Moonlit Mountain (Caleb and Sarah)

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(Finding Forever After the Betrayal) Chapter 20

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Ethan's mother grabbed Hannah's clothes and shoved her head into the

fountain. The water, though gentle in its flow, rushed into her airways, bringing

a wave of panic and discomfort. Hannah choked, sputtering, each cough only allowing more water to flood her lungs.

After what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Affleck finally yanked her up by the collar, her face a mask of icy fury."So? Do you feel the despair, the helplessness that Violet felt as she nearly drowned? Knowing you could survive if you just... tried harder, but being completely unable to?" Disgust dripped from her words as she tossed Hannah onto the pavement like a discarded rag doll, brushing off her hands as if she'd touched something contaminated.

"Ethan, Aiden," Mrs. Affleck addressed the two men, her voice laced with disappointment."Who told you that making another woman jealous would somehow win Violet's heart? Idiots! No wonder she chose Charles Evans in Seattle and not either of you." This time, she offered no defense, no maternal instincts to protect her son. He'd made his bed, now he had to lie in it.

Mrs. Peck, elegant and composed, echoed the sentiment with a chilling nod.* You boys were wrong. It's done. Violet is married. Leave her be."

Aiden, his eyes downcast, emotions flickering across his face, remained silent. Ethan, however, stood defiant, his jaw clenched, lips pressed into a thin, white line. Surrender wasn't in their nature. They were not men who gave up 12:38

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easily. Their cutthroat business dealings, their reckless races on the track... everything about them screamed defiance.

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The mothers exchanged a weary glance, sighing in unison. They knew their sons, knew their stubbornness, and knew this wasn't over. But what could they do? They had washed their hands of it.

With a curt nod, Aiden directed a nearby security guard to dispose of the

"mess" sprawled on the sidewalk. And just like that, Hannah was

unceremoniously tossed out, her belongings scattered around her like so much garbage.

"Move along, miss. No loitering or sleeping on the streets," a city patrol

officer barked, the word "loitering" hitting Hannah like a slap. Homeless. Was

she truly homeless? Her suitcases, once filled with designer clothes and the promise of a glamorous life, lay scattered around her, looking more like a refuse pile than anything else.

Shame burned Hannah's cheeks. She kicked at a suitcase, the resulting clang

of cheap metal echoing the hollowness in her chest. It all felt so... broken.

Her phone rang, shrill and insistent. For a fleeting second, hope flickered.

Aiden? Ethan? Had they changed their minds? Were they coming back for her? She fumbled to answer.

It wasn't them.

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A gruff voice, spitting out with a thick dialect she hadn't heard in years,

crackled through the receiver."You little thief! Finally got a hold of you! Who

gave you the right to steal all that money from home? We heard you've been making a fortune! It's time to pay us back!"

The venom in her father's voice sent a shiver down her spine. If he wasn't miles away, he probably would have been beating her senseless right then and there. She slammed the phone shut, not daring to make a sound. "How did they find me so fast?"

Panic seized her. She scrambled to gather her things, then froze. Her Los Angeles apartment was

gone. The Lake House... that was gone too. She had nowhere to go. The realization hit her with the force of a physical blow, leaving her utterly defeated. She sank back onto the pavement, her carefully constructed world crumbling around her.

The patrol officer reappeared, his face grim. "Miss, you're obstructing the sidewalk. I have to ask you to leave."

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