All Chapters of Beneath the Same Old Moon: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1 I'll Marry Him—On My Terms

"Alright. I'll marry that Hunting bipolar mess in Chloe's place."For the first time in years, my usually taciturn father, Richard Graf, nearly flipped his desk. He shot to his feet, excitement flashing across his face. "Natalie, you've finally come to your senses?! The Huntings have been pressing hard. The wedding has to happen next week. What sort of wedding dress would you like? I'll have someone place the order right away—""Don't bother. I only have two conditions. I'll marry him as long as you agree to those terms."The joy on his face vanished at once. He sat back down, wariness creeping into his eyes. "What do you want? If you're thinking of hurting your sister, I suggest you drop it now. Don't make me angry.""My real sister died a long time ago. Have you forgotten?" I smiled at him, frost cutting through my gaze. "You were the one who personally ordered her grave to be relocated."Chloe Shelton was the daughter of my father's first love. She was only a year younger t

Chapter 2 His Secret Under the Pillow

It was already 3 a.m. by the time I got myself out of the Graf Residence. I had no desire to go home, so I wandered into a bar and drowned myself in alcohol. When the liquor finally hit me, my mind drifted to Elliot.The day he interviewed for the job happened to be my mother's death anniversary. Chloe had called it bad luck and tossed every photo of my mother into the pool. There were so many servants in that house, yet not one of them dared to help me. Only Elliot had rolled up his sleeves, stepped straight into the water, and picked out the photos one by one.My heart had skipped a beat at that very moment. But it wasn't until the day before that I learned it had all been staged. He hadn't gone into the water because he pitied me. No, he did it to grab Chloe's attention.It was Chloe's birthday the day before. My father had been determined to host a grand celebration for her, so he specifically ordered me not to come home. He was terrified that my presence would spoil her moo

Chapter 3 Left Behind

If I hadn't found out the truth, I would be raising hell out of sheer spite right about now. I would have clung to him and demanded that he carry me, forcing my scent all over him. Now, as I noticed the wary look in Elliot's eyes, I merely wiped my face and turned away calmly. "Let's go."Elliot froze for a moment, utterly caught off guard.We stayed quiet on the drive home. He kept replying to someone's messages while I scrolled through the wedding-dress photos my father had sent me.Just then, he blurted out, "Stop the car."I turned, puzzled. He smoothly hid his phone and said shortly, "Something's come up. I need to make a trip to the south side of the city. Ms. Graf, you should take a cab back."Rivergate was being hammered by heavy rain, and it was around 4 to 5 a.m. right now. The streets were absolutely desolate. I opened my mouth to refuse, but Elliot had already opened the door and shoved me outside. The alcohol hit my system like a train wreck right then and there.

Chapter 4 Ten Thousand Times

If I wasn't mistaken, this was the second time he'd abandoned me.When I woke up, I was in a hospital room. My throat felt as if someone had pressed a hot iron to it since every breath I took felt painfully raw. The doctor said that I would've spent the rest of my life as a vegetable if I had been brought in for treatment even a second later.After I took the medication, I drifted back under. Somewhere in the haze, voices dragged me awake again. I groggily saw Chloe curled in Elliot's arms, crying her heart out. "Elliot, it was all my fault. You abandoned Natalie to save me. I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her."Elliot, who usually couldn't stand a speck of dirt on him, gently wiped her tears away as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His voice even softened in a way I had never heard before. "Ms. Shelton, don't blame yourself. Even if I had to do it ten thousand times, I would still save you first.""Really?" Chloe looked up at him, her eyes gla

Chapter 5 The Bracelet in the Ashes

When I woke up, Elliot was standing by the window. His voice was low as he spoke. "Ms. Shelton told me everything. You shouldn't blame her."I froze as a tear slipped onto my hand. "What did you just say?""The person who decided your mother should be removed from the Graf family mausoleum was your father, not Ms. Shelton. She was young back then. What could she have known? And… " Elliot trailed off.For the first time, he didn't dare look at me. "Last night, Mrs. Graf's grave in the suburbs was dug open. They couldn't find the body. People are saying that the Zellers did it. Mr. Graf tried to stop them, but… he couldn't."'The Zeller family… He couldn't stop them… Elliot Zeller, that was your fucking family!'My mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. I hadn't known pain could reach a point where even breathing stole every bit of strength I had. How could I even speak in such circumstances?Something inside me snapped. I ripped the IV needle out and lunged at Elliot wi

Chapter 6 The Shattering of a Devotion

Elliot's heart began pounding out of control inside his chest. It felt as if an invisible hand were tearing at his nerves from the inside, each throb sharp enough to keep his thoughts in constant turmoil.He pressed a hand to his chest and drew in a deep breath. He was finally going to be able to stay openly at Chloe's side. Perhaps that was why he felt so agitated. Yet, he couldn't ignore the sensation of prickling needles stabbing his heart when his gaze swept over the beads scattered across the floor."Who… Who is she marrying?""Ian from the Hunting family."Elliot's hands clenched involuntarily.He knew Ian. Ian Hunting was the notorious heir of the Hunting family. He was a man whose reputation matched Elliot's in status but not in temperament. Ian might have the looks of a refined aristocrat, but he was also infamous for his ruthless streak.For example, the most celebrated beauty in their circle had deliberately thrown herself into his arms. Yet, he had kicked her so har

Chapter 7 She Wasn't Who He Remembered

Someone tapped Elliot from behind. When he turned, he saw a line of impeccably groomed male escorts filing into the room, each one taking a seat beside a different woman.Chloe finally spotted him standing in the doorway. His bangs were a mess, and he had a wounded look on his face. She quirked a brow and put on a coy little pout. "Elliot, what took you so long?"She glanced at the perfectly wrapped cake in his hands and smiled in satisfaction.Elliot lowered his gaze to her and spoke softly. "Chloe, once the party's over, there's something I want to tell you."He hadn't managed to confess at the hospital the night before. So, he had called his closest friend to arrange a grand confession. He'd gotten a castle decorated into a fairytale theme, hired a symphony orchestra, arranged for fireworks across the city, and purchased a jeweled crown just for her. He had prepared every single thing Chloe adored just to confess to her.His friend even teased him for it. "I bet she'll have y

Chapter 8 We're Crashing the Wedding

"Isn't she getting married? She's probably afraid that the Hunting family would find out about her emotional affair. I bet their heir will kill her on the spot if she's caught red-handed." Chloe laughed. "True. It'll save me the trouble of sending her off to reunite with her mother myself."Her friend stared at her in shock. "So, you really were the one behind it all?"Chloe shrugged as if it were nothing. "Her mother stole my mother's spot. I only gave her a little push. Who'd have thought that idiot was really convinced that it was an accident? She even said she didn't blame me. Geez! It's a good thing that she's dead."Her friend was stunned as she blurted, "What about the rumor back in school about her mom being a mistress?""That was me.""And the media calling Natalie out for being promiscuous at her coming-of-age party?""I started the rumor."Elliot felt himself sobering with every eye-opening truth. The woman he had cherished all these years turned out to be rotten

Chapter 9 Five Years Too Late

My bewilderment only grew when Ian introduced me as his fiancée to every guest we met. He'd declared it so confidently that my face had turned as red as a tomato.I waited nervously in the dressing room for the emcee to send someone to escort me onstage. To my surprise, I saw my maternal uncle for the first time in years when I looked toward the doorway. After all, the Graf and Dunham families had been openly hostile to each other ever since my mother's passing."I didn't think that b*stard would actually make you marry in place of someone else! I guess all the trouble we went through dragging Ian's reputation through the mud really paid off."I could only manage an awkward chuckle in response, not really knowing how to react to that little tidbit.Just then, Ian walked in from the hall and drawled, "I don't mind being branded as a demon if that's what it takes to marry Natalie."He let out a soft laugh. "I wanted to propose to you ages ago, but your father only ever had eyes fo

Chapter 10 Atonement in Blood

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" he repeated over and over. Unfortunately, his apologies stirred nothing in my heart. I felt absolutely nothing at all.Ian took my cold hand in his and drew me into his arms. Then, his icy gaze turned to Elliot, glinting menacingly. "Elliot, I will make you pay for what you owe Natalie on her behalf, one debt at a time. Now, get you and your people out of our wedding."…In the end, Elliot was escorted away by the police. He was charged with sabotaging a yacht and causing it to sink. Apparently, most of the people on board had already become shark food. Well, everyone except Chloe. It seemed that she had fed her best friend to the sharks to slow them down before swimming desperately toward safety.When she got there, my father hid Chloe away instead of sending her to the hospital. Then, she called the cops on Elliot behind my father's back, accusing him of murder. Her actions essentially pushed the Zeller family into the center of a storm. Ian seized t

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