Semua Bab Beneath the Same Old Moon: Bab 1 - Bab 10

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

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

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

"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

"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