Chapter 258

Torrential rain, shattered rocks, thick mud, dense smoke.

These were the last images Evadne saw before her consciousness sl*pped away, almost in despair.

But with her last bit of strength, just before disaster struck, she pushed the climber to safety.

Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she wanted her to survive.

If she wasn’t prepared for the danger, she didn’t deserve to be in that outfit and show up in that place. She wasn’t afraid to die. As long as her death had meaning, her journey through this tumultuous world wouldn’t be in vain.

She wasn’t always this brave. Even the thought of death or the memory of her father and her stepmothers taking her for a vaccination would make her cry and cause a fuss. She was just a little girl with a flair for the dramatic.

But then at eleven, she met him here.

His bravery, his resilience, his eyes that guided her like a lighthouse in the deep sea, his willingness to live and die with her despite their fleeting encounter, deeply moved her soul.

She realized for the first time that a person could live this way, burning and blooming for themselves.

Even after she married him and even after he hurt her, she had to admit that.

Thaddeus changed her. He changed her life.

Time passed, stars shifted.

Everything happened so fast, like an avalanche!

Evadne had a long and surreal dream during her brief unconsciousness.

She dreamed of playing under her parents‘ knees, her brothers celebrating her birthday with her.

Cassius hoisted her atop a pile of gift boxes, Arnold sang a slightly off–key Happy Birthday, Bennett held the birthday cake as they blew out the candles together, and Elvis gave her the toy gun she had always wanted.

And Thaddeus.

She remembered fighting alongside him on the battlefield, their lives hanging in the balance.

She remembered the first time she saw him again at her grandfather’s side and how she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

She remembered Thaddeus pushing the divorce papers towards her, forcing her to leave with his cold and resolute demeanor.

Suddenly, a piercing pain erupted from her heart, spreading throughout her entire b*dy.

Evadne woke up with a start, gasping for breath as if she had been drowning. Hot sweat and cold rain alternated, making her shiver uncontrollably. “I’m still alive? I’m still alive!”

Overwhelmed with joy, she closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face.

If it wasn’t for the dream about that bastard, if it wasn’t for the memory of the hurt he caused her, she might have died unknowingly and confusedly!

But as soon as she woke up, Evadne was nearly scared out of her wits!

She found herself washed up somewhere by the mud, lying on a hillside!

Her backpack was hanging on a not–so–thick branch, her b*dy was half–buried in the mud, and she was almost buried alive!

“Damn! Bad luck, bad luck!”

Evadne took deep breaths to calm herself down, biting down on her teeth, “I can’t die. I absolutely can’t die! What would happen to Emeric if I die? What about my brothers?” Since God gave her a chance to live, it meant that her life wasn’t meant to end! Her fate was in her hands!

Crack!

The branch above her head made a heart–stopping noise!

Evadne didn’t dare to speak. She didn’t even dare to breathe, fearing that if she took one more breath, the branch would break!

She struggled to dig herself out of the mud with her hands, then found two rocks she could use to climb, and quickly fl*pped around!

The moment she jumped onto the rocks, the branch above her head broke.

Then, it fell into the deep cliff and disappeared.

Evadne’s trembling heart was about to jump out of her throat!

But she had no time to be scared. She could only try her best to climb upward!

At this moment, night had fallen and the storm was raging.

The cold rain hit her eyes, blurring her vision, and her hands were red from the cold, almost losing all sensation.

The only thing that kept her climbing was her strong will and desire to survive.

Evadne’s biological mother passed away early, and she was raised by her three stepmothers. When she was young, Aviana often accompanied her to box, ride horses, and shoot arrows. Climbing became a shared hobby.

Thanks to this hobby, it was proving to be very useful now!

Just as Evadne was about to reach the top of the mountain, a strong vibration came from below, followed by a rumbling sound.

Numerous tiny pebbles started to roll down, another landslide was coming!

God, you’re not fair! I do so many good deeds, donate so much money and accumulate so much virtue every year, and this is how you repay me?”

Suddenly, the rock under Evadne’s foot fell, and she was suspended In mid–air, all support gone!

“No! Help!”

She opened her eyes wide in horror, a sense of despair overwhelming her!

A misstep on the edge of the cliff, and what awaited her was a hopeless situation, a certain death!

A tear of unwillingness sl*pped from the corner of Evadne’s eye, and she closed her eyes in resignation. “Evadne!”

In the next moment, a pair of rough hands suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back from the brink of death. Feeling her fall suddenly stop, Evadne slowly opened her eyes.

When she met Thaddeus‘ eyes, as bright as the stars, her heartbeat and breath seemed to pause simultaneously.

“Thaddeus?”

Was it a dream? A hallucination?

Her heart pounded uncontrollably against her ribcage!

“Don’t be scared! I’m here!”

Thaddeus‘ deep gaze fell on her pale face. Fear, panic, joy, heartache, all emotions mixed together, capturing his beating heart.

Sweat was pouring down his face, his left hand clinging to the muddy ground, his right hand holding hers, his knuckles white and trembling slightly.

He felt his b*dy sinking, sliding downwards, knowing that the danger was not over.

There was a very real possibility that they would both die!

“Thaddeus!”

Evadne muttered his name, tears streaming down her pale face unconsciously, “I don’t want to die.”

She had been strong all along, climbing to this point, pushing past her own limits.

But the moment she saw Thaddeus, she felt the hard shell around her heart shatter.

Seeing the fearless girl crying. Thaddeus‘ eyes darkened with pain, as if all his blood was rushing towards Evadne.

“You’ll have plenty of time to cry later, now give me all your strength and climb up!”

Evadne took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and hauled herself up the mountainside with all the strength she could muster, Thaddeus in tow.

“Hurry! This is going to collapse too!” Thaddeus bellowed at her, his voice laced with urgency.

“I know! I’m going as fast as I can!” Evadne retorted, her eyes brimming with tears.

Thaddeus frowned.

She still looked just as terrified as she had been moments ago, only now, even more endearing.

Just then, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating Evadne’s face.

A sudden, sharp pain hit Thaddeus‘ head!

Through blurred vision, Evadne seemed to transform into a young girl of about eleven or twelve.

A familiar yet strange voice echoed in his mind.

“Little girl, what’s your name?”

“Can’t you tell me? Then I’ll call you Ilana. tiny b*dy, small mouth and small nose.”

Thaddeus was taken aback. His eyes widened in shock, his ears filled with a buzzing sound!

Long–buried memories began to surge in his mind, like a tumultuous sea, bringing tears to his eyes.

Ilana. Ilana!

So she was the girl he had saved all those years ago, the one who had narrowly escaped death right here!

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