[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603134E5B19-37":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},37,19,"Chapter 19: A Sudden Turn on the Mountain Road","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine nodded, asking when they'd continue.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Tomorrow. We need to chill for now; it's too late to be tackling those mountain roads.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Suddenly, a deafening roar ripped through the distance, like an explosion or a massive collapse.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The pair scrambled back into the car, windows rolled up tight, and stayed down until the racket died down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The moment they sat up, a crowd of people surrounded the vehicle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Instant cold sweat. In the middle of nowhere, at night, these dudes clearly weren't here to hand out candy.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What's the play?\" Celine whispered, a knot in her stomach.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't sweat it. We dip.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante couldn't swerve in time. The car veered off the road, tumbling down the mountainside.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the car plunged, Dante wrenched the steering wheel hard to the right.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He thought, Celine can't die. He hadn't told her yet that he… he was catching feelings.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">On the mountain.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yo? All done?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A man in a sharp military uniform was on the phone, the insignia on his epaulets glinting.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Whatever he heard on the other end, his stern expression melted away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Good. Nice work. You can head back now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He hung up, then redialed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The first thing Celine did upon waking was check on Dante.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They got lucky. The car hadn't gone over the cliff; trees had snagged it, wedging it between two trunks.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Since Dante's side was facing down, Celine, in the passenger seat, escaped severe injury. But his situation was rough.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine stared, speechless for a moment.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After a beat, she remembered her phone. Shattered screen, dead.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She unbuckled, gritting her teeth against the full-body ache, and leaned over to find Dante's phone wedged in the seat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thank god, it still worked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Slowly, she pushed her door open and headed for the trunk. Dante’s car was kitted out – food, water, a tent, a windbreaker.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Facing a night stranded on the mountain, she grabbed the food and retreated inside.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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…\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She couldn't finish the thought.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her only hope was a quick rescue. In their current state, neither of them would make it otherwise.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine’s eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted into a deep sleep.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When she woke again, she was in a hospital.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A white ceiling. An IV bag.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She tried to sit up, but a pounding headache made her slump back onto the pillow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A nurse in the next room, changing a dressing, heard the commotion and came over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Whoa, take it easy. You're in no shape to move; you need to stay put.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing her attempt to sit up, the nurse quickly stopped her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What about the other person they rescued with me? Is he okay?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine only remembered passing out, then nothing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante, beside her, had bled so much. She had no idea how he was doing.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272932412]