The Twin Face That Haunts Me Chapter 17

The Twin Face That Haunts Me Chapter 17

I left the Carter house long before dawn broke.

Grandpa was getting on in years, his mind foggy from age, often forgetting who I was. I didn’t have much time left to stay by his side.

Half a month had passed since I returned to the village. Plenty of drama unfolded back at the Carter

estate, and I never actively sought out news-but word trickled through regardless.

First, Thomas unilaterally canceled the engagement banquet. Next, the York Group pulled all business partnerships with the Carter Group. Shortly after, every long-term supplier the Carters relied on severed their ties overnight.

Dad scrambled around town begging for favors, yet everyone in their social circle knew better than

to get tangled up in the mess.

Early that morning, I received a bank deposit alert on my phone, a long string of zeros stretching

across the screen. I counted twice to process the massive sum.

Right after, a message popped up from Selena.

Selena: [Flora, I’m so sorry. We’ve failed you all these years. Mom’s fallen ill, and she calls out your

name nonstop. Would you come home to see her?]

I stared at the screen for a long time, then blocked her without hesitation.

When I lifted my head, a tall figure stood across the roadside, watching my cottage. I barely

recognized him at first glance.

Thomas had lost a significant amount of weight, his cheekbones sharp and eyes hollowed, making

his dark eyes look deeper and heavier than ever.

He didn’t cross over to the yard, only stood outside the low wooden fence, gazing at me through

gaps in the fence.

“Grandpa told me you were here, so I came by. I won’t step inside, I just need a minute to talk.”

“Thomas.” I spoke calmly, evenly. “You need to leave. Don’t come back again.”

His shoulders trembled faintly. “Florence, I-”

“You have to understand something. My family dynamic’s always been broken. Mom and Dad never loved me; I’ve always felt like an unwanted afterthought.”

“When we were little, all of Selena’s hand-me-down clothes went to me, all her abandoned toys,

every meal she refused to finish.”

“I was young back then, naive enough to feel quietly grateful, thinking I was the useful one in the household. Growing up, I slowly woke up to the truth-I’ve spent my whole life picking up Selena’s cast-offs.”

I pulled my gaze away from his face, tugging the corner of my mouth into a lifeless smile.

“This time, I refuse to take whatever scraps Selena leaves behind. So please, don’t disturb me ever again.”

Thomas left looking utterly defeated and worn out. I watched his silhouette vanish at the village entrance before forcing my gaze away.

When I glanced up, Richard was staring at me with a wounded, dejected expression, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“You heartless girl!” He whispered in mock hurt. “I’m a billionaire heir, took a train, then a bus, then a tractor, then walked miles on foot, trekking all the way out to this remote, boring village just to help you catch a chicken.”

“And you don’t even appreciate it-you’re too busy staring off after some other guy!”

I couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Alright, alright. We’ll stew that mean chicken for dinner tonight,

okay?”

Richard turned his head away, the tips of his ears flushing bright red.

“T-that’s better…”