Chapter 450: Burn the Carlyns’ Ancestor’s Grave

Everything unfolded so suddenly that it felt like my brain short-circuited. What was happening? In the split second I saw two of my closest loved ones die, Wisteria launched her attack on me, only for Carter to step in at the last moment, saving me.

My eyes widened in shock, and I shook uncontrollably in his arms. I wanted to speak, to act in some way. But when overwhelmed by intense fear, stress, or emotion, you often freeze. You lose control and sometimes even the ability to speak. All I could do was gaze up at him, my lips trembling as I barely managed to whisper, “Blood…”

He held me softly, his voice low and comforting as he whispered back, “Chloe, I’m here this time.” In my past life, I was alone and vulnerable, left to face the attack on my own. But this time, Carter was here, protecting me from Wisteria’s blade.

What was happening? Why was this still unfolding despite my destroying the Stone of Duality? What the hell was Carter doing?

“Carter,” I cried, tears pouring down my face uncontrollably. I didn’t want to cry. I would have preferred to have been the one stabbed instead.

Sensing the intensity of my fear and trembling, Carter tightened his hold and murmured soothingly, “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” That one sentence made everything click. Was this part of his plan all along?

Wisteria, clearly not expecting Carter to intervene, was still a vicious, unstable woman. Without a second thought, she pulled out her dagger and rushed toward Carter. “Carter, you and Chloe will die together!”

With swift precision, Carter spun around, pulling me with him as he kicked Wisteria away. She had lost her opportunity. Dominic, still grappling with the grief of Grandma’s death, turned just in time to witness the scene. Everything had gone according to his plan—except for Wisteria. She had broken free of all control. She was bent on destruction.

“Wisteria, what the hell are you doing? Didn’t I tell you not to harm Chloe?” Dominic’s voice was filled with rage.

“Uncle Dominic, you’re too soft! The Sanders deserve to perish, right? Isn’t that what you said? But now, because of your son, you let Anna go, and because of a woman, you spare Chloe. You’ve changed!” Wisteria spat with fiery hatred.

Carter, his own injuries forgotten, stared at Wisteria with pure loathing. As she argued with Dominic, he reached for a gun. I realized what he was about to do. This was the first time I’d ever seen Carter with a weapon. He covered my eyes with one hand. “Chloe, don’t watch…”

Then I heard the sharp sound of a gunshot. Bang! Had he hit her? Carter removed his hand, and I saw Wisteria staggering, a bullet wound in her side, though it wasn’t fatal. Carter fired again, and again. Wisteria, skilled at dodging gunfire, narrowly avoided each shot. She rolled on the ground, missing death by mere inches.

Now backed against the cliff, the waves crashing below her, she struggled to get up, glaring at me with hatred. “Chloe, even if I become a vengeful spirit, I’ll haunt you in every life, and you will die at my hands over and over!”

Bang! Carter fired once more; the shot hit Wisteria, and she fell from the cliff.

“Wisteria!” Dominic’s face paled as he saw her fall. She was part of the Carlyn bloodline, and he couldn’t bear to lose another family member. Still, he hadn’t yet felt the satisfaction of the Sander family’s fall when he watched Wisteria plummet. Whether she crashed on the cliffside or drowned in the ocean, there was no escaping death.

Then, a striking figure in wine-red stormed in, slapping Dominic across the face. Amber, covered in dust and seething with fury, shouted, “You lying bastard! How dare you deceive me? I’ll kill you!”

Dominic’s arrogance crumbled the moment she appeared, replaced by guilt. “Honey, I’m sorry.”

“Shut up! You lied about me being burned, lied about wanting to die… you lied about everything!” Amber hammered her fists against his chest. Dominic, momentarily forgetting about Wisteria’s fall, pulled her into his arms. “No more lies, okay? I won’t lie again.”

I quickly said, “Aunt Amber, Carter’s hurt…”

Amber’s eyes flicked to Carter. Wisteria’s knife had stabbed his back, but thankfully, it hadn’t gone too deep, though I couldn’t tell if it had damaged anything vital. Worry knotted in my chest. This was the Carlyns’ territory. I needed to use Amber’s influence wisely.

Amber’s face shifted when she saw Carter’s injury. She spun to Dominic, her anger flaring. “What are you standing there for? Hurry and treat Carter! If anything happens to him, I’ll burn the Carlyns’ ancestor’s grave!” Her rage was palpable, and it was clear she wasn’t backing down.

It was as if fate had balanced the scales. Now, I understood Carter’s strategy. He could have stopped Wisteria, but he took the hit for me. Only he and I knew the truth about the Stone of Duality’s failed exchange of lives. If I remained unscathed and he was injured, Amber would have caught on. Thanks to Amber’s influence, she had let me go. Carter took the hit, creating a false impression. It fulfilled the prophecy. Anything that could harm me would fall on him. With his own body, he’d given me two powerful advantages. Amber and the Carlyns would have to protect me now.

Seeing the blood soaking through his shirt, I buried my face against his chest, crying, “Idiot!” He gently ran his hand through my hair. “Don’t cry. It hurts to see you like this.”

The doctor rushed in, but Carter gently pushed me aside. “Go say goodbye to Grandma. I’ll be fine.” Amber, still scolding Dominic and hitting him, suddenly ran off. Taylor laid Whitney down, unconscious.

“Dad, I’ll handle the rest. Go calm Mom down. If she runs off again, no matter how far you chase, you won’t catch her.” Dominic glanced at the old woman kneeling by the gravestone, his worst problem now resolved. Oh, well. Greg, barely alive, no longer mattered.

I knelt beside Grandma, holding her close, my eyes fixed on the bloodstains on the gravestone. Blood from Ronald’s grave dripped slowly down. The Sanders had spilled blood, finally closing a long chapter of entanglements.

After Dominic left, I saw Taylor approach Josh, his cold eyes locking onto the two doctors standing by. “Stop the bleeding. Now.”

I was stunned. The knife hadn’t hit his vital organs. He’d intentionally left it in, making everyone think Josh was dead. In reality, Josh had just passed out from blood loss. He’d tricked Dominic to save Whitney.

“What are you…”

Taylor shot me a cold glance. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not helping the Sanders.” Amber’s sudden appearance and disappearance—it had all been part of his plan. He had schemed against his own father. Lighting a cigarette, his posture reminiscent of a lone, ancient tree, he exuded detachment and solitude. Gazing upward, he exhaled a puff of smoke.

“You don’t need to tell her about today. Let her think I’ve always been the bad guy.”

I was stunned. “What about the chip…”

He smiled faintly. “There was never any chip.”