Moonlit Mountain (Caleb and Sarah)

(Finding Forever After the Betrayal) Chapter 24

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Charles' phone call earlier that day had been short, his tone carefully neutral." They're here, in Seattle," was all he'd said, but the unspoken question hung heavy between us: what would I do about Aiden and Ethan?

Honestly, I wanted to do nothing. Their sudden appearance felt like an

unwelcome intrusion, a painful reminder of a past I was desperately trying to bury. But ignoring them wasn't an option. Not when they were here, in the city where I was building a new life.

Word of their arrival spread like wildfire, of course. Aunt Sarah, bless her

heart, could barely contain her fury. She made it abundantly clear that as far as she was concerned, Aiden and Ethan were dead to us. I knew she was only trying to protect me, but a part of me ached for the days when she'd welcomed them with open arms.

The constant ringing of my phone, buzzing with calls from unknown

numbers, was a torturous symphony I couldn't silence. They were relentless, these ghosts of my past, determined to drag me back into the wreckage. I finally

turned off my phone, desperate for some semblance of peace.

And then, just as the day began to fade, I saw them. Standing by their car,

just outside the gates of our home. Even from a distance, I could see the

desperation etched on Aiden's face, the way he ran a hand through his hair, a gesture I knew so well.

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My first instinct was to order the driver to keep going, to disappear into the

safety of our home and pretend I hadn't seen a thing. But before I could speak,

Ethan smoothly maneuvered their car, blocking our path.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fear and

something else, something I couldn't quite name. It felt like my carefully constructed world, the fragile peace I'd found with Charles, was teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Violet, come on, let's talk," Aiden pleaded, his voice reaching me through

the closed window. I shrank back, seeking solace in Charles' presence. He was watching them, his expression unreadable, but his hand found mine, his grip strong and reassuring.

"Let's go talk to them, shall we?" he murmured, his voice a low rumble that soothed my frayed nerves. And somehow, in that moment, I knew exactly what he meant. This wasn't just about talking to Aiden and Ethan. It was about showing them, in no uncertain terms, that I was no longer the same Violet they'd left behind.

The warmth of Charles' hand on my waist as he lifted me out of the car, the possessive way he held me close as my feet touched the ground - it was a silent

message, a declaration of ownership that sent a shiver down my spine.

And for the first time since they'd arrived, a flicker of something that felt

like defiance, like victory, sparked within me.

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