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

Taylor took a step back, widening the distance between them. His face was cold as he said, "Let's check your assignments first."

Anna's little face instantly fell. Back when she was in the Sanders, she had only been in kindergarten.

As the youngest in the family, no responsibilities ever fell on her shoulders. Her parents always said, "As long as you're happy and healthy, that's all that matters."

Her brothers would say, "We'll make money to take care of you, our little sister." Even Chloe would gently pat her head and say, "It's okay to be a little mischievous. I'll protect you for life."

So at home, she was a little troublemaker that was always running around and causing mischief. And whenever she got into trouble, her brothers were there to back her up.

Other socialites might have had their lives planned out by the time they were three, and even Chloe was like that.

But she was different. She was a pampered little princess who could do whatever she wanted, with no one to rein her in.

Then, after being taken to this island, she had to learn everything-academics, physical training, even music.

She worked harder than a packhorse every day. Taylor was strict, and every time he returned, he would check her progress. If she didn't pass, the punishment was

severe.

Anna still vividly remembered the last time she refused to skydive. Taylor had dragged her up to thousands of feet in the air and kicked her off the plane. That near-death terror was something she could never forget.

It was horrifying!

If she didn't complete her written assignments, she'd be punished by copying them a hundred times.

Anna quickly clung to him again. "Taylor, I haven't seen you in so long! Wouldn't it be nice to just have a meal and chat? Are you hungry? I just learned how to make egg fried rice, but I don't think I have much talent for cooking."

As she smiled and tried to shift the subject, Taylor's sharp eyes immediately caught sight of the blisters on her fingers.

His brows furrowed slightly. "Burned by hot oil?"

"Yeah, you always cooked for me, so I wanted to learn a few dishes to make for you. But I didn't expect that I wouldn't even be able to handle something as simple as egg fried rice."

Taylor had made her learn many things, but cooking wasn't one of them.

He taught her everything with the intention of helping her survive and establish herself in this world. Cooking, however, wasn't part of that.

Most women learned to cook to please men, to care for their families, and to fulfill traditional roles.

He didn't want Anna to become like that.

"Don't do it again. I can cook for myself. Cooking isn't an essential survival skill."

He grasped her hand and led her back to the room, taking out a medical kit.

Anna chuckled. "No need. It'll heal in a couple of days. I'm not that delicate anymore...

Before she could finish her sentence, Taylor pierced the blister on her arm. "Aah!" She bared her teeth in pain.

The next second, a cool ointment was gently applied to her skin.

"It hurts..."

Her big, watery eyes gazed up at him, making Taylor sigh in resignation. "Bear with it."

His gaze then drifted to her ankle, where a faintly blood-stained scratch stood out. Though not serious, it was still noticeable.

"What happened to your foot?"

"Probably got cut by a dead branch or something. It's nothing." She spoke as if it was completely unimportant.

Taylor, however, knelt on one knee, grasping her foot and placing it on his lap.

Anna had naturally pale, snow-like skin, delicate enough that the faint blue veins on the top of her foot were clearly visible.

Now that she had shed the baby fat of childhood, her figure was slender and graceful, caught between youthful innocence and budding maturity.

Her exquisitely shaped foot curled slightly in embarrassment, her toes tensing as

if unsure where to place themselves.

"Taylor, you really don't have to. I ..."noveldrama

Before she could finish, his fingertips brushed against her ankle. His warmth was

a stark contrast to her cool skin.

With his head lowered, he patiently disinfected the wound, applied medicine, and carefully bandaged it.

"All done."

Taylor stood up. "Then I'll test you tomorrow instead. Have you eaten?"

Anna shook her head and pointed at her injured hand. "Nope. I failed, remember?"

"Wait here." Taylor turned and headed for the kitchen.

The island had grown eerily quiet. After Dominic's death, Amber had returned

once, only to take Yael away with her.

There were still teachers on the

island, who were assigned to educate her. But they were strange almost as if they were under strict

control They never spoke to her beyond their lessons, never engaged in unnecessary conversation.

Anna had freedom, yet she was completely alone. She often thought about her family, missing them deeply.

After learning of the long-standing feud between the Sanders and Carlyns, she lived in constant fear that something would happen to the Sanders.

Her only hope lay in Taylor—the boy who had saved her. She couldn't bring herself to truly hate him.

So she passed each day on the island, one after another. The only thing that

made her happy was the time when Taylor returned.

She had someone to talk to. Someone to eat with.

It was only in these moments that Anna felt like a real person.

Wearing her soft leather shoes, she walked lightly toward the kitchen.

Watching him skillfully chop vegetables, she realized that he was still the same as he had been when they were kids. Not a single thing had changed.

Except that he had grown much taller, now nearly 6'1". His build wasn't as broad as Dominic's, but he stood at the cusp between youth and manhood.

He was lean and sharp like a boy, yet steady and composed like a grown man.

Anna stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Taylor's waist from behind pressing her cheek against his back and breathing in his clean, familiar scent.

Taylor's body tensed, his hands pausing mid-rinse.

To Anna, he was still the brother who had always taken care of her She even nuzzled against him- slightly, her voice soft as she said, "Taylor, you're finally back. I miss you so much."