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

Anna knew he wasn't the type to mess around with her feelings.

After being locked up for so many years and trying countless times to escape without success, hearing him suddenly say she was free felt unreal-like something out of a dream.

Taylor gently brushed his fingers against her cheek. "You won't have to see me again. Go live your own life. I'm sorry for ruining it."

Even though he said those things, Anna couldn't fully believe him. It all seemed too suspicious—like he still had something up his sleeve.

It wasn't until the following day, when Taylor truly let her go, that Anna finally felt grounded again.

But almost instantly, another fear crept in-what if he had planted some kind of tracker inside her? No matter how far she ran, he could still find her.

She might never be free of his grasp.

So when Taylor asked, "Anna, can I have a hug?"

She didn't respond-just turned her back to him and walked away.

He suddenly pulled her into an embrace from behind, his voice hoarse and trembling. "You really are cold, Anna."

Guilt flickered in her heart for a moment, but before she could react, he had already let her go. "Take care of yourself," he said quietly. "Go on now-don't come back."

Chloe guided her toward the boat. Once it had sailed some distance, Anna stepped into the cabin-only to find her father alive and waiting.

He was lying to her.

Chloe handed her a small vial, saying it was from Taylor. Once she drank it, all her memories would fade away.

Taylor had brought up this potion before, but back then, Anna couldn't bring herself to forget everyone at the Sanders.

Now, he wanted her to take it-to erase the memory of who he was.

He hadn't hidden a chip on her—this time, he genuinely meant to disappear from her life.

Anna rushed to the deck, scanning the pier for any trace of Taylor, but he was nowhere to be seen. Still, deep down, she was certain he was watching from somewhere nearby.

He once told her she was the rose he'd nurtured with his own hands.

With how deeply he loved her, how could he possibly let her go now, of all times?

Unless he had something even more important than holding on to her love.

Tears streamed down Anna's face.

Chloe asked if she was still going to take the potion, but Anna quietly shook her head.

She wasn't ready to erase the memory of him. She never wanted to forget. Remembering his final words, Anna felt as if a weight had lifted.

Was she truly free now?

She sat curled up on the deck for what felt like hours, hugging her knees and lost in thought. Eventually, Chloe reappeared, draping a coat over her shoulders and gently repeating Taylor's last few words and wishes.

It hit her then—she had really walked away from him. There was no turning back.

At last, she was going home-to the Sander residence she had dreamed of for so long.

Even if the house was falling apart, having Greg, her parents, and Chloe still alive felt like a hidden gift.

Now she had a purpose-to stand by her parents and breathe new life into the Sander residence.

Stepping back into the courtyard where she'd spent her childhood, it looked just as she remembered, yet somehow different.

The trees had grown tall and leafy, casting shade over the path.

The old swing still hung in its place, freshly painted, but in her mind, it swung with echoes of laughter from the days when her whole family played there together.

Kate looked much older now as she gently took Anna's hand and guided her back to the home where she'd grown up.

"I'm sorry, Anna. At first, we mistook Wisteria for you and let her live in your room," she said with a hint of guilt.

Wisteria had spent most of her days at the Bolton residence, barely showing up at the Sander residence, which had allowed the place to remain mostly unchanged over the years.

Anna came across her old photo album, paintings she drew with Chloe, and handmade gifts made by her brothers.

As she flipped through each memory, her tears silently fell.

It felt comforting to be home.

But why did her heart feel like there was a void?

It must be because she wasn't used to it yet; time would eventually heal all wounds.

Soon after, Chloe returned to Snowville as well.

Anna told her that she wanted to change her name, believing that since she was

starting fresh, her name should reflect that too.

Not Anna, not Alice.

From this moment on, she would go by Starling.

The stars return to the sky, numbers fade away, and a new year begins.

A fresh start.

There would be no more Taylor, nor the painful memories; life was still long, and she had to move forward.

During the day, she kept up the appearance of being calm, but at night, the dreams always came.

In every dream, Taylor appeared.

He made flower crowns behind her back, he taught her to dance, and he held her

in a passionate embrace.

"Taylor!"

Anna called out his name as she woke up.

She glanced around-empty. That familiar warmth, the arms that once held her, was gone.

Her hand moved to her chest, where a seed had long ago been planted, now quietly taking root and growing inside her.

She picked up the bottle of potion, her fingers brushing over the glass again and again.

Just one sip, and all of it-every memory-would disappear.

Taylor's face kept flashing through her mind, again and again, until Anna finally understood-forgetting him simply wasn't an option.

She couldn't bring herself to do it.

He had become a part of her, as natural and necessary as the air she breathed.

Anna sat upright and grabbed a glass, chugging the water like she hadn't had a sip in days. It was just thirst, she told herself-nothing to do with the fact that she'd woken up with Taylor on her mind again. noveldrama

Even as she wiped her tears, they kept falling on their own. She kept whispering

to herself that she'd eventually move on that time would erase even him.

But deep down, the thought kept haunting her: Taylor was really gone. No calls, no texts, nothing.

It was like he had vanished off the face of the earth, and everything they'd shared

over the past twenty years had become nothing more than a fading echo.

She sat on the ground, gazing up at the moonlight above. Were all those years with him just an illusion?

Had she only dreamed it all?

No matter how lost Anna felt each night, by morning she'd mask it all and carry on

like nothing had happened.

She buried herself in her books,

determined to start fresh-this was

her first step into a brand-new life.

But she hadn't expected that the real world would throw a bothersome person her way so soon.

The person kept pressing her for her contact info, even after she had turned them

down more than once.

Anna wasn't used to dealing with

people like that-this kind of

situation had never happened before. Back then, whenever she ran

into trouble, Taylor would always show up to handle it for her.

So when a hand suddenly reached out in front of her, her heart skipped a beat.

Could it be Taylor?

She glanced up, her eyes full of hope-but it only took a second to see it wasn't Taylor, even though his build was eerily similar.

He said, "I'm Luther."

Anna barely reacted. She gave him a curt nod and a cool "thanks" before turning

to leave with Chloe and Carter.

Back in the car, Chloe chatted nonstop, but Anna wasn't really listening-her mind

was miles away.

At last, Anna found the courage to ask where the Carlyns had gone, but Carter could only shake his head he had no idea.

Her

gaze dimmed slightly until Chloe added that their family was currently seeking revenge against the commander, and the situation could get dangerous.

Even though she'd already told herself they were part of her past, she still missed

him.

As time went on, Anna began bumping into Luther more and more. It became

clear he was intentionally trying to get close to her-but she was expecting Taylor

to show up out of nowhere.

Was he really just going to leave her behind like this?

Would he stay silent, even if she started seeing someone else?