?Chapter 2343


    Xavier frowned and was extremely worried. "We''ve been yelling for Ms. Thompson this whole time, but with so many people shouting, she should have heard us if she was anywhere close by!"


    Justin''s voice was low and steady. "The wind is howling, and the snow is muffling and scattering the sound. Be might not be able to hear us."


    The name slipped from his mouth without him even realizing it.


    "I''m afraid Ms. Thompson might have passed out, fallen somewhere, or lost consciousness. If that''s the case... It''s not looking good. In this kind of cold, she could freeze to death!"


    The people around them exchanged uneasy nces, their hearts heavy.


    Xavier was not being overly negative. The harsh reality was that Mount Jaglee imed one or two lives every year. Given the unpredictable dangers in the mountains, anything was possible.


    "We''ll split up to search." Justin gazed into the pitch-ck forest, his chest tight with terror and unease. His trembling voice carried his unwavering resolve. "If I can''t find her, I will never leave."


    Xavier hesitated. "But if..."


    "If she''s gone, I''ll stay here with her. I''ll keep my word." Justin turned and disappeared into the night, separating from the group without hesitation.


    Xavier watched as his figure faded into the dense darkness, letting out a heavy sigh. "They say the rich and powerful breed hopeless romantics. I can''t argue with that."


    As Justin trudged through the relentless snow, his mind raced.


    Be had used her hard-earned favor with him to ask for one thing to go hiking with her.


    It could not have been just a simple hike.


    Perhaps she wanted to relive their past together.


    If he were Be, alone in the mountains, where would he go?


    Justin''s heart pounded as he forced himself to remain alert. Step by step, he pushed forward until he arrived at the cave where they had once taken shelter from andslide years ago.


    The empty cave greeted him with silence, yet vivid memories of their near-death experience flooded his mind. --"If the heavens won''t protect you, then I will."


    That solemn promise he had made to Be still lingered, unforgettable in his mind.


    With a thud, he felt his vision spin as he copsed to his knees, his body finally reaching its limit. "Be... I must find you..."


    Lying in the snow, Justin clenched a handful of icy dirt. Over and over, he struggled to rise despite the searing pain coursing through him. "I will find you!"


    The temperature had dropped drastically, the cold biting and ruthless.


    Be was curled up behind a boulder, her body nearly buried under a thickyer of snow. A passerby would have easily missed the signs of life hidden beneath the frozen shroud.


    With her eyes tightly shut and her lips a chilling purple hue, Be was deep in the clutches of hypothermia, her consciousness fading awayAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Before long, her body would bepletely frozen, inching closer to the brink of death.


    In her hazy state, Be''s mind drifted back to happy memories of her warm, loving childhood.


    The biting cold no longer felt so harsh. Instead, she experienced aforting sense of warmth.


    Herte mother appeared in her mind, wrapping Be in a loving, reassuring hug.


    "Don''t be scared, my sweet Be." Her mother whispered gently, stroking her hair. "Mommy''s here. You''ve worked so hard. Rest now, my love. I''ll watch over you..."


    "Mom..." Be''s tearful voice was faint, barely audible. "I''m so tired, Mom... Justin doesn''t want me anymore. I can''t keep going... Mom, please take me with you... Please, Mom..."


    As her consciousness teetered on the brink, a faint, familiar voice suddenly cut through the void, calling out to her. "Be!"


    ''Was that... Justin?" Be''s body jolted as if struck by lightning.


    She opened her eyes, seeing the hazy, shadowy figure before her.


    Her mother''s voice echoed in her ears once again. "Be, Justin has already abandoned you. He doesn''t care about you. Why would hee for you? Rest now, darling. Sleep... Just sleep..."


    A bitter smile surfaced on Be''s lips as despair washed over her. ''Right, how could it possibly be Justin?''


    She no longer held even the faintest hope for that man.


    Yet, in the next moment, Be felt a pair of strong hands gripping her shoulders, the pressure of his fingers digging into her flesh as if reaching into her very soul.


    Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Justin''s intense gaze piercing through the darkness, bright as the stars and


    sun.