"What about you, Ms. Marchand? What''s your wish?"


    Jack tipped his head back, having just taken a long drink of water, and shot the question at her.


    Violet nced over at McNeil with a faint, enigmatic smile. "Take a guess."


    After a short break filled with banter andughter, the group started up another hill.


    As they climbed higher, the air thinned and the temperature dropped sharply. Everyone pulled out heavier jackets and bundled up.


    After several hours of hiking, most of the group began to feel the strain-some were gasping for breath, othersgging behind, their pace interrupted by frequent stops.


    By now, only McNeil, Curtis, and Violet seemed to have energy left.


    To everyone''s surprise, the delicate-looking Ms. Turner seemed to be handling the climb better than anyone. Her breathing was steady, her expression calm-she didn''t look tired at all.


    A couple of people whispered conspiratorially.


    "What''s with Ms. Turner? Do you think she''s really not tired, or just pretending? Maybe she''s trying to show off for Mr. Langford and get on Ms. Marchand''s nerves."


    "I''m telling you, married women can bepletely unpredictable when they set their minds to something. Honestly, if Ms. Marchand weren''t so good-natured, she would''ve pped her earlier when she practically fell right into Mr. Langford''s arms."


    The earlier incident had soured several people''s opinions of Victoria; now, any chance to gossip about her was eagerly seized.


    Victoria simply pretended not to hear.


    Let them talk, she thought. She hade to Quantum Core Technologies with a mission, and she wasn''t about to get dragged into petty drama.


    "We''re all used to sitting behind desks, so this is probably the most exercise we''ve had in ages," Violet called out, offering a bit of encouragement. "Of course we''re tired. Let''s take another break, then make a final push to the top. There''s a spa hotel up there—no one''s actually camping out in the wild tonight."


    The promise of hot baths andfortable beds instantly revived everyone''s spirits.


    A moment ago, they''d looked ready to copse; now, people straightened up, their energy suddenly restored.


    Curtis had been shadowing Victoria the whole way, hoping for a chance to offer her water or maybe hold her hand if she needed help. But after hours of climbing, even he was starting to g, while Victoria still lookedpletely at ease. Curtis began to seriously doubt his own fitness.


    Even the team''s cameraman-used to hauling equipment across all sorts of terrain-was showing signs of fatigue.


    Seeing that the group was truly exhausted, Violet called for a half-hour rest.


    Victoria sat down, unfazed; the trek so far had been nothing to her.


    Violet, on the other hand, was sweating and clearly worn out.


    "Hey, youe here a minute."


    For some reason, the cameraman had taken an interest in Victoria and beckoned her over.


    Puzzled, Victoria got up and walked toward him.


    "I need to shoot some engagement photos of Ms. Marchand and Mr. Langford in a bit," he exined. "You''ve got great stamina, and you''re about the same height as Ms. Marchand. Minding with me to scout a location? You can stand in as a model while I set up."


    Just then, Victoria''s phone rang-Stein was calling. She took the opportunity to follow the cameraman, answering the call as they headed off.


    She was so focused on her conversation with Stein that she lost track of how far they''d gone—or where, exactly, the cameraman was leading her.


    By the time the call ended and she looked up, she realized she was alone. The cameraman had vanished.


    Evening was falling, and with no one else in sight, a flicker of anxiety crept in. Victoria had never been in these woods before and had no idea how to get her bearings. She wondered if wild animals roamed the area at night—her safety was suddenly a real concern.


    Back at the rest spot, Violet was rallying the group for departure when Ailie noticed Victoria was missing.


    "Wait-Mr. Garcia, where''s Victoria?"


    It was only then that everyone realized she was gone.


    Ailie turned toward Violet''s cameraman, her tone sharp. "I saw you take Victoria


    with you. So... where is she now?"