Even after Her Death by Rita Bond

Chapter 527 Not Even a Moment

Finished

With Jeffrey gone, I turned to leave, but then my gaze landed on Amber and Dominic standing in the

distance.

Dominic, dressed in solemn white, kept to the shadows, his figure barely noticeable. He didn’t want attention. His quiet presence was a tribute to Jeffrey.

Years ago, Jeffrey had unknowingly saved his father and the Carlyns, and Dominic had never forgotten that debt.

Despite their efforts to remain hidden, I noticed them, trying to stay out of sight behind a tree. They looked suspicious, as if they were up to something.

Amber’s voice suddenly broke the stillness. “We’re here to pay respects, not to steal anything. You shouldn’t crouch and skulk around.”

Dominic reached over and ruffled her hair. “Calm down. We’ll get in once the Boltons are gone.”

Their relationship had clearly grown. Amber’s voice wasn’t as sharp as it once was.

It didn’t surprise me. Though Amber had come to love Dominic a little later, they had eventually found each other.

Life isshort, afterall. In theend, whentwopeople trulylove eachother, thepastseemslikesomethingbetterleftbehind.

Dominic’s history wasn’t much different from mine, either. He, too, had been shaped by loss.

I walked over to them, speaking softly, “Amber, it’s been a while.”

Amber jumped, startled. The moment she saw me, her face flushed red with annoyance. “Chloe, are you crazy? Do you enjoy scaring people?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Scaring others isn’t fun. But you, you’re a riot. It’s been forever since I had your homemade fruit juice. I was actually starting to miss it. Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? You don’t want to make me any?”

The mention of fruit juice made her blush even deeper. “Don’t you dare bring up fruit juice! You’ve already stolen my son. Isn’t that enough?”

The Emerald Dragon organization had all but crumbled. Yael, the man once protected by the Carlyns, had returned to campus. He’d visit Everett and Everly, bringing them new toys he’d made with his own hands.

He wasn’t as closed off as before. With so much talent, he even started live–streaming his carving sessions. He kept his face hidden, but I’d sometimes tune in. His streams often attracted tens of thousands of viewers.

Mostly women, who’d flood the comments with things like, “Kyah, your hands are perfect!”

“His voice is so calming!”

“Even without seeing his face, I’m pretty sure he’s got abs!”

abs for my grandma. She’s

CAL

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Mon, 3

527 Not Even a

Finished

Hey, cutic, I’m 56 years old with 30 years of cleaning experience. I make 450 dollars a month,

three minutes before I was completely freaked

saw this, he’d probably think I was obsessed with

screen was blissfully unaware of all

intricate crafts. On quiet afternoons, when the weight of the world lifted just a little, he’d sit with the kids, filling the air with

creations, each toy more than just a gift–it was a

play, my thoughts drifted to

The question left my lips before I could

Taylor went missing, and yet

a long look before Amber spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’re still looking. Sometimes I wish we’d put a chip in her, so we could track her

here to honor Jeffrey, just go ahead. He asked us not

always the quiet one, shifted uncomfortably. Though he had never directly harmed the Boltons, he carried the weight of Wisteria’s dark ties. That lingering connection seemed to hang over him like a shadow.

his voice steady but distant. “He probably didn’t want to see us.

here.”

see him either. If it weren’t for

all Brynn’s doing. Jeffrey was a victim in all

lost somewhere far beyond us. “Look around. Who

truth Carter had revealed to me was darker and crueler

could someone be so callous, so intent

sister

said, trying to move past the discomfort in the air, “The organization is falling apart. You’ve already torn through

laugh, her eyes distant. “What’s next? Whatever life throws at us. Wherever my lover goes, I go.”

from the fiery, determined woman I once

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Even a

The change

#2 Finished

he could truly understand. “People like us don’t

wants his parents to love him. You left

hung in

kids in a stroller, came over. His presence was a small relief in the tense silence. “Amber,” he said, his voice warm as