"I don't care, I will never leave you here alone!" Elaine's stubbornness was unstoppable once it flared up. She firmly refused to leave, leaning back into her seat, her arms crossed over her chest, determined not to move.The pain left Aaron unable to think clearly, and Elaine's determination was giving him a headache. Summoning the last shreds of his composure, he emphasized once more, "I can still hold on. You go find help. I promise I won't die, okay?"She bit her lip, refusing to speak. The water inside the car was rising, already reaching their knees. The air was growing thinner with each passing moment. Aaron's every breath became labored, and he started to see double. He raised his head with great effort to look at Elaine and sighed helplessly. "Why can't you just listen to me for once?"Elaine's tears continued to fall, mingling with the blood staining her face, blurring her vision. Hearing this, her tears flowed even more fiercely. She looked at Aaron, resolute, and said, "I
"Miss, miss..."Elaine turned her head, spitting out some water. She struggled to open her eyes, and the sunlight poured in, making her squint. She closed her eyes again and then opened them, greeted by the sight of a vast blue sky."Miss, you're finally awake!"A woman's voice echoed in her ears. Elaine turned her head and saw the face of a middle-aged woman. Seeing that she had woken up, the woman smiled warmly.Elaine was relieved that she hadn't died. She smiled but then suddenly froze. She grabbed the woman's wrist, her grip strong enough to make the woman wince. Elaine sat up abruptly, her voice urgent and anxious. "Where's Aaron? How is he?"The woman blinked in confusion. Elaine's anxiety startled her. She stammered, "You mean the man who fell into the water with you? His condition... doesn't look good.""Where is he?" Elaine's voice trembled, her tone sharp and piercing. She pushed the woman away and tried to stand up. The woman hurried to support her. "Miss, you've just woke
"Mom, what's going on? Please, say something, Mom!" Sarah continued to pound on the door from outside, each knock causing Melissa to tremble. She knew how much her daughter depended on Aaron, which is why she had sacrificed even her 3% stake, making one mistake after another, all in an effort to pave a path to happiness for Sarah. But now, Aaron was no longer there. How could she explain this to Sarah?No matter how hard she knocked, Melissa refused to open the door for her. Sarah grew increasingly frustrated, turned and walked away while pulling out her phone. "Cathy, have you seen the news? Is it true that Aaron is in trouble? Have you heard anything?" she asked urgently."What do you expect me to know? If you don't know what's going on, how could I?" Cathy's tone was far from the usual flattery.Sarah found this irritating and raised her voice, "What's wrong with you? I'm just asking if you've heard any news. Why are you being so sarcastic? I called you because I'm worried!"After
Even though Aaron had woken up, he remained very weak. Due to the leg injury, he couldn't even get out of bed. But at least he was awake and out of immediate danger. This was enough to make Elaine happy. She fed him some food, and Aaron drifted back into a fitful sleep. Elaine finally sighed with relief and, after spending a day and a night by his side, stepped out of the small cabin.The scenery outside was breathtaking, and Elaine took a deep breath. The air she inhaled carried the scent of fresh grass.Aunt Grant noticed her coming out and waved, "Elaine, come sit with me and talk."Elaine nodded with a smile and walked over to Aunt Grant. "Did you grow these vegetables yourself?""Yes, my husband and I live up here in the mountains. We grow our own food, keep a few chickens for eggs and meat. We don't have much on our minds; we just enjoy living comfortably," Aunt Grant explained with contentment evident in her words and demeanor.From the way she spoke and acted, Elaine could tel
Aaron woke up again in the evening. Rest had somewhat improved his weakened body, and his complexion had slightly improved. He glanced around the simple room and didn't see Elaine. He felt a mixture of disappointment and concern. He struggled to prop himself up with his arms."Don't move," Elaine entered with a wooden ladle and, seeing him trying to get up, she put down the ladle and rushed to support him. "Your leg was just reattached; be careful not to injure it again!"Nervously, she checked Aaron's right leg to ensure that the splint was still secure. She breathed a sigh of relief, then absentmindedly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It was only then that she realized Aaron hadn't spoken in a while. When she lowered her head, she was met with his dark, mesmerizing gaze, as if made of obsidian, and it made her suddenly feel nervous.Aaron chuckled softly and took her hand, holding it in his palm.Elaine sat down at the edge of the bed, following his lead. She asked, "U
Aaron showed remarkable wisdom, and it seemed he understood Lionel well. On the same day, a small team arrived in the mountains, armed and ready, to search the area around the crashed car.As night fell, the sky, surrounded by the mountains, was breathtakingly beautiful. Grant and his wife decided to take a walk outside, leaving the F-room for Aaron and Elaine.Aaron leaned against the head of the bed, sensing Elaine's disappointment. He patted the empty space next to him and said, "Come up here.""I'm not tired," Elaine misunderstood his intention.Aaron chuckled at her misunderstanding and pulled her onto the bed. "You're overthinking it. I want you to look at the stars."With that said, Elaine felt a bit uncomfortable. Aaron had her snuggle up against him as he pushed open the wooden window, revealing the stunning night sky.The night in the mountains was eerily quiet, so quiet it felt almost unsettling. There was no source of light outside other than the stars, and the room itself
Elaine woke up in Aaron's arms, and upon seeing that he was still asleep, she didn't disturb him. She got up quietly, opened the door, and found Grant chopping firewood. She decided to approach Grant since she had found his reaction strange after hearing the gunshot last night. It seemed like he knew something but hadn't mentioned it. This was an opportunity to ask him about it and inquire about Aaron's leg injury."Good morning, Uncle Grant," she greeted.Grant neatly stacked the split firewood and looked up when he heard her voice. "Good morning."Elaine asked, "Uncle Grant, do you really think the gunshot we heard last night was just a hunter shooting?"Grant hesitated for a moment, seeming uncertain, and then asked in response, "There's something I didn't tell you. Yesterday afternoon, I went to another part of the mountain to collect herbs, and I saw several men wearing camouflage clothing. It seemed like they were searching the mountain. At the time, I thought they were hunting
Melissa had been in the hospital for two days now. Although her head injury had been accidental, it seemed to have aged her significantly. Thinking about how Lionel had manipulated her made her clench her fists so tight that she felt like tearing him apart.At noon, when the servant brought her food, Melissa kept looking behind her, asking, "Where's Sarah? Why isn't she here to see me? Is she still angry with me?"Hearing this, the servant's hands trembled as she opened the lunchbox. She sighed softly and replied, "Yes, she locked herself in her room and won't listen to anyone."Sarah had been spoiled by her mother. Even when Melissa had pushed her, she could overlook it. But now, Melissa had been in the hospital for two days, and Sarah hadn't even visited once. She hadn't thought about everything Melissa had done for her, and if it weren't for her daughter, Melissa wouldn't have... had her hands stained with blood.Melissa ate her meal while Lionel arrived at the hospital. He brought