Chapter 2337
Dusk was setting in.
A layer of snow had covered Bella's black hair, giving it a silvery look as she stood alone at the foot of the tall mountain, looking small, fragile, and sad.
"Ms. Thompson, it's snowing now, and the forecast says there'll be heavy snowfall tonight," Xavier said as he approached her.
He saw Bella's face was flushed from the cold with dull, lifeless eyes. Realizing something, a pang of sorrow tugged at him. "It's already this late. I think Mr. Salvador might have had an emergency, so he probably won't be coming,"
Bella whispered, gazing into the pitch-black distance, "Why didn't he let me know?"
Her voice held a faint strain, tinged with a hint of disappointment.
Xavier slapped his forehead. "Oh! Maybe he tried to contact you, but you didn't receive the message. Sometimes, there is no signal here at the base of the mountain, so you might have missed it! Why don't you come to my office? There is signal there."
"Even if something urgent came up, how could he not come as promised?" Bella's eyes turned red as she exhaled a cloud of white mist, her vision blurred by the tears in her eyes. How could he do this? We made a promise..."
04
"It's just a hike. If you can't go today, you can always reschedule. There's always time." Xavier forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "Besides, the weather isn't good today; it's not suitable for hiking. When the weather's better, you two can meet up again. It'll be much nicer. It's freezing out here; you should head back."
But before he could finish, Bella took a deep breath and stepped toward the entrance of Mount Jaglee.
"Ms. Thompson, if you insist on going up the mountain, then I'll go with you!" Xavier called out worriedly.
"No need!" Bella turned back, her eyes glistening in the snowy night. "Did you forget? My nickname is The Mountain Goddess!"
But it was a pity that there was no longer a Mountain God to protect her.
Justin had broken his promise, but Bella never would.
She would fulfill their agreement, alone.
Three hours later, Justin and Ian arrived in Fogville.
Justin hurriedly went to the location Clarice had specified a presidential suite in a five-star hotel.
The two men entered, one after the other.
The luxurious, empty room was quiet, with only Clarice seated on the sofa, leisurely sipping tea, without a trace of the urgency she had conveyed over the phone.
Just the sight of this woman made lan inexplicably angry. The glare he shot her could have cut through steel. She was the type of woman he could not stand. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
"Young Master Justin, you came quickly." Clarice set down her teacup and slowly stood up." It's clear how important the Little Dove is to you. For her sake, you stood up Ms. Thompson. It shows just how much more she means to you than Ms. Thompson, doesn't it?"
Justin's breaths were labored, his chest heaving as he asked hoarsely, "Where is Little Dove?"
"She's no longer in Fogville." Clarice's smile held no warmth as she looked at him.
His pupils contracted sharply. "Not here?"
"She left for Savrow," Clarice said nonchalantly, as though it were of no consequence. "Just an hour ago."
Ian's face flushed with fury. "Back to Savrow?! Didn't you say she was from Fogville?!"
"I never said that. I only said she appeared in Fogville. In fact, she's from Savrow and might have just happened to show up here"
lan clenched his teeth, barely holding back a curse. "You... Damn it!"
Justin's fingers curled into a fist, veins bulging as he strode toward Clarice, the dim light casting shadows over his towering form.
Their gazes met.
In his eyes burned a seething, molten rage, capable of devouring everything in its path.
He grabbed her collar with such force that she was nearly lifted off the ground. His voice dropped, heavy with menace. "Are you messing with me?!"Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.