Three Years Later, He Came Back Begging novel Chapter 402

Even though he had mentally prepared himself the entire drive, constantly reassuring himself that Bonnie was fine, the moment Lawrence arrived at Harper Street and saw the fresh devastation, terror seized him by the throat.

The scene was pure chaos. Harper Street housed a resettlement zone that took a heavy hit from the aftershock. People were trapped beneath collapsed tents and prefabricated houses, and frantic rescue efforts were already underway.

Search and rescue teams dispatched by the command center were stationed outside the partially collapsed structures, assessing the risks before making a move.

Lawrence slammed the SUV into park. His hands shook violently as he forced the door open. He stumbled as his boots hit the ground, his legs barely holding him up due to sheer adrenaline. Staring at the wreckage, a metallic taste flooded his mouth.

He immediately recognized the worst of the collapse. It was the future site of Highvale's new K-12 school—formerly known as The Civic Leadership Academy.

Over countless nights spent keeping Bonnie company while she drafted blueprints, Lawrence had seen the plans featuring the iconic statue that had miraculously survived the initial earthquake.

Now, it had fallen, succumbing to the secondary tremors and crumbling into the rubble.

Not a single structure remained intact.

Lawrence fought back a suffocating wave of panic and approached the rescue team, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "The Kingswood University Working Group... are they here?"

The leader glanced up, recognizing him, and offered a grim explanation. "The radar detected some life signs, and the rescue dogs are responding, but we can't confirm if it's the Kingswood team. We won't know the exact details until we clear the debris."

A dizzying rush of vertigo hit Lawrence. He barely registered the rescue captain pushing him back behind the safety perimeter. By the time he regained his focus, the excavation had already begun.

He desperately wanted to dig, but he knew he couldn't interfere with the professionals. If he made a mistake that caused a further collapse, he would never forgive himself.

A hollow, devastating void ripped open in his chest. The biting wind of the plateau seemed to slice right through him, the freezing air settling deep into his bones.

He stood there shivering uncontrollably, a cold sweat drenching his back. He was ashen, his blood turning to ice in his veins.

Lawrence refused to believe it. He couldn't let himself process what disappearing life signs meant in an environment like this.

Maybe the worst had happened. But maybe... maybe it was just extreme hypothermia. Maybe the heartbeats and breathing had grown too faint, slipping just below the radar's threshold.

No matter what, until he saw Bonnie with his own eyes, he absolutely refused to give up hope.