Chapter 1

I'd come to the mountains with my husband, Randall Hamilton, for an ice fishing trip, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. A blizzard hit, and the hail pounded against the car windows, making my nerves spike.

I was behind the wheel, with our four-year-old daughter, Belle Hamilton, sitting next to me in the front passenger seat.

In the backseat were Randall, and his former boss, Tessa Sinclair.

"Speed up, Elsie! The hail's getting worse! If we get stuck out here, we're done for!"

Tessa lifted the damp hem of her pants and rested her fair feet in Randall's arms while trembling.

They had chosen the ice fishing spot. After the hail started, the original route became impassable, so they handed me the wheel and asked me to find a way through.

When we finally reached a mountain villa, the car sputtered to a stop. The engine shut off because of the freezing temperature.

"This cursed weather! How did it change so fast? And this villa doesn't even have power? Not even hot water! What kind of place did you find?" Randall grumbled as he stormed back to the living room after circling the place.

I pulled out a thermos and carefully gave Belle a sip of hot chocolate. "Stop wandering, honey. Try calling for emergency help. Belle's catching a cold."

Randall started toward us but was stopped midway by Tessa calling his name. "Randall, I'm so cold."

Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, and tears glistened in her eyes. She looked helpless and pitiful.

Randall anxiously grabbed the thermos from my hand, spilling hot chocolate onto the back of my hand. It was scalding, then quickly cooled.

He fed the only bottle of hot chocolate to Tessa.

"It's so cold. Why is there no heating system?" she whined.

"Maybe the hail knocked out the power. Let me warm you up," Randall comforted her. The two of them embraced each other. They were oblivious to everything around them.

It was so obvious there was something off about their relationship.

But right then, all I could focus on was Belle, who was sick.

"Randall, Belle's not feeling well! Take care of her first!" I slapped his arm urgently.

The owner of the villa sold the house at a low price due to debts and moved everything out. Because of the harsh weather, the power was out. The only thing keeping us warm was the bottle of hot chocolate Randall was holding.

"It's still freezing, Randall. Is there any other clothing here? Am I going to freeze to death?" Tessa asked.

Randall scanned the room, then his eyes locked on me. He noticed my bulky, puffy down jacket which was clearly designed for warmth.

He reached out to unzip my down jacket.

"What are you doing?" I stared at him in disbelief and took several steps back in shock.

"Grow up, Elsie Bennett! Tessa got her pants wet saving me. She's my lifesaver. Be more understanding. We can't just ignore her!" he said.

I was furious and heartbroken. Belle, his daughter, was freezing and sick, but all he could think about was this so-called lifesaver?

This ice fishing spot was formed by the rugged terrain, which created an ice lake. I felt uneasy driving over, but they assured me it was safe because they'd been here for company events before.

The ice was thin in some places, and thick in others. Randall, who was always the risk-taker, stepped onto it and nearly fell through.

I was setting up the tent by the shore, holding Belle, when Tessa pushed Randall and ended up stepping into the puddle herself.

They were wearing tall boots, yet the splashed icy water soaked their pants. What had Tessa really done to deserve being called a lifesaver?

"Get off, Randall! Do you want me to freeze to death? Can't you see who your wife and daughter are?" I yelled while struggling.

"You always say she can help you get a promotion and a raise, but did you actually get a raise?" I shouted.

We'd fought about Tessa last week, and here he was, ready to throw me aside to cater to her.

In a moment of distraction, Randall quickly stripped off my mint green down jacket and draped it over Tessa's legs.