The next morning, Madeline was jolted awake by a phone call, still half-lost in her dreams."Hello, Mrs. Gibson. Your order has arrived."Madeline blinked in surprise. She had not ordered anything lately.Who delivered packages at the crack of dawn?With a frown, Madeline opened the door and was greeted by a small mountain of boxes, each one had a label that read 'For Madeline'.Trevon sauntered up, leaning against the doorframe with a casual air. "Check them out," he said coolly.Madeline eyed him, puzzled. "You got these for me?"Trevon just gave a noncommittal shrug, as if to say 'maybe'.Still confused, Madeline grabbed a pair of scissors and went to work on the boxes.The first one revealed a pink laptop, complete with a matching mouse.The second held a pink long dress, adorned with delicate flowers, reminiscent of the trendy styles from Tracy's boutique.One by one, Madeline tore through the boxes.Everything was pink.Skincare, clothes, household items—it was like
Trevon spent a long time that day just standing by the window, lost in thought.Madeline's rejection was both a shock and not. Deep down, he saw it coming.Trevon had hoped she would at least think it over, but she had turned him down flat, without hesitation. He pursed his lips together, a silent admission that winning her over would not be easy.When Madeline stepped out and saw him still rooted to that spot, she did not have much to say. She just mentioned she had to take care of something and would not be going to work."What's up?" Trevon asked, almost reflexively."Just a trip to the countryside," Madeline replied calmly.Madeline's brother had been kidnapped while they were visiting relatives with Cilix, and most of the clues were back at the village police station.She was determined to check things out and retrieve some documents.With a single nod, she brushed past him, leaving his words hanging in the air.Trevon's hands balled into fists.Daniel's knock on the doo
The 'files' turned out to be pretty scant. It was just an old photo of her brother and some investigation reports from the area, bus, and train stations on the day he disappeared.Asher sighed heavily. "I've kept an eye out for any similar missing persons cases around here over the years, but no luck."For years, there was nothing but silence. Either the kid was gone for good, or he was whisked off to who knew where.Back in the day, the police did not have the technology or the know-how, so anything could have happened.Deep down, Asher had a hunch the kid was still out there.A three-year-old boy who was easy to raise and with no past to remember was just the kind of kid that buyers would line up for.The problem was that finding him was like looking for a needle in a haystack.However, Madeline was determined to search for him no matter what."Asher, I need a copy of these files."Asher looked like he wanted to say something, maybe talk her out of it. "Madeline, it's been e
East Jasperia was a sprawling chain of mountains with tiny villages tucked away in its folds, elusive and tricky to find.The moment Madeline heard that, she was up on her feet, determination in her eyes. "Let's go!"She quickly looked up the village's location and decided to rent a car to get there as fast as possible.Asher, worried about her heading out alone, took time-off from the police station to join her on the journey.The mountains rose and fell in a majestic rhythm.Madeline watched as they passed peak after peak, fighting to stay cool and collected.Ever since Bella was hospitalized, the responsibility of searching for her brother rested heavily on her shoulders.She had been through that kind of search for family before. It was not really a search, more like catching a glimpse from a distance.Whether she could spot him or not, she felt compelled to go.A clap of thunder rumbled in the distance. The further they ventured into the mountains, the more ominous the sk
Madeline and Asher's journey came to an abrupt halt.A massive tree sprawled across the road, blocking their path.If Asher had not been so alert, they would have crashed right into it.Asher stepped out to check. "It's no use. The tree's too big to move."Madeline's frown deepened as she checked her phone and saw no signal whatsoever.She bit her lip and declared, "We're walking down!"Turning back was not an option. The road was blocked by a mountain of boulders.They were lucky to have just passed before getting trapped.The storm's fury was relentless.Guilt gnawed at Madeline. Her stubbornness had led to both of them being stranded on the mountain.Staying put was a death sentence.Without a moment's hesitation, Asher agreed.They donned their raincoats and began the descent.Halfway down, they came across two more fallen trees and a stopped car. Clearly, they were not the only ones opting to trek down the mountain.Madeline and Asher shared a look and pressed on.T
Trevon's car reached the base of the mountain only to be stopped. No one was allowed to ascend."There's been a landslide. The mountain has been closed off."Daniel tried to negotiate, but it was futile.The officials even tried to reassure them. "People are trapped up there, but we're organizing a rescue. Please stay calm."Knowing the gravity of the situation, Daniel did not dare interfere with the rescue operations and reluctantly rejoined Trevon.Trevon, staring at his phone's lifeless signal, commanded, "Get a helicopter, and tell Liam to bring a team.""Mr. Gibson, it's too risky to send a helicopter in these conditions."Trevon's intense gaze bore into him.Madeline's last known location was on that mountain, and she was surely stranded.Learning of the landslide and the closure, Trevon was frantic.If Madeline had slipped up, they had to beat the clock to save her.He knew he should not get in the way of the rescue teams, but he just could not stand by and do nothing
Madeline quickly came to her senses and stepped back. "Sorry."Caleb was about to wrap her in a protective embrace but instead let his hand drop with a gentle smile on his face. "No worries. That thunderbolt scared me too."He helped Madeline out of her soaked raincoat and into a dry jacket as he spoke.Madeline, who had been shivering with cold, finally started to feel a bit of warmth. She smiled gratefully and said, "Thanks, Caleb."Caleb just gave a small shake of his head.Asher watched the two of them curiously.Madeline had casually mentioned she was married, but Asher had never seen her husband. The way that guy was looking at her made it clear that he was not her husband.That look in his eyes, though...Asher knew that look. He had been there in his own youth. Some things were understood without words.He sighed to himself, knowing it was not his place to comment. Pulling out his phone, he tried once more for a signal, but no luck. With a resigned shrug, he pocketed t
"How did it go? Did you find the rescue—"Her words hung in the air, unfinished.It was not Caleb who stood before her. It was Trevon.Madeline's relief shattered into confusion.Why on earth was Trevon there? Was she so chilled to the bone that she was seeing things?Then, as the guy with the trademark long strides walked into the shelter, and that rugged, frosty face came into view, Madeline knew she was not hallucinating.It was actually him.Her lips tightened, and she barely managed to part them to speak when suddenly, Trevon pulled her into a fierce hug.He held her so close.Madeline could feel the steady thump of his heart against her, a lone beacon of warmth in the icy rain of the night.Her hand, hanging limply at her side, twitched, but she did not hug him back.After what felt like an eternity, she let out a soft sigh. "Why are you here?"Trevon finally released her, his voice tinged with a chill. "Didn't you see the weather report? What were you thinking, headi