Three Years Forgotten, Why Go Crazy When I Say Goodbye? novel Chapter 64

Hugo stepped out into the freezing night and hailed a passing cab.

The roads were slick with ice, and the driver took one look at the blizzard and refused to drive up the mountain.

Hugo didn't waste a breath. He pulled out his phone, scanned the driver's payment QR code, and transferred a thousand dollars on the spot. The driver's hesitation vanished, and he hit the gas.

The storm made the roads treacherous, and it took an agonizing hour to reach the resort.

Willow hadn't spent that hour waiting to die. She figured Julian would leave her to freeze, so she had started building a makeshift shelter. She dragged whatever usable materials she could find into a corner, her face red from the biting cold, her body trembling violently.

"Willow," a deep voice cut through the howling wind.

She dropped the tarp in her hands, a wave of relief washing over her. She thought it was the staff, but when the headlights illuminated Hugo's tall frame, shock rooted her to the spot.

Hugo assumed her silence meant she was heartbroken that Julian hadn't shown up. He had seen how deeply she loved Julian over the years. Wanting to spare her feelings, he lied, "Julian asked me to come. He had something to handle."

Willow shook her head. She knew Julian better than anyone. He would never come for her. In fact, she had regretted calling him the second she hung up. It had been a desperate instinct. Erasing years of emotional attachment was a grueling process.

"You don't have to lie. I know he wouldn't come," Willow said, her voice shaking from the cold. She assumed Hugo only came to protect Julian's reputation, ensuring she didn't freeze to death and become a PR nightmare for the Sinclair Group.

In her current state, pride was a luxury she couldn't afford. She thanked him and wrapped herself in the warmth of his coat.

The ride back to the city was suffocatingly silent. Willow felt guilty for dragging him out in a blizzard and wanted to minimize her presence. Hugo, on the other hand, was grappling with the realization that the Willow sitting beside him was entirely different from the desperate, clinging woman Julian and Vivienne constantly mocked. He didn't know what to say to her.

The heavy silence held until they dropped Willow off at her apartment.

As Hugo settled back into the cab, the driver let out a breath. "Hey, man. What's the deal with you and the lady?"