Unloved Unwanted Unstoppable (Seraphina and Dominic) novel Chapter 181

Her lips trembled, and tears streamed down her face.

"Seraphina... is it really you?"

She struggled forward, throwing her arms around Seraphina, sobbing uncontrollably.

Seraphina rubbed her back, offering a soothing voice. "Don't speak just yet. You're safe now."

After a good cry, Vivian managed a few more sips of water and choked down some of the protein bars Seraphina's group had brought. Her color slowly returned.

This was clearly no place to linger. The group agreed to head down the mountain immediately, with the three men taking turns carrying Vivian on their backs.

Zachary was the first to carry her.

On the way down, Vivian gave Seraphina a fragmented account of what had happened.

It turned out Vivian was also an avid researcher. Hearing rumors of a rare ore deposit on the mountain, she and her best friend had come exploring.

But she lost her friend in the dense woods. Then, out of nowhere, something struck her hard, sending her tumbling down the steep ravine.

Seraphina's chest tightened.

This area was so isolated. If they hadn't happened to pass by, Vivian would never have survived the night.

After a long stretch, the other two guys offered to swap with Zachary to carry Vivian.

But Vivian clung to Zachary tightly, refusing to let go.

Seeing how stubborn she was and not wanting to jostle her injuries by shifting her around, Zachary insisted on carrying her the rest of the way himself.

Seraphina walked closely behind to support them, while the other two guys brought up the rear with the gear, making sure everyone was safe.

The mountain trail was steep and treacherous. The group moved with painstaking care, taking it one step at a time...

Cell service was spotty in the wilderness. Seraphina held her phone high, hiking quite a distance before she finally caught a stable signal.

She dialed 911 for an ambulance and the police.

The dispatcher confirmed their location and promised to send rescue teams immediately.

After hanging up, Seraphina offered Vivian a few more words of comfort.

"Hang in there. We're almost at the bottom."

Finally, they reached the base of the mountain.

Police cruisers and an ambulance were already waiting, their flashing red and blue lights piercing the gathering dusk.

Parked nearby was a sleek black Bentley.

Tristan nodded and climbed into the back of the ambulance.

After gathering preliminary statements, the police cruisers departed, leaving the mountain road to its quiet stillness once more.

Watching the ambulance speed away, Seraphina finally exhaled a long breath.

It didn't take long for the truth behind Vivian's fall to surface.

It was no accident—it was premeditated murder.

The boyfriend of Vivian's best friend, Caleb Ross, had secretly followed them up the mountain.

He purposely lured the friend away, then used a high-powered slingshot to fire steel bearings at Vivian's leg, causing her to plummet off the cliff.

And Caleb Ross happened to be Cynthia's younger brother.

When the news broke, the Ross family scrambled desperately to bail him out.

But Tristan beat them to the punch, intercepting Caleb first.

Overnight, Caleb vanished. When word of him finally surfaced, both his legs had been shattered and all ten of his fingers ruthlessly broken.

Everyone in their circle knew exactly who was responsible, but no one dared breathe a word of it.