?Chapter 1177:


    Yvonne stirred faintly, lids fluttering as her voice drifted out, hoarse and weak. “Am I dreaming… or awake?”


    Norton clutched her frozen hand. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”


    As his warmth reached her, a faint light stirred in her eyes.


    She tried to push herself up, her elbow trembling beneath her weight, but her strength failed her.


    Norton leaned in, arms ready to lift her.


    Then he froze—something didn’t feel right.


    The ice beneath his feet was showing signs of cracking.


    In a sh, he shoved Yvonne out of harm’s way just as the ground gave way.


    The ice split with a sharp snap, and Norton plunged into the crevice below.


    A wave of vertigo hit as he plummeted downward, crashing hard against the frozen ground of the chasm.


    Pain exploded through him on impact—wounds tore open across his body, and blood seeped into the snow, streaking the ice with red.


    “Norton!” Yvonne screamed, her voice raw with panic.


    Despite her injuries, she dragged herself across the snow, inching toward the edge of the crevice. Norton looked up, his voice strained. “Stay back. It’s too risky.”


    Tears streamed freely as Yvonne shook her head in defiance. She stretched out her hand, lying t against the icy edge, desperate to reach him.


    “Don’t you dare let go…” she sobbed, her voice breaking.


    His gaze locked with hers, tenderness filling his eyes. “I promise.” Blood poured from his face, but a faint smile broke through his lips.


    Every muscle ached, but he clung to consciousness, refusing to let go.


    Yvonne whipped her head around, spotting the rescue team in the distance. She screamed with everything she had, “Help! He’s down here! Norton’s in the crevice!”


    She turned back to Norton, anguish tightening every breath. Then, with sheer will, she forced herself upright.


    Stumbling through the snow, she reached the team. “Please—hurry! He’s down there! He’s badly hurt!”


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    The rescuers reacted instantly. Tools in hand, they surged toward the edge. Spotting Norton’s form below, they sprang into action, setting up ropes and coordinating a swift extraction.


    Carefully, they hauled him up, securing his bloodied body onto a stretcher. Yvonne, too, was gently lifted andid down. Though unconscious, Norton never let go of her hand.


    As the team descended the mountain with both of them, the blizzard still swirling around them, tears slipped from Yvonne’s eyes.


    Yvonne stared at Norton, lying unconscious beside her, his face pale against the snow-dusted ground. Her heart swelled with emotion, tangled with fear and a love she had only just begun to understand.


    The wail of the ambnce sliced through the still air, growing louder with each heartbeat.


    Then, against all odds, Norton’s eyes fluttered open. He looked at her through a haze of pain, his voice frayed and fragile. “Yvonne… my jealousy or anger—it was all because I cared for you. I see it clearly now. I’ve fallen in love with you—in the quiet of our everyday life. I love you, Yvonne…”


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