The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 228

It was Leon.

I instantly shouted back, "Leon! I'm in the elevator! It's jammed! Please, help me!"

"Don't panic, Selena, we're here! I'm getting you out right now!"

Hearing his voice so close, my heart pounded against my ribs. Just when I thought all hope was lost, a blinding white beam of light slashed through the darkness above me. I looked up in shock and met Leon's panicked gaze.

He hauled me up to safety with only eight seconds to spare.

Adrenaline and sheer terror coursed through my veins, making my entire body shake uncontrollably. Seeing this, Leon immediately stripped off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. In that instant, the tears I had been fighting so hard to hold back finally spilled over.

Leon stared at me in shock. He hesitated for barely a second before pulling me into a fierce, protective hug.

It felt like finding solid ground after walking on a razor-thin tightrope. Being wrapped in his arms instantly grounded me, giving me a sense of security I had never felt before.

"It's okay, you're safe now..." he whispered, gently rubbing my back to soothe me. "I've got you. It's over..."

It took a long time for the raw panic to finally subside. Once I could breathe normally again, Leon turned his furious glare onto the maintenance crew. "I don't care what you have to do, but you will give me an explanation for this sabotage tonight!"

Then, he turned back to me, his voice softening instantly. "I'm taking you home right now."

I thought about the Summit still going on inside. Leaving early would look incredibly unprofessional, both for Capital General and for my own career. "Let's just wait until the summit is over," I insisted softly.

Leon looked at me with a helpless sigh. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Fine. But the second you feel uncomfortable, we walk out."

The girl looked up at Ferris with blatant adoration, leaning slightly closer to him before turning her gaze to Leon and me. "Selena, Dr. Lennox, you two were gone for so long. It's such a shame you missed Ferris's speech," she said, faking a pout of disappointment.

The memory of the elevator flashed in my mind—that metal coffin groaning like a dying beast, the flickering emergency lights reflecting my own terrified, sweat-drenched face in the mirrors. I subconsciously clenched my fists.

The sickening crack of the brakes failing and the cab dropping into the void still echoed in my ears like the snap of the Grim Reaper's fingers.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Leon immediately stepped in to explain, "There was an accident, so we..."

Before he could finish, Zoey suddenly took a step forward. Her eyes went wide as she stared directly at Leon's collar and gasped loudly, "Dr. Lennox, is that... a lipstick mark on your shirt?"