Left for Dead Came Back for Everything novel Chapter 1

After the distress call went out, Eliza Shaw never expected he would be the one to show up.

Zander Roth.

Her childhood friend and ex-husband of five years.

A sudden pang struck Eliza's heart, an overwhelming wave of bitterness washing over her.

"Give me your hand."

The moment he saw her, Zander's gaze faltered, but the emotion quickly vanished behind his usual cold facade.

He reached out, pulling her from the trapped elevator. "How long were you stuck?"

"An hour." Eliza offered a polite, distant smile, maintaining her composure. "My phone only got a signal fifteen minutes ago. I didn't expect you to be the firefighter responding."

Zander nodded, his dark eyes dropping downward.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "How is your leg?"

Eliza fought back the tears threatening to blur her vision and stayed silent.

Ever since the earthquake three years ago, her left leg had never fully recovered.

The quake had struck without warning, burying Eliza beneath the collapsing building before she could even react.

She had trembled uncontrollably, her entire body feeling as though every bone had shattered, completely numb and disconnected.

Her left leg, in particular, had been completely crushed.

Tasting blood in the back of her throat, her vision had gone black as she passed out.

When she finally opened her eyes, Yvonne Vance, who was trapped nearby, suddenly screamed.

"Zander, I'm over here! Help me!"

Hearing her voice, Zander had sprinted over.

The color had drained completely from his face, his usually stoic expression twisting in panic.

A crew member behind him had yelled, "Boss, we're out of time! The experts say another aftershock is hitting in fifteen minutes. We can only save one!"

Thinking back on it, Eliza suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

She suppressed the bitter smile. "Thanks. I'll be sure to send a thank-you basket to your station."

But before she could take two steps, a strong hand roughly pulled her back.

Eliza stumbled, finding herself pinned between the wall and Zander.

The veins in Zander's hand bulged, though his tone remained as detached as ever. "Why did you leave without a word three years ago? Where have you been? Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?"

Eliza let out a hollow laugh. "Shouldn't you know better than anyone?"

Zander's brow furrowed, his gaze darkening.

"I've explained this a million times."

"It was a critical situation, and we could only save one person. Yvonne has always been frail, and her condition was far more severe than yours. I had no choice but to get her out first."

"Besides, Yvonne is like a sister to me. I couldn't just abandon her."