Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 12

Even though his face looked different from that night, I'd recognize those eyes even if they were reduced to ashes.

He was a master of disguise. On that night, his figure had clearly been that of a tall man—6'1"—but now he was hunched over, with weathered skin that made him look like an elderly man.

Seeing the person who killed me here at the art show sent waves of fear through me, reminding me of the pain I felt before I died.

He was ruthless. He had appeared silently behind me that night, stabbing me in the back without a second's hesitation or remorse, as if he'd rehearsed it a thousand times.

I had always been kind to others, so there was no way I had enemies who would want me dead.

He was so skilled at hiding his identity. Could he be a professional killer?

But if he'd already killed me, why was he here now? Did he have another target?

My first instinct was to run, but then I realized—I was already dead. What was there to be afraid of?

Luke casually patted his shoulder without giving him a second glance, simply saying, "It's fine."

But the man's eyes stayed fixed on me, the same way they had right before my death.

Cold, merciless, and completely emotionless.

Even though I'd already died once, I was still terrified of him, frozen in place as if I'd been paralyzed.

Could he see me?

Just as I had that thought, I heard Luke call out in a low voice, "Uncle Carter."

I snapped out of it and realized the man's gaze was actually focused past me, on Carter, who was sitting in a wheelchair.

My tensed nerves finally began to relax.

Carter's attention had shifted to Luke, and the man walked toward Carter without any other movement.

Still, the memory of his brutal methods sent a wave of unease through me. Was this deranged killer planning to take more lives?

On instinct, I stretched out my arms, trying to shield Carter.

But the man passed by without doing anything.

Damian pushed Carter's wheelchair forward, stopping in front of Luke. Carter's gaze, cold and venomous, made Luke visibly uneasy.

"As far as I know, Chloe's been missing ever since the wedding, and yet here you are, leisurely strolling through an art gallery?"

I hadn't expected that the person asking about my whereabouts wouldn't be my family or my husband, but Carter, a man who had nothing to do with me.

"Chloe's not a child. She can go wherever she wants," Luke replied dismissively. "She's always been headstrong. Once she's done throwing her little tantrum, she'll come back."

Luke's indifference stood in stark contrast to Carter's serious demeanor.

"What if something really has happened to Chloe?"

For a brief moment, panic flickered across Luke's face, but before he could respond, Anna interrupted, "Uncle Carter, someone like Chloe could never be in any real danger. She left for Cloudville ages ago."

Luke turned to her, surprised. "What did you just say?"

"Luke, I only found out today from some relatives in Cloudville. Apparently, Chloe asked them to find her a place to stay about a month ago."

It was true—I'd mentioned more than once how much I loved Cloudville, with its roads lined with flowers, its lush green mountains, and its snow-capped peaks. I'd even said I wanted to settle down there.

Half a month ago, I'd booked a flight for the day after the wedding to head to Cloudville.

I had planned to expose Luke and Anna's shameless affair at the wedding. I knew doing so would damage the relationship between the Sanders and the Boltons, so I had decided to exact my revenge and then leave.

Anna continued, "I wanted to confirm it, so I checked. She booked a flight for the 15th to Cloudville."

Luke's face twisted from concern to anger. "No wonder we couldn't find any trace of her! She just up and left without telling anyone!"

"Don't be mad, Luke. Chloe's never cared about other people's feelings. Coming and going as she pleases—that's just how she is. We're all used to it by now."

If Luke had bothered to investigate, he would've found out that although I booked the ticket, I never actually got on the flight.

But how laughable—he didn't even care enough to check. He just believed whatever Anna told him.