Even after Her Death by Rita Bond

Chapter 414 Come Back to Me

When had he gotten here? It was too late to hide now.

I stood up casually, holding the Stone of Duality in my hand. "What's this?" I mouthed.

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When confronted, the best defense isn't to explain yourself but to seize the initiative and throw the question back.

As expected, Carter's eyes flickered with a trace of pani when he met my questioning gaze.

Using the chance, I pulled out the piece hanging around my neck and fitted it together with the one in my hand. In black and white, the positive and negative teardrop-shaped pieces formed a perfect circle.

I grabbed his hand and demanded an explanation.

I wondered if he would tell me the truth.

After all, in his mind, we had already swapped fates successfully.

The eighty-one days of the ritual weren't up until midnight tonight, so he hadn't had time to deal with this stone before I confronted him.

My gaze grew more suspicious by the second, and finally, he sighed in resignation. "Chloe, I lied to you."

Was he going to admit it now?

"The Soul-Stabilizing Pendant I gave you wasn't just one piece," he said.

Feigning confusion, I looked at him, and he continued, "The pendant has two parts."

The moment he mentioned the Soul-Stabilizing Pendant, I knew he wasn't being honest. He had no intention of telling me the full truth.

"At the time, I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't tell you. Besides needing Zoey's parents' blood, my own blood was also required. I've been hiding this piece of the stone to keep you from finding out. But don't worry-its purpose was only for the ritual, which lasts for eighty-one days. Now that your soul is stabilized, you don't need to wear it anymore."

Liar!

Carter, since when were you so skilled at lying?

If I hadn't uncovered your secret, were you planning to keep it from me until the day you died?

He had shifted all my misfortunes onto himself in the shadows.

Even if fate changed and his death seemed like an accident, no one would ever suspect it was due to these

two stones.

He intended to keep me in the dark forever, so I could live on without burden.

day, I would move on

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1913 Thu, Jan

Come

get married, and have

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the end of my days. Meanwhile, his mission would be complete, leaving behind only

myself into his arms, my sorrow was misinterpreted as believing his lie about the

stroked the back of my head. "It's okay. It's just a few drops of blood every few

me while still trying to comfort me,

as though tiny silver needles were

the fabric of his shirt tightly, I

I'm your husband-it's

the doctor. If they see you like this, they'll think I bullied

lifetime it was, he

How could I forget about him

wasted 20

who entered was a

a quality black shirt peeking out beneath it. He had a high nose bridge and wore silver-framed

to greet me. "Hello, I'm Matthew

from the suited man I had seen before, this was another of Carter's close

and shook his hand, then pointed at my throat

he replied, his voice calm.

kit into the living room, and the matter of the

electronic laryngoscope. "Don't

I nodded.

was over, Carter asked, "What's

checked her vocal cords carefully There's only one explanation. The drug she was given affected

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10:13 Thu,

414.Come Back to

disrupting her speech center."

it be treated?" Carter asked, frowning

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drug she was given is a rare illegal compound. Be prepared-it

only lasts seven days. Could her voice recover after

essentially been poisoned. Without the antidote, the toxins will worsen over time. The person who drugged her implied that if she takes the antidote within seven days, there won't be any long-term effects. But the longer she waits,

surprising-it fit Yael's methods

used chips and chains to trap Whitney, while Yael

he already knew I'd have to beg him for

for me to give in and come to

"That b*st*rd!" Carter growled.

grabbed his hand, shaking my