Moonlit Mountain (Caleb and Sarah)

(The Remains of Summer) Chapter 18

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Before Chloe could reach her, Ethan grabbed her arm, shoving her back,

then pinning her against the wall, his hand tightening around her throat. "Chloe, if you ever try to hurt Amelia again, you won't live to see another sunrise."

He released her, turning to gently escort "Amelia" inside.

Chloe gasped for air, her body shaking. He'd almost choked her to death! Terror seized her. She scrambled to her feet, about to flee, when a sharp pain ripped through her abdomen. A warm wetness spread between her legs.

Her face paled. She clutched her stomach, screaming. "The baby! My baby!" "Help! Someone help me!"

Servants rushed to her aid, carrying her to a waiting car.

The guests watched, stunned, whispering amongst themselves.

Liam, observing the scene with amusement, remarked to a nearby guest,"I thought his fiancée committed suicide. What's going on here?" He'd heard Ethan was devoted to his fiancée. Why this sudden appearance of a near-identical replacement?

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The guest shushed him, glancing around before whispering, "Keep your

voice down. Especially around Ethan."

"Why?" Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Since his fiancée's death... and his fall from grace... he hasn't been himself.

He keeps saying Amelia isn't dead, that she's just angry and ran away. He says he's going to bring her back..."

"At first, everyone thought it was grief-induced delusion, but then he showed up with this... look-alike, claiming she is Amelia."

"The family thought he was joking, but he was serious. They had him evaluated. Turns out, the trauma messed with his memory."

"He believes Amelia didn't die, that she left the country after finding out about the affair. He believes he convinced her to come back, on the condition that he divorces Chloe after the baby is born and remarries her." The guest chuckled. Liam smirked.

now.

He'd planned to take matters into his own hands, but it seemed unnecessary

He texted Amelia. She replied with a question mark.

[Is he insane?]

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Amelia shuddered, reading Liam's message about Ethan's delusion. [Don't tell me anything else about him. I don't want to know.] Menu

Liam pocketed his phone, watching lan Carter rush in to deal with the fallout. A wedding day disaster. He patted lan on the shoulder sympathetically. lan gave him a strained smile, his eyes hardening as he glanced towards the second floor. It seemed Ethan wouldn't be staying at the Carter estate much longer.

Three days later, at a post-wedding brunch hosted by the Hughes family, Liam heard the rest of the story from lan.

The stress had triggered Chloe's labor. The premature baby, born with a congenital heart defect, was rushed to intensive care. If not for the Carter family' s wealth, the child would likely have died.

The series of traumatic events had unleashed Chloe's pent-up rage. When Ethan's mother forced him to apologize to Chloe, Chloe had attacked "Amelia" with a knife. If the security hadn't intervened, "Amelia" would have been scarred for life.

Seeing his "beloved" attacked, Ethan had lunged at Chloe. Chloe's rabid fans, somehow alerted to the situation, had joined the fray. In the ensuing chaos, both Ethan and Chloe had tumbled down a flight of stairs, landing unconscious. They were still in a coma.

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The "Amelia" look-alike had vanished, taking whatever money she could grab.

Ethan's mother was on the verge of a stroke.