David recounted his past to Rebecca as if he were talking to an old friend. Although he spoke calmly, Rebecca knew how difficult it must've been to say, "I survived." After all, she had survived many threatening hurdles in life, too.Rebecca had a rare, peaceful moment as she rested on David's shoulder. Even so, she couldn't ignore the thought that plagued her mind. So, she forced herself to ask him to clarify things.Her voice was hoarse as she struggled to speak. "Mr. Winston, why would you do this if you understand the struggles of surviving? You kept ambushing me abroad. Even now, I must tolerate your horrid behavior. You may be displeased with Daniel, but why can't you sit down and talk things out with him?"She didn't understand why brothers couldn't civilly solve things. Plus, she felt David shouldn't have messed with her life even if he didn't know her. What was the point of hurling fatal attacks at her all the time?"Ms. Johnson." David chuckled, stopped walking, and place
Rebecca listened to David's unhurried explanation. Her tenseness eased as she observed the barren, natural scenery. A sliver of light peeked out among the grey clouds. It pierced past the dark clouds and shined onto the lake, causing a brilliant red light to reflect off the water.The dark clouds soon blocked the light again. Yet, the morning mist shrouding over them dispelled.Rebecca calmly spoke as she looked up at David. "Mr. Winston, could you move me to the side a little? I want to see the lake better, but the pine tree ahead is blocking me."David turned to look at her in surprise. "Aren't you cheery? I can't believe you have the heart to admire the scenery even at this point."Although David said he wasn't planning to spare her, he didn't plan to make things difficult for her. So, he bent down, picked Rebecca up, and moved her to a spot with a better view."The view is better from here, but you shouldn't move too much. There aren't any trees in front, so nothing will stop
"Rebecca has nothing to do with the grievances in our family, David. You can come after me if you're unhappy with anything. Why involve an innocent?" Daniel's eyes widened when he saw the dagger against Rebecca's neck. He stepped up without a second thought and tried to stop David. While focusing on the dagger with panic, he urged, "What do you want? Or do you have any requests? Feel free to state your demands. Just let Becca go!""How touching." David lowered his head until his lips almost touched Rebecca's ear. "Mr. Daniel Winston is willing to accept my demands for your safety. Do you like that, Ms. Johnson?"The cold blade against Rebecca's neck cut her relief short. Not only that, but the dagger sliced into her skin slightly, causing her body to tense from the ache. She knew David's words weren't trustworthy. "He has some nerve promising her safety when he was the first to put a knife to her neck. What a liar!" Rebecca yelled in her heart. As she struggled in David's hold, s
Making Daniel get down on his knees to exchange a hostage wasn't a solution; it was a clear act of humiliation!Everyone, including Rebecca, the captive, and even the three people behind Daniel, were taken aback. Among the group, Daniel was the only one who remained composed, showing no change in his expression. He stood firm while confronting David, who wore a smile on his face. "What's the matter, dear brother? Do you think my idea isn't good enough for you?" "You're taking this too far!" Ryan couldn't contain his anger and retorted, "Let's have a fair fight, or if you want the Winston family to get involved, that's fine too. But humiliating someone like this is utterly repulsive."David's gaze shifted to Ryan, who was behind him, and he raised his eyebrows slightly. "And who are you? Do you even have the right to speak here? What business is it of yours?" "You!" Ryan's response was cut short as Maxwell pulled him back. Maxwell warned Ryan in a hushed voice, "Don't inte
Rebecca had no idea how she managed to reach the shore.The deep water pushed her down, but buoyancy brought her back up. In the water, with no place to stand, Rebecca thought she would be submerged in the icy lake. The cool water surrounding her from all sides felt like a fine, intricate web. It slowly tightened around her, as if capturing its prey, and then pulled her under the water. Rebecca's situation was already dire. Yet, a warm, powerful hand clung to her ankle, pulling her deeper into the water. Driven by her survival instinct, Rebecca attempted to break free from the grip of the hand holding her and swim toward the surface. However, the more she struggled to ascend, the tighter the grip on her ankle became. Just as she thought she could use a wave to push the person below her underwater, a powerful force yanked her back into the deep water. Rebecca was so close to taking a breath. It was akin to almost reaching a piece of driftwood in the water when someone sta
Both the Johnson and Winston families sent a substantial number of people to aid in the search.Given the Winston family's strong hold on Riverwood, they had the required resources to bring in the personnel necessary for the search. Tillfort Peaks was, in fact, an investment project of the Winston family. Despite Benjamin's attempts to keep it confidential, little did he know that it had caught the eye of several people in Riverwood right from the start. However, when the project eventually went south, it slowly faded from public view. At first, numerous folks thought it would be a lucrative business, but it never progressed beyond the initial planning phase, and they ended up completely deserting the construction site. As for Daniel, even though he had known about the project from the beginning, he hadn't initially placed much importance on it.The concept of constructing a mountain retreat at an altitude of over a thousand meters made sense, but the mountain roads were unde
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Rebecca felt disoriented and lost. She felt as if she were being jostled by the water, experiencing a rough and turbulent ride that made her reluctant to open her eyes.Time had lost meaning during this ordeal, but eventually, the disorienting motion finally came to a halt. She could finally catch her breath, curling up in a corner where she was no longer at the water's mercy. However, there was a presence beside her, guiding her to a more comfortable position and offering sips of water. Gradually, she stopped resisting and, driven by her primal instinct to survive, sipped the provided water. Weariness overtook her, and she drifted into a deep slumber. As Rebecca’s consciousness gradually returned, she awoke to a mesmerizing scene.The morning sun painted the sky in shades of crimson, casting its vibrant hues across the sprawling horizon. Rebecca was captivated by the view, though she had seen many sunrises, never had she witnessed one i
When Rebecca returned to the cave, David, who was lying on the ground was slowly regaining consciousness.He was burning up all over, and every slight movement seemed like torture. Hearing the commotion at the cave entrance, David slowly shifted his gaze, tightening his grip on the knife in his hand. When he saw who it was, he closed his eyes and unknowingly breathed a sigh of relief. "You fled, and now you've got the nerve to return? Is it because you couldn't find your way, or do you have a screw loose in your head?" David leaned against the rock wall, squinting at Rebecca. Rebecca paid no attention to him. She then walked over to spread the coat she had used as a blanket all night. After that, she placed the chestnuts and persimmons she had gathered on top. There were also two wild fruits she had spotted on the way back. The birds had pecked clean the other fruit on the trees, leaving only these two for her to pluck. "Where did you fetch water last night? I'll go get