?Chapter 2853:


    “The number you are calling is currently unavable.”


    Hadley stared at the screen—barely a flicker of signal. There was no reception here. Eric’s phone wouldn’t connect either.


    Where were the bodyguards? Had they gone the wrong way? Should she wait for backup? But what if he was down there—hurt, bleeding, running out of time?


    Her heart hammered as she made her choice.


    She pulled a bottle of water from her bag and set it by the roadside—an unmistakable marker for their team.


    Drawing in a shaky breath, she braced herself against the incline and began to climb down.


    Her handstched onto branches and stubborn weeds. Her boots skidded on loose soil as she searched for solid footing. Inch by inch, she lowered herself, forcing her body to obey even as fear shook her to the bone.


    “Eric… Eric…” Her voice wavered, snatched away by the wind.


    “If you can hear me… please, answer me!”


    “Eric… Eric!”


    No answer came. The farther Hadley descended, the tighter anxiety coiled around her chest.


    As she shifted her arm to climb down, a sharp rip cut through the silence—followed by a sting of pain. She pressed herself against the steep slope and lifted her arm to look.


    Jagged rocks had torn her jacket—and her skin with it.


    A thin scratch seeped tiny beads of blood. Thankfully, the thick fabric had spared her from anything deeper.


    Hadley let her arm fall. It was nothing—too trivial to matter.


    But the thought of Eric sent dread mming through her.


    If she could get hurt even while being careful… what about him?


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    “Eric…” Her voice trembled, fear dragging at every syble.


    “Where are you?”


    “Please… let him be safe,” she whispered, almost like a prayer.


    Suddenly, her foot slipped, knocking a loose stone free.


    “Ah!”


    Her scream tore through the air as her body lurched forward into empty space. She iled, grasping at dirt and roots—anything—but her hands found nothing.


    “It’s over!”


    The thought shed through her mind just before she hit the ground hard, face-first.


    Her palms and cheek scraped against the rough terrain, pain ring hot across her skin.


    “Ahh…” Hadley hissed through clenched teeth, gasping for breath.


    Slowly, she pushed herself up on shaking arms and looked around.


    She’d reached the bottom.


    By some stroke of luck, the fall hadn’t been high enough to break anything.


    Panting, she forced herself to her feet, ignoring the raw burn in her palms. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on her own injuries.


    Bracing her hands on her knees, she steadied her breathing and nced up the slope she’d just tumbled down.


    There’d been no sign of Eric on the way. But if she’d ended up here… maybe he had too.


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