The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 146

Closing my eyes, I listened to Ferris tenderly comforting her as hot tears slid silently down my cheeks. My heart shattered into a million pieces, the pain mirroring the crisp, continuous crunch of a snowboard carving through fresh powder.

The terrifying sound of the safety netting pulling loose snapped my attention back. I slowly retracted my hand, resigning my fading consciousness to the freezing, suffocating darkness.

I thought to myself, so be it.

Just as I braced for the barrier to give way and plunge me down the cliff, a strong hand locked onto my arm in a death grip. A voice roared near my ear, "Don't be afraid, Selena! Grab onto me!"

I snapped my eyes open and was instantly met with Leon's terrified, desperate face.

In the moments my consciousness had slipped, he had thrown his entire body weight onto the ice, dragging me back from the edge of the sheer drop.

Right before I blacked out entirely, I faintly heard the young woman's faux-worried voice: "Oh no, I think Selena got hurt too!"

When I finally woke up, I was lying inside the resort's medical station.

The first thing I heard was Leon furiously breaking down the incident: "They were the only two people on that stretch of the trail. If Selena got into an accident, how could Dr. Zeller possibly not know what happened?"

The young woman replied with a timid, trembling voice, "I really don't remember... I just remember gliding over the moguls perfectly fine, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, I was bumped. By the time Ferris found me, I was already lying in the snow..."

Bumped?

Hearing her spin that narrative, it felt completely wrong.

The man's eyes were blazing with barely suppressed rage.

He was furious at Leon.

I refused to let Leon get dragged into this mess on my account. Taking a deep breath, I spoke up, "If we want to know what caused the accident, we just need the manager to pull the security footage."

As soon as I spoke, every eye in the room darted toward me. Zoey looked absolutely stunned, so panicked she actually forgot to keep crying. After a few seconds, she whispered defensively, "So... you also think I crashed into you, Selena?"

I stared her down and said flatly, "I just don't want anyone to be falsely accused. Checking the cameras is the fairest way to settle this."

Before I even finished my sentence, Ferris's jaw tightened. Half of his face was cast in dark shadow as he lowered his voice dangerously, "By demanding that, Dr. Hayes, have you forgotten the entire purpose of this joint retreat?"