Briana Bond POV:
A debt of gratitude. His words, sharp and cold, echoed the truth I had always lived by. My parents, heroic firefighters, had died in a blazing inferno years ago, saving his family, the Paynes. They had perished, leaving me an orphan, utterly alone in the world. After their death, my greedy relatives had swooped in like vultures, tearing apart what little my parents had left, leaving me with nothing but a hollow ache in my chest.
It was Emmanuel Robbins, Gabriel' s wise old mentor and a dear friend of my father, who took pity on me. He took me in, brought me into the Payne household, a world of unimaginable wealth and privilege. To ensure my security, to protect me from further exploitation, he arranged my engagement to Gabriel. It was a formal arrangement, a shield.
And so, Gabriel and I became a unit, entwined by a sense of duty and the silent weight of a life debt. He was the golden boy, the brilliant CEO, adored by everyone. I was the quiet, often overlooked girl, constantly reminded of the chasm between us. I had spent years trying to bridge that gap, desperately clinging to him. I had cried, I had thrown tantrums, I had even threatened to leave, all to get his attention, to make him see me. I had chased away every woman who dared to get close, earning myself a reputation as a possessive, clingy nightmare. My social media was a shrine to him, a constant proclamation of our supposed love. Anything to feel like I belonged. Anything to make him truly mine.
But now, looking up at him, his face a mask of anger and disgust, I was done. The fight had drained out of me, replaced by a profound, chilling emptiness. I simply nodded, my gaze fixed on the dirty floor of the helicopter.
Gabriel paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He must have expected a fight, tears, a desperate plea. He was used to my dramatics. He was used to me screaming and clinging, demanding his attention.
His anger seemed to deflate slightly, replaced by a strange, unsettling confusion. He narrowed his eyes, searching my face. "You're not going to fight me on this?" he asked, his voice softer, almost a challenge. "No tears? No threats?" He was giving me an out, a chance to play the role he expected. He was still waiting for the old Briana.
But the old Briana was gone, buried somewhere in the frozen wasteland I had just escaped.
I cut him off before he could finish. "There's nothing to fight for, Gabriel," I said, my voice barely a whisper, yet steady. A faint, sad smile touched my lips. "I understand. I won't be the bride at that wedding." My gaze drifted to the snowy peaks outside. In a few days, I'll forget everything. I'll start fresh.
The rescue workers finished securing me to the stretcher. My leg. They finally peeled back the layers of makeshift bandages and frozen fabric. "Severe frostbite," one of them muttered, his voice grim. "And… good God."
My leg. It was a raw, festering wound where the tree branch had pierced through. The bone beneath was a sickening shade of purple, visible through the torn flesh. I remembered the agonizing trek through the deep snow, the constant fear of the wild beasts whose howls had been my lullaby. I couldn't stop, couldn't rest. I had to keep moving, or they would find me. And then I fell. The branch. The agonizing, blinding pain. The blood, hot at first, then chillingly cold, painting the snow a vibrant, terrifying red. I had thought that was the end. That I would bleed out and die in that desolate wilderness.
The bitter irony was that the blood trail, my very demise, was what eventually led them to me. The wound was a gaping maw, raw and infected, a testament to the brutal days and nights.
Gabriel stiffened, his eyes wide with a fleeting horror as he glanced at my leg. A flicker of something, fear? Concern? It crossed his face before hardening again. "How bad is it?" he demanded of the medic, his voice tight.
The medic shook his head slowly. "It's… extensive. We won't know the full extent until we get her to a proper hospital. Infection is a serious concern."
"Does it hurt?" Gabriel asked me directly, his voice surprisingly gentle. He reached out, his fingers brushing against my numb hand, a warmth I hadn't felt in days.
Just then, a soft, pathetic whimper escaped Candace. "Oh, my arm," she murmured, clutching her bandaged shoulder. "It's just throbbing so badly."
Gabriel's hand dropped my numb fingers as if I were fire. His attention snapped back to Candace, his face etched with immediate concern. He pulled her gently into his embrace, his brow furrowed with worry.
"It's nothing, Gabriel," she whispered, her voice laced with a brave, suffering tone, though no tears actually fell. "You should focus on Briana. She needs you more."
He sighed, a deep, exasperated sound, but his gaze remained fixed on Candace. He gently massaged her shoulder, his touch light and tender. He didn't spare me another glance. He didn't even see the fresh tears freezing on my cheeks.
He picked Candace up, cradling her gently in his arms, and carried her towards the waiting helicopter. I watched him go, a fresh wave of despair washing over me. The stretcher I was on jostled, nearly sending me tumbling. My hand scraped against the metal, a fresh sting, a thin line of blood blooming on my palm. It wasn't the cold, or the hunger, or the injured leg that brought the true pain. It was this. This utter, complete abandonment.
