Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe) novel Chapter 453

I felt powerless as an observer. The rift between them was too wide for mere words to mend.

I had already suspected Taylor's motives.

I approached Whitney and helped her to her feet. "Don't cry. You need to be careful with your heart. What if you make yourself sick?"

It was only when she saw me that Whitney seemed to find some comfort. She threw herself into my arms, her tears flowing freely as if she were a helpless child.

I gently patted her back. "There, there. You still have me. I will always be here for you."

Whitney sobbed, her voice breaking as she choked on her words. "But ... my dad and the others ... "

"They're gone now. All we can do is live on. You're the only family I have left in the Sanders family. If something happens to you, I don't know what I'll do."

I knew I was laying it on thick, but I needed her to find a reason to keep going. Even if it was just for me, she had to push through.

She sniffled, and I wiped away her tears, glancing over at Taylor. "Do you have any food?"

"Yes, come with me."

I helped Whitney stand. She hadn't eaten in nearly a full day, and she had grown so frail. My only wish was to help her regain her strength, even if just a little.

As we entered the dining room, a tall figure pulled me in a hug. Yael, his voice thick with worry, muttered, "You really scared me!"

Now that I understood the secrets of the Carlyns, I no longer feared him.

I patted his head and smiled. "See? I'm still here. No need to be scared."

Yael, so large with his red-rimmed eyes, reminded me of a big polar bear.

I recalled childhood pictures of him, all chubby and adorable.

If life had been kinder to him, perhaps he wouldn't have turned out this way. He would have had loving parents.

"I'm starving," I said, trying to gently push his bulky form aside.

A grin spread across his face. "I've already made the food. You need to eat a lot."

He quickly grabbed bowls and utensils. Whitney, however, was frowning, clearly unhappy to see me so comfortable with the Carlyns.

"Chloe, the Carlyns have hurt the Sanders so much. How can you smile at him? He's one of them."

If I had been in Chloe's body, I probably would have agreed. But now, my perspective had changed.

The Sanders weren't blameless either, and while the Carlyns weren't saints, they had their reasons.

Both sides were guilty in different ways.

Instead of holding onto hatred for a mere pawn, I wanted to go after the real threat behind everything.

Grandma had told me before she passed to let go of revenge and not seek retaliation.

The Carlyns had made it clear they wouldn't harm Whitney or me. That meant Grandma was warning me not to go after the Commander and his wife.

So why had Grandma brought them up in front of Dominic?

She knew she was nearing the end, so why not take her secrets to the grave?

The only explanation was that Grandma had played a final trick on Dominic before she died.

She couldn't accept the Sanders' fall from grace and dragging future generations down with it. So, she had wanted Dominic to investigate and exact revenge on the Commander.

She wanted us safe, letting the Carlyns take the risks.

Perhaps Grandma had known the Commander's true identity and the danger it posed—so great that she didn't want me to face it.

In a way, the Carlyns were harmless. We were all struggling together, facing the same tragic fate.

I couldn't burden Whitney with this knowledge; her pain was already too much to bear.

If I wasn't mistaken, Taylor would soon begin loosening his hold on her, allowing her to regain her independence.

That was why he had kept the Sanders' past hidden, even pushing Whitney to hate him.

He wanted her to live, even with that hate. It was our silent agreement.