He Waited She Wilted (Ottilie and Yorath) novel Chapter 147

"That girl your grandfather picked out for you came in for a physical the other day," Elian continued. "I checked her file. Beautiful, highly educated, an only child. Her family needs someone ruthless and capable to marry in and take over her father's position. They love you. Her mom even asked my mom about your intentions recently."

"Honestly, if Ottilie wants to run, let her. You have to get married within the next two years anyway. Keeping her around is just asking for chaos. Let her go, secure your marriage, and when she eventually brings the kid back, she'll back down for the child's sake."

Yorath snapped the book in his hands shut and gave a sharp hand gesture, signaling Elian to get out.

Ottilie arrived at the Patagonian Wilds.

First by private car, then by bus, then by a rundown van.

Finally, she was brought into the mountains on horseback.

It took an entire day of travel just to reach the crew's base camp.

Each contestant was assigned a safety officer and a personal cameraman.

They were given a GPS tracker, a compass, and a single machete.

Nothing else was allowed on the mountain.

The challenge was slated for one month. If they couldn't take it, they could radio the director to pull them out.

Cell service was non-existent. All communication was done via the safety officers' radios.

The director brought a man with a heavily scarred face over to her.

"Ms. Sewell, this is Fabian. He'll be your cameraman."

Ottilie nodded at him. "Fabian? Weren't you a floor manager? Since when are you a cameraman?"

This was Fabian, the floor manager Yorath had previously tracked down to serve as a witness for her comeback in the industry.

He had been horribly disfigured in that massive set fire.

Now, his face was terrifying to look at, and the burns on his scalp meant his hair would never grow back.

Fabian bowed slightly, his attitude incredibly humble.

"Hello, Ms. Sewell. I actually majored in cinematography in college, but things happened, and I never got to work in the field. After the accident, it was hard to find a job looking like this, so I just did independent media from home. A friend recommended me for this gig. I thought I'd be filming a nobody, I never expected to be assigned to you. If my appearance makes you uncomfortable, I can switch with someone else."

"You're perfectly fine. No need to switch. I'll be in your care for the next month."

As Ottilie's crew trekked into the mountains, Shawn arrived at their previous base camp with a completely different entourage.

Heath Schmidt sat in his wheelchair, flanked by a squad of massive, heavily armed bodyguards.

They were completely decked out in tactical mountain gear.

Shawn held a map, crouching on the ground to inspect the trail.

"Mr. Heath, Fabian's tracker has a strong signal. He'll lead her right to the designated drop zone. If we take this shortcut, we'll beat them there. Once she loses contact with the crew, she's just a helpless little girl. Whatever you want to do with her is entirely up to you."

Heath stood up from his wheelchair. Both of his legs had been amputated.

He was wearing high-tech prosthetics that allowed him to walk.

But the friction hurt, so he mostly stuck to the chair.

He stared up at the endless expanse of the primordial forest, a twisted, venomous smile curling his lips. His delicate features contorted as pure, unadulterated hatred seeped from his bones.

"My dearest Tilly... You belong to me for the next thirty days. I wonder, when I tear you apart, will you cry for me? I simply can't wait."