Chapter 389: It Was Me

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Who in their right mind loves someone so much that they would peel their skin off, break their bones, and reshape their body into a statue?”

He looked at me, his voice steady. “I know you won’t believe me, but I’ve known you for a long time. I’ve seen you since the orphanage.”

When he mentioned the orphanage, something clicked. It wasn’t our first meeting at school; he had volunteered there before. There had been so many students that day, all wearing matching uniforms. I hadn’t really noticed him. I was probably seven or eight years older than him. After my miscarriage, I hadn’t fully recovered and spent a lot of time at the orphanage. That day, I felt dizzy and almost passed out. He was the one who caught me. I was weak and lightheaded, and he brought me a glass of water, helping me rest. I must have fallen asleep in a rocking chair for over an hour. When I woke up, he was still there beside me. At the time, he just seemed like a kid, nothing more. I thanked him and left.

“Was it your plan all along to get close to me?” I asked.

He sighed, looking almost guilty. “Yes, at first it was. But I never expected to actually fall for you, Chloe. You’re kind, and Luke doesn’t deserve you.”

His eyes took on a manic edge. “I alone couldn’t save you. The only way to keep you in this world is to turn your body into the most beautiful work of art.”

“When did you find out I had been reborn?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Two days ago,” he answered.

“Does Damian work for you?” I pressed.

“Not exactly,” he said. “He was sent to protect Carter. He doesn’t know the full plan.”

“Then why did he betray Carl?”

Without hesitation, Yael replied, “Because that person wanted you dead. Damian thought that handing you over to me might give you a chance to survive.”

“It’s Amber, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The pieces clicked into place—no wonder she hated my guts. Once Amber realized I was Chloe, she had set her sights on ending me.

“What’s her relationship with Carter?” I asked.

He turned away, his expression hardening. “I won’t tell you the rest.”

The realization hit me all at once—Damian wasn’t my enemy. He was trying to help.

“Yael, you’re not planning on killing me, are you?”

It didn’t make sense; he goes out of his way to care for someone only to turn around and kill them?

He shook his head. “No.”

A weight lifted off my chest. Damian, despite everything, was still on my side. I pieced the situation together: Carter had wanted Damian to rescue Whitney and eliminate the Carlyn brothers. At the same time, Amber had discovered my identity. Since Damian was her ally, she’d instructed him to kill me. Damian, stuck in the middle, had made a choice—he handed me over to Yael, someone who cared for me, in the hopes it would give me a chance to survive. It also meant that I wouldn’t be going back to Carter anytime soon.

“Yael, you have to help me. Send a message to Carl for me. I’m afraid he might do something drastic.”

Yael’s eyes locked on mine. “Chloe, do you think I’m a saint or something?”

“You could try to be,” I replied. “Let me guess: you’re not going to kill me. You haven’t hurt me yet. The most likely thing is you want to keep me with you. Am I right?”

I held my hands up. “Here’s my proposal. I won’t run. I’ll stay with you. But my only condition is that you tell Carter I’m alive. That’s it.”

He looked at me, clearly surprised. “You really want to stay with me?”

“At least it’s safer than going back to Carter,” I said bluntly.

Since Yael wasn’t planning to kill me, that meant he wasn’t the trial I was going to face. Staying with him seemed like the safest option. More importantly, I could use this time to find out what the organization was really about—and why they hated the Sanders so much. And maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to save Whitney. What better time to get closer to the heart of the danger than now? From everything he’d said, my death and the Sanders family’s conflict were tied together. He couldn’t change the outcome, but at least now my body was Zoey’s. He wouldn’t kill me again. For now, I’d play it safe and focus on finding the truth. He didn’t respond, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

I didn’t know much about Jaford, and I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious. The landscape outside the car was lush with vegetation, and the ocean was visible in the distance. I couldn’t figure out where we were. Since he was part of the organization, the place he was taking me was probably well hidden. We got out of the car, and he led me to a speedboat. It looked like we were headed for an island. I tried to stay as agreeable as possible throughout the journey. The only thing on my mind was Carter. It was getting late, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had noticed I was missing yet. If he had, he would be worried sick.

By the time we reached the island, it was pitch black. I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “Yael,” I said, my voice shaking slightly, “Please, just promise me this. I’m begging you.”

He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he studied me, his gaze intense. “Have you thought about it? That person wants you dead. If she finds out you’re still alive, don’t you think she’ll try something else to finish the job?”

Yael stepped closer. “Chloe, I don’t want you to die again. I need you to work with me. If you don’t know what I’ll do.”

I had always thought he was nothing like Taylor, but in that moment, I saw the resemblance. It was as if they shared the same blood, the same darkness. I wasn’t about to end up like Whitney, trapped and at their mercy. For now, my only choice was to cooperate.

He led me into a wooden cabin, and then we descended into a basement. People like him, I thought, always had a way of hiding in the shadows. The basement wasn’t as terrifying as I’d imagined, but it was still unsettling. It was filled with stone statues. I froze. Every one of them had a face. And every face… was mine.