Gabrielle heaved a sigh of relief. Lance did as well.
Lance asked the driver to pull over under a lush tree. He turned the lights off and told the driver to contact the car behind.
Lance handed Gabrielle a bottle of water. "Are you frightened? Drink some water and take a few deep breaths. We'll leave when the people behind us get here."
"Thank you. I'm fine," Gabrielle assured. She drank every last drop of the water Lance gave her. It helped calm her down.
Never in her life had she experienced such danger. Adrenaline rushed into her veins. Gabrielle was rendered speechless.
"I'm sorry, Gabrielle. It's all my fault. I didn't mean for you to get into this situation. You didn't have to suffer through this," Lance apologized. He was worried about her.
He felt guilty for frightening Gabrielle.
"It's okay. It excites me. I'm actually happy for this new experience," Gabrielle comforted him. The corners of her lips lifted up with a smile.
"I hope you really are fine. I wouldn't feel better unless you're okay." Hearing her assurance put Lance's heart to rest.
"Are we going into the forest or we just passing through?" Gabrielle asked to shift the topic.
Gabrielle had no idea how the people behind them were doing. She would definitely blame herself if someone was shot or injured.
"We're going deep into the forest. There are secret houses there that a lot of people don't know about," Lance replied. There was calmness in his voice.
Gabrielle felt the mystery surge. She did not ask any more questions. After all, Lance was here with her and they had narrowly escaped death. There was nothing more to be afraid of.
The Lance in front of her now was not the person she knew. He was quite different. His business in Thailand also smelled fishy. It wasn't a surprise that he would come across gangs and whatnot.
Not long after, three jeeps arrived behind them. Gabrielle was curious and wanted to see them but Lance pulled her into the car.
"Lance, I want to know if they're injured."
"Gabrielle, that's none of your business. All you need to do is to protect yourself. I hired them because they're strong. Much stronger than you are. They can deal with it. Don't worry about them." After his lecture, Lance told the driver to go.
It wasn't easy driving through the pits. The road leading to the heart of the forest was riddled with mud.
On top of that, in a span of just half an hour, they passed by three entrances, all guarded by armed men. With Lance's influence, they let them pass through without much hassle.
Gabrielle chose not to look into it.
After all, today's events took her by surprise. She felt like the Lance that she believed to be her cousin was a fraud.
Finally, after over an hour of driving through the mountain, their view broadened. A number of street lights came into view.
It looked very much like a small village from afar. Its unique location in the depths of the dense forest made it feel magical.
It was Gabrielle's first time to witness this view.
Some villages looked impoverished. However, this town seemed high-end.
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