“Besides, we can call the police. We have the license plate and the location. If we report it now, they’ll be here soon,” Victoria said, her voice thick with urgency.
But Edmund seemed deaf to her words, his grip on the steering wheel white-knuckled, his lips trembling as he muttered under his breath.
“Isabella… I will never let anything happen to you, Isabella…”
Victoria’s heart sank. She felt like an invisible bystander, watching as a grand love story unfolded before her, one where she was nothing more than a shadow, a mere afterthought.
Tears threatened to spill, but she forced them back, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.
Suddenly, Edmund yanked the wheel with a roar and all she could see was a blinding flash of white, followed by a gut-wrenching crash.
The violent collision reverberated through the mountains like a thunderclap.
When Victoria’s vision cleared, everything around her was bathed in red. Her hand instinctively went to her forehead, her fingers brushing against the warm, sticky liquid that trailed down her face. Her arm was pinned between the seats and she winced in pain as she noticed the jagged, bloodied split of her ring finger.
Somehow, she was still alive. Miraculously, the car carrying Isabella had slammed on the brakes just in time.
Victoria couldn’t help but admit that luxury cars had impeccable braking systems.
Victoria couldn’t help but wonder if her brain had been knocked loose in the crash. The pain in her head was unbearable as if everything inside her had shifted.
Edmund, too, was badly injured, blood dripping from a long gash on his cheek.
Still, he stubbornly shoved the door open, struggling to stand.
Only one streetlight flickered dimly on the lonely mountain road, casting long shadows over the wrecked cars.
By the time Edmund staggered out, Isabella was already there, rushing toward him with desperate relief.
“Edmund! You came! Finally!” Her voice quivered with fear.
“I was so scared… so terrified! I thought I might lose you…”
Despite being practically unscathed, Isabella's tears flowed like a river, louder and more frantic than anyone else’s.
Edmund pulled her into his arms, his voice a tender, reassuring whisper.
“It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe now. No one will hurt you.”
Trailing behind her, a young man with a mixed background limped forward, visibly injured with scrapes on his face and legs.
His face twisted with fury as he watched the pair in a tight embrace.
“Isabella, have you lost your mind?” he demanded, his tone seething with anger.
Tears streamed down Isabella’s face as she wiped her eyes furiously, her voice shaking with defiance.
“We’re done! Even if I die, I’ll never go with you!”
Edmund straightened, his back stiff with resolve and shielded her behind him.
“As long as I’m here, you’ll never take her away!”
The man’s glare turned cold, his eyes burning into Isabella.
“Are you sure you want to be with him?”
