Dante shrugged. "No need to report for now. Just keep tabs on your own workload, jot down any issues and how you fixed 'em, and we'll debrief later."

Celine nodded, asking when they'd continue.

"Tomorrow. We need to chill for now; it's too late to be tackling those mountain roads."

Suddenly, a deafening roar ripped through the distance, like an explosion or a massive collapse.

The pair scrambled back into the car, windows rolled up tight, and stayed down until the racket died down.

The moment they sat up, a crowd of people surrounded the vehicle.

Instant cold sweat. In the middle of nowhere, at night, these dudes clearly weren't here to hand out candy.

"What's the play?" Celine whispered, a knot in her stomach.

"Don't sweat it. We dip."

Exchanging a look, Dante quietly slid the keys in and fired up the engine. Just as a crowbar swung their way, he floored it, aiming straight ahead.

But maybe the car had been messed with while they were hiding – the brakes were toast. Right then, a small car, headlights blazing, came barreling straight at them.

Dante couldn't swerve in time. The car veered off the road, tumbling down the mountainside.

In the split second their cars whizzed past, Dante got a clear look at the driver. A super familiar face. It was… Isabella's brother.

As the car plunged, Dante wrenched the steering wheel hard to the right.

He thought, Celine can't die. He hadn't told her yet that he… he was catching feelings.

On the mountain.

"Yo? All done?"

A man in a sharp military uniform was on the phone, the insignia on his epaulets glinting.

Whatever he heard on the other end, his stern expression melted away.

"Good. Nice work. You can head back now."

He hung up, then redialed.

The call connected. After a brief exchange, he replied, "Your son handled this like a pro. Solved a major headache for me. But for his safety, set him up to bounce abroad for a few days."

The first thing Celine did upon waking was check on Dante.

They got lucky. The car hadn't gone over the cliff; trees had snagged it, wedging it between two trunks.

Since Dante's side was facing down, Celine, in the passenger seat, escaped severe injury. But his situation was rough.

The airbag had been shredded by a branch and hadn't fully deployed. The window glass was a mosaic, showering Dante with shards. Blood streaked his head and body.

Celine stared, speechless for a moment.

After a beat, she remembered her phone. Shattered screen, dead.

She unbuckled, gritting her teeth against the full-body ache, and leaned over to find Dante's phone wedged in the seat.

Thank god, it still worked.

She dialed emergency services, giving them their rough location and the injured's status. But they were way up in the mountains; rescue could take forever. Dante was out cold. They couldn't just wait.

Slowly, she pushed her door open and headed for the trunk. Dante’s car was kitted out – food, water, a tent, a windbreaker.

She grabbed the essentials. Then, back to Dante. She carefully opened his door, checking his wounds. She reclined his seat, moved him back, unbuckled him, and swept away the glass. With a grunt, she positioned his legs and rested his head against the seat before closing the door.

She was winded and drenched in sweat by the time she finished. She then dragged several large, thorny branches to create a perimeter around the car.

Facing a night stranded on the mountain, she grabbed the food and retreated inside.

As dusk settled, she draped the windbreaker over Dante, hoping to keep him warm. He'd lost so much blood, unconscious… if he got too cold, he might…

She couldn't finish the thought.

Her only hope was a quick rescue. In their current state, neither of them would make it otherwise.

Celine’s eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, she was in a hospital.

A white ceiling. An IV bag.

She tried to sit up, but a pounding headache made her slump back onto the pillow.

A nurse in the next room, changing a dressing, heard the commotion and came over.

"Whoa, take it easy. You're in no shape to move; you need to stay put."

Seeing her attempt to sit up, the nurse quickly stopped her.

"What about the other person they rescued with me? Is he okay?"

Celine only remembered passing out, then nothing.

Dante, beside her, had bled so much. She had no idea how he was doing.