Loved You Once But He's My Forever

Chapter 538 Luke, Goodbye

Was it really over?

I felt completely drained, as though every ounce of energy had been sapped from me. Although I was still alive, my body felt as if it had been utterly exhausted.

"Has Luke been cremated? I need to say goodbye," I asked softly.

Zoey shook her head. "I'm not sure. After you collapsed, I had to focus on taking care of the babies. I'm sorry, Chloe. I shouldn't have left you alone."

None of us had expected that Harlan hadn't been with Carter at the time, arriving earlier than anticipated.

I gently placed a hand on Zoey's shoulder. "No one is to blame. It's fate, Zoey. We can't fight fate."

Looking around, I noticed Harlan wasn't present. Lowering my voice, I asked, "Zoey, if that was my death curse, what does that mean for your future?"

"What else can we do? We just have to go with the flow," Zoey answered, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm okay. Being able to live again, to see my parents and you, is already more than I deserve. Even one more day feels like a gift. Don't worry about me. Life and death are beyond our control, and fortune is something that belongs to the heavens."

I let out a soft sigh, knowing that despite her words, Zoey wasn't as carefree as she appeared. Like me, she too was powerless against the force of fate.

We had tried to resist, but in the end, we had no choice but to accept it.

After drinking some water and eating a little, I began to feel a bit stronger. I asked Kate to assist me as I prepared to say my final goodbyes to Luke.

He had died because of me, and no matter what the past had held-whether love or hatred it had all faded into nothing.

At the crematorium, Carter stood holding a small urn. His eyes were red from crying, and as soon as he saw me, I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around him. "Carter..."

He handed the urn to Damian and then pulled me into a tight embrace. "Are you alright? Feeling better? Is the fever gone?"

I looked at his exhausted face and shook my head.

Even though I always tried to shield him from the pain, Carter was always the one

who suffered the most. He was the one who felt the deepest sorrow.

He had just lost two family members. How could he endure this?

Yet, even in his grief, he was concerned about me and the children.

"I'm fine," I whispered, holding him tightly.

His forehead rested against my head. "You're still a bit warm, but it's not too bad."

"You've been so busy. You should eat something and rest," I urged.

"It's fine," he replied softly. "I'm not hungry. I'll stay with you. I know you want to say goodbye to Luke."

Once again, no one understood me like Carter did.

He took my hand and led me into the dim, cold morgue.

first time in a place like this. The chill in the air seemed to come

had been prepared for cremation, but he was still dressed in the bloodstained suit he had worn

revealing Luke's pale and lifeless

for today,"

I didn't

I nodded silently.

at his body, reflecting on the 20 years we had known each other, from the age of 8 to 28. We had

had seen him at his best and at his worst, including the time when he hated

my mind, but the final memory that lingered was that

that instant, he had redeemed himself. The

atoned for his mistake with his

life well. Once you get to the afterlife, just let go of all the past pain.

were never meant

I had worn a wedding dress, expecting to meet

time around, he wore a groom's suit,

page, always just missing each

to cry, let it all out now. After this, I don't want to see you shed another tear

muffled sound as

Luke.

"Carter, he had just one request—he wanted

said,

carefully taken away. Only family members were allowed to remain behind. By

had been well cared for. There were fresh flowers and offerings placed

had been dug. The staff informed

someone had been visiting

always bringing snacks for Joy They had purchased the grave next to Joy's

just

the gravestone

was the same man who had

informed Adam of

Boltons and gone to meditate at a

like a son-a person he had cared for and raised. I worried that

we walked through the rain to say our final

Luke wouldn't have cared

on his grave, staring

engraved there. Today, he was truly

placing the flowers down, I left before

I spoke. He carried his mother's ashes, and despite the heavy rain, he wanted to scatter them in the sea

the room where Jeffrey

was where she would

urn and whispered,

returned, Zoey and Harlan were struggling

with one of them holding the baby's arms and the other trying to manage the legs Meanwhite, Everett, as energetic as ever, bounced around,

eli

to cover his hands in yellow baby