Loved You Once But He's My Forever (Chloe)

Anna was on the verge of breaking down as well. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around Taylor.

In that moment, they were each other's only solace-something deeper than love, yet untouched by romance.

After a while, Taylor finally let go. His expression had returned to its usual calm, revealing nothing.

"Come on, let's get you something good to eat."

Over the years, he had managed to bring her snacks and the occasional warm meal, but by the time they reached the island, those offerings had long lost their original flavor.

Anna pressed a hand to her chest. A dull ache had settled there just moments ago, a faint but noticeable discomfort.

"What's wrong?" Taylor glanced at her, frowning slightly.

She assumed it was just the emotional turmoil of seeing Chloe again and brushed it off.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

Today had already given her more than she could have hoped for. Not only had she seen Chloe, but she had also caught a glimpse of the rest of her family. That was enough.

As long as they were still alive, there was still hope.

Taylor took her to the fast-food place she had loved as a child. The moment she saw it, she nodded enthusiastically. "Wow, it's been forever since I had this."

Taylor had made her fried chicken and burgers on the island before, but he had always used top-quality ingredients. Compared to that, the greasy, artificial flavors of fast food were almost nostalgic.

Remembering that Yael was also in Snowville, Anna made sure to order an extra meal for him.

She still held onto the memory of the two of them sitting among piles of snacks, sharing a bag of chips.

It had been years since she last saw him. Back then, he had always clung to his milk bottle no matter where he went. Now, Yael was nearly a full head taller than her.

When they finally met, Anna was taken aback. He was 10 now, so much bigger than she remembered.

She awkwardly hid the takeout bag behind her back and raised a stiff hand in greeting. "Uh... do you still remember me?"

Yael walked up to her with a warm smile. "Anna."

Her eyes widened. "Yael? You've grown so much!"

"You've gotten prettier too."

Her last memory of him was the day they took their family portrait. Not long after that, everything in the Carlyn family had turned upside down.

Though he was taller now, Yael still had that same open-hearted nature. He leaned forward with curiosity. "Anna, what are you hiding behind your back?"

Feeling a little embarrassed, she slowly brought the bag forward. "I got this for you... but you might not ...

Before she could finish her sentence, Yael had already snatched the bag from her hands. "Anna! How did you know I was craving a burger? My food buddy is finally back!"

Anna chuckled. "You still remember?"

"Of course! I remember how much you used to love chips."

It didn't take long before the two of them were laughing and playing together, just like old times.

For a moment, it felt as if time had rewound to when they first met at five years old -back when Taylor had his hands full looking after them both.

"Anna! Come check this out! I've been working on something cool."

Yael grabbed her hand excitedly and led her down to the basement of the villa.

Anna stopped in her tracks, completely stunned by what she saw. The room was

filled with stone carvings.

"You made all of these?"

"Yeah!" He grinned proudly.

Yael beamed with pride. "My

grandpa was a sculpting genius. Our family has a long history of

sculptors, but Taylor and my dad were never interested, so I guess it's up to me to carry on the legacy."

Anna was genuinely impressed. "That's amazing."

Yael tugged her excitedly toward a covered sculpture. A black cloth draped over it,

adding to the mystery.

"This is my masterpiece."

"What is it?"

The sculpture looked fairly large, but she couldn't make out what it was.

When Yael pulled off the cloth, Anna was stunned-it was Chloe's face. "Why her?"

Yael didn't seem to know about the conflict between their families.

Smiling brightly, he said, "She

held an umbrella for me and

carried me. I like her."

l.ne

once

Anna let out a small sigh. "If only all the Carlyns felt the same way."

She knew what the Carlyns were plotting, and sooner or later, disaster would

strike the Sanders family.

"Anna, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

The next day, Taylor took them to an amusement park.

Anna had always dreamed of Chloe and Ethan taking her there for her birthday. Taylor wasn't a Sanders, but he still made that wish come true for her.

Yael grinned and grabbed her hand. "Anna, let's go on the roller coaster!"

"That sounds terrifying."

"Well, that's the whole point! Who'd want to ride if it wasn't scary?"

Noticing Anna's hesitation, Taylor said, "You go ahead."

But Yael wasn't having it. "Anna, come on! We're already here."

"Alright, fine."

Taylor, still feeling uneasy, decided to join them.

Less than a minute into the ride, Anna's face turned noticeably pale.

Taylor reached over and gently pulled her head against his chest. "Close your eyes if you're scared."noveldrama

As the roller coaster sped through its twists and drops, Anna felt her chest growing increasingly tight.

She had noticed something felt off when she went skydiving earlier, but she brushed it off as normal.

By the time they got off, Taylor immediately noticed her complexion was off-her

lips even had a faint bluish tint.

She clutched her chest, her face showing visible discomfort.

"Anna, are you okay?"

Thinking it was just fear, she forced a weak smile. "I'm fine, just a little shaken. I

just need a moment."

But Taylor knew enough about medicine to tell something wasn't right.

"No, this isn't normal. I'm taking you to the hospital."

After a thorough examination, the results came back-Anna had a hereditary

heart condition.