The Abandoned Wife Dumped Him First (Victoria and Elias) novel Chapter 113

It was pouring with thunder and lightning outside.

Hawk knocked and entered the room. "Mr. Shawn, the rescue team says there are multiple landslides, and with the rain still falling, it's too risky to go in on foot. They might trigger another slide. The best option is a helicopter."

"How long until the helicopter gets here?"

Hawk thought for a moment. "At least two more hours. And... even when it arrives, the terrain inside the valley will make it very difficult to land."

A strange stillness filled the air.

Elias stared out the window at the rain, his eyes darkening. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He had always considered himself cold-hearted, especially when it came to the lives of others; he simply didn't care.

So when he first heard Sunny's request, he had merely delegated the task to Hawk.

But he never expected it to be Victoria.

In that instant, he seemed to finally understand the source of his panic. He was actually worried about her safety...

An image of the little stray cat that liked to curl up by his desk flashed through his mind.

He kept telling himself it wasn't really about her at all. He just hadn't planned on getting rid of that ungrateful little stray. If she died, there would be no one left to feed it.

Yes, that was it.

Unable to make sense of his feelings, Elias settled on a completely illogical reason to explain them. His eyes narrowed slightly. He picked up his car keys and gave a cold command. "Get a final count of the injured workers and arrange treatment for each one. Also, dismiss the chief engineer and have the legal department prepare to press charges."

"Yes, sir."

Hawk nodded. When he looked up again, Elias had already strode out, opened the driver's side door, and gotten into the car, heading in the direction of Zone F.

Was Mr. Shawn going in alone?!

By the time Hawk realized what was happening, the car was already some distance away.

-

The mountain path was treacherous.

Mr. Jenkins led the way, with the elderly and children following close behind. The few remaining young people from the village brought up the rear, protecting the group.

Victoria and Daisy were also at the back, trailing some distance behind the main party, their pace slow.

"Miss Sanger, do you need to rest?" Daisy asked, holding Victoria's hand and looking up at her.

"I'm fine. I can keep going. We'll rest after we get a little higher," Victoria said, using her free hand to pat Daisy's head. Her fingertips brushed against dried mud on the girl's forehead, and she gently wiped it away.

Daisy glanced down at Victoria's ankle, her voice filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Miss Sanger. It's all my fault you got hurt."

Daisy had been repeating that phrase ever since they started up the mountain.

Victoria shook her head and turned to Daisy. "Daisy, why don't you go with Mr. Jenkins and check on your grandmother? She must be worried sick not seeing you all this time."

Daisy looked at her, concerned. "But Miss Sanger, you..."

"I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere." Victoria thought to herself that even if she wanted to go somewhere, she probably couldn't in her current state.

Daisy was indeed worried about her grandmother. After a moment of internal struggle, she reluctantly followed Mr. Jenkins, looking back every few steps. Once Daisy was out of sight, Victoria leaned against the hut wall and took out her phone.

The screen lit up with a faint glow. In the top right corner, a single bar of signal flickered in and out of existence.

There was a signal here!

She hadn't been able to call Sunny to let her know she was safe. Knowing Sunny, she was probably frantic.

As she opened her contacts, the signal bar vanished again.

Victoria frowned and held the phone up higher. The weak signal bar reappeared, still flickering unsteadily.

Her phone had been on for a day and a night, and the battery was almost dead. She had to tell Sunny her situation quickly so she could contact a rescue team.

Pushing herself up against the wall, Victoria slowly stood and limped outside.

She had to find a higher spot, where the signal was more stable.