked out by the bizarre comments.

If Carter saw this, he'd probably think I was obsessed with watching some bodybuilder livestream.

What no one knew was that the mysterious guy behind the screen was blissfully unaware of all the madness surrounding him—simple, naïve, and completely unaffected by the chaos he unwittingly caused.

His hands were always busy-either carving delicate figurines or piecing together intricate crafts. On quiet afternoons, when the weight of the world lifted just a little, he'd sit with the kids, filling the air with gentle melodies from his flute.

Our house was a collection of his creations, each toy more than just a gift—it was a piece of him, carefully shaped and offered with love.

As I watched the kids play, my thoughts drifted to Taylor.

"Amber, have you heard anything about Taylor?" The question left my lips before I could stop it, the worry still gnawing at me.

A year had passed since Taylor went missing, and yet I couldn't stop searching. I couldn't let go.

Amber and Dominic exchanged a long look before Amber spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "We're still looking. Sometimes I wish we'd put a chip in her, so we could track her no matter where she is."

Her words stung. My chest tightened. I forced the air into my lungs. "Since you're here to honor Jeffrey, just go ahead. He asked us not to make a big deal. After today, there's no need for any more visits."noveldrama

Dominic, always the quiet one,

shifted uncomfortably. Though he had never directly harmed the

Boltons, he carried the weight of et

Wisteria's dark ties. That lingering connection seemed to hangover him like a shadow.

"No," he murmured, his voice steady but distant. "He probably didn't want to see us. It's enough that we're here."

Amber scoffed bitterly, her words sharp. "I don't want to see him either. If it weren't for him, my sister wouldn't have ... "

"Amber, this is all Brynn's doing. Jeffrey was a victim in all of this."

Dominic sighed, his gaze lost somewhere far beyond us. "Look around. Who here isn't a victim?"

The truth Carter had revealed to me was darker and crueler than I had ever imagined.

How could someone be so callous, so intent on causing harm?

I swallowed hard. "Amber," I said, trying to move past the discomfort in the air, "The organization is falling apart. You've already torn through so many of them. What's next for you?"

She let out a hollow laugh, her eyes distant. "What's next? Whatever life throws at us. Wherever my lover goes, I go."

It was a far cry from the fiery, determined woman I once knew. Amber had become something else more subdued, more resigned. The change was obvious.

I turned to Dominic. His expression was one of quiet resignation, his shoulders heavy with a burden only he could truly understand. "People like us don't get to live like normal folks, he said quietly. "We've saved so many, but we can't erase the

past. Not really."

I looked at them both. "But Yael just wants his parents to love him. You left him

once. Are you really going to leave him again?"

The words hung in the air, unanswered.

The Boltons had finished their

ceremony, and Carter, pushing the kids in a stroller, came over. His presence was a small relief in the tense silence. "Amber," he said, his voice warm as he nodded in greeting.

Amber's face softened the moment she saw Everett. She leaned down and gently cupped his face in her hands, her smile tender as she pinched his cheek.

"Wow, he looks just like you. I missed seeing you like this when you were a baby. I'm glad I didn't miss it this time."

"Amber, come back with us. You're family." Carter said, his words steady but full of a quiet plea.

We had all suffered, and that's why family mattered so much.

Amber's only sins were small arguments with her husband. She hadn't done anything unforgivable.

But in the aftermath of all the grief, we had forgotten one crucial thing: Carter had been the one carrying the heaviest load.

He had lost his mother too young, and his father had always kept his distance, never offering the affection a child deserved.

Even today, with Jeffrey's passing and everything being sorted, Carter still didn't feel the love of a father.

Others thought of Carter as the strong, composed one, but no one saw the emptiness in his eyes. He, too, craved the warmth of family.

Amber looked at him, her gaze softening as she saw the pain that lurked beneath

his calm exterior. After a long moment, she relented, "Fine, fine. I owe you. I'll watch the kids for a while."

Carter's smile was gentle, full of relief. "Thank you."

We walked away together, but as we disappeared into the distance, no one noticed the woman who stepped out from behind the trees.

She pulled her silver hood off, letting it fall to the ground. Her face was streaked with tears, the moonlight reflecting from her wet cheeks.

"D*mn you, Jeffrey," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Even after death, you

still think of her. Did you ever love me? Not even once?"

The wind rustled through the trees, but no answer came.

She dropped to her knees, the bitterness in her smile cutting deeper than any

words could.

"I should go," she murmured. "Cross into the underworld, take a dip in Lethe, and

go to the other side. If there's a next life, may we never meet."

With a final, determined glance at the empty night, she took the wine from the

tribute and drank deeply.

"I solemnly swear that I do not want to see you if there's a next life."