Chapter 1888


    Yasmine narrowed her eyes, fixing him with a frosty stare before finally letting out a derisive


    chuckle. "Took you long enough to figure it out. Not easy, was it?"


    Boyd watched her smirking, the kind of smirk you''d see on someone without a care in the world. It


    was chilling. "Didn''t you ever stop to think that if something really happened to Serana, you wouldn''t


    feel the slightest bit of unease or guilt?"


    Serana felt a chill run through her body and nced out the window. Dusk was approaching, and


    the temperature was dropping. No wonder she felt cold. She picked up her mug and took a couple


    of sips.


    "Why would I feel uneasy or guilty? It''s not like I killed anyone. Is it my job to feel bad every time


    somebody bites the dust?" she said,ughing softly. "What do you think I am, some kind of saint?"


    "Because of your selfishness, you let them take her away. If something happens, isn''t your inaction


    just as bad as pulling the trigger?"


    There was a loud "thud," and the atmosphere in the director''s office instantly froze. Everyone


    present was stunned, unsure of how to react. Yasmine''s mug flew straight from her hand to smack


    Boyd squarely on the forehead.d2


    The lukewarm water from the mug trickled down his face, mingling with a noticeable streak of red.


    Some papers on the desk got soaked, and the ss mug shattered on the floor.


    Yasmine remained seated, her expression icy. "So what? Anything that happens to Serana is my


    fault? Looks like I don''t even qualify as a stranger anymore, huh?"


    She pushed herself out of the chair, frowning as she felt the armrest, and then hopped down.


    She walked directly up to Boyd. She was still shorter than Boyd. Looking at him, she could only tilt


    her chin up, but her eyes were colder than ever.


    He never saw her as the naive, cheerful kid she was supposed to be, but now, this was a side of her


    he couldn''t have even imagined.


    "So I just can''t get away from you people, can I? No matter what I do, it''s wrong, right?"


    Yasmine''s gaze was unwavering. "Would you bepletely satisfied if it was me who was taken


    away today instead of her?"


    Boyd furrowed his brows, "You''re being ridiculous."


    "So what''s the point of all this ranting? Just spouting nonsense at me?"


    Boyd''s face twisted in anger, clearly more affected by her words than the gash on his forehead from


    the mug.


    "Why don''t you tell me right now how to truly,pletely shake you two off my back?" Her eyes


    tracked the blood dripping down Boyd''s face, void of any warmth.


    Boyd was silent for a moment, and the director finally snapped out of his daze. "Yasmine, this is not


    the time for arguing. Boyd needs to attend to that cut on his forehead."


    "He won''t die." Yasmine cut in sharply, maintaining her gaze on Boyd. "Not talking, huh? Fine, I''ll


    speak. If Serana really died today, you''d probably chase me for life for retribution, right? Seems like


    even if Serana''s out of the picture, I still can''t shake you off, can I?"


    She chuckled bitterly, "What kind of karma is this? Even if Serana dies, I can''t live in peace because


    of her. It looks like I''ll only have some peace if she stays alive."


    The office remained silent, all eyes fixed on Yasmine''s slender figure.


    "Alright, Boyd, let''s make a deal. If Seranaes out of this unscathed, you – and she – better stay


    out of my life forever. We''ll be strangers from now on. Whatever happens to you doesn''t concern me


    one bit."


    Boyd''s lips were pressed into a thin line.


    "No response? I''ll take that as an agreement." Yasmine couldn''t bear to look at him any longer and


    moved to sit on the couch by the window.


    "Does this count as Boyd skipping ss?"


    Boyd shot Yasmine a nce and left the director''s office with an icy expression.


    Yasmine''s palms were cold, and her nerves were still on edge.


    Kidnapping. She cursed under her breath, her first ever encounter with such a crisis.


    "Yasmine." Bryson nced outside at the quickly darkening sky.


    "Let''s wait it out. I came here to resolve this once and for all. I don''t n oning back."


    Bryson nodded.


    Just moments ago, the sunset was still visible, but now the weather had turned and rain began to


    pour.


    Bryson peered outside with a hint of concern, "Looks like the rain''s going to get heavier."


    Yasmine frowned and stood up from the couch, "I need to go up the hill."


    Bryson immediately objected, "No way. The police are up there, you won''t be of any help."


    "Who said I was going to help?" Yasmine turned to the director to borrow an umbre. "I need to get


    something from Ava. The rain''s getting worse, and I refuse to spend the night here."


    "I''ll fetch it."


    If she let Bryson know she''d handed those bracelets over to someone else, he''d have a fit. She was


    annoyed enough as it was and didn''t need Bryson''s incessant nagging in the future.


    "Only I can get it." She didn''t borate, instead focusing on a nearby officer who looked ready to


    stop her. "I told that guy to give that kid a good scare, and he seemed to agree. He''s taken a kid up


    the mountain, so it''ll buy some time. The girl might get roughed up a bit, but there shouldn''t be any


    life-threatening danger. Of course, if she has a bit of sense, or if you guys are quick enough, she


    should be alright by now."


    At worst, she might be scared out of her wits.


    "You have confidence in your team, so you probably won''t stop me."


    The officer was speechless. Staring at the girl who barely reached his waist, he couldn''t quite grasp


    the situation.


    She was nothing like a ten-year-old. From start to finish, her words, actions, even her thought


    processes – none of it resembled what one would expect from a ten-year-old. And now, even when


    she was backing down, she did it with such ir.


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    Did he trust his team? Absolutely.


    This girl was a little too sharp for her own good.


    "I haven''t received the go-ahead, so you can''t go up the mountain just yet."


    "Aren''t you going to check out the situation yourself? You could drop me off on the way. Or are you


    worried you can''t keep me safe?"


    The officer chuckled, "Youngdy, reverse psychology won''t work on me."


    "Suit yourself."


    Yasmine brushed past him and stood at the doorway, popping open her umbre.


    Bryson knew Yasmine''s temperament all too well. He shot the officer a helpless look before hurrying


    over to her side.


    "Miss, for safety''s sake, let''s wait for the rain to ease up. Otherwise, I''ll head up and fetch her


    myself."


    Yasmine eyed the rain outside, a frown fleeting across her brow. She turned to look at the officer.


    "There''s a little girl up there, about my age, home alone. If she ran into that thug..."


    The color drained from the officer''s face.


    His radio crackled to life at that moment, and from his one-sided conversation, Yasmine could


    gather that the criminal had been subdued. However, little Serana had climbed to the top of a steep


    incline and was wedged in a narrow crevice. The gap was too small for an adult, and from the


    sound of it, the branches wouldn''t bear an adult''s weight either. With the rain and wind, the


    branches were swaying fiercely. And knowing Serana''s timid nature, aside from clinging to the


    branches and crying her heart out, she wouldn''t dare to move.


    The officer confirmed there was still no foolproof way to reach her.


    Yasmine nced at the rain-shrouded mountain, and after a moment, she said slowly, "I''ll go."


    "Don''t be reckless!" Bryson was genuinely upset. What a mess of a day this was turning out to be.


    "I mainly want an excuse to go up the mountain. Saving Serana is the only way I''ll cut ties with all


    this mess once and for all."


    She should never havee here today, getting herself into this whole heap of bad luck.


    --


    Ava lived halfway up the mountain. When they got there, she was home alone. Before Yasmine left,


    she mentioned reiming her bracelets. Ava seemed to want to say more, but Yasmine had no time


    to spare.


    At the scene, Yasmine saw the thug with a gunshot wound in his leg. Seeing her, his eyes were


    vicious, even more so than when she had seen him down the mountain.


    Yasmine''s body trembled slightly, and a faint smile stretched across her pale face. Then, she turned


    her gaze to the continuous crying in the other direction.


    She couldn''t have imagined what the scene looked like when the officer described it. The tree roots


    had grown out of a rock crevice and branched into new limbs. The limbs stretched out from the rock


    gap, and below wasn''t quite a cliff, but the slope was steep.


    Just like she had been told, the crevice was narrow, and the branches were brittle.


    The wind brought the rain against her face, stinging a bit.


    Serana suddenly screamed, mixing with her sobs, giving Yasmine a headache.


    They cobbled together some ropes they had found on the spot. Given Serana''s position, they could


    only manage a single line.


    The officer, serious-faced, ordered them to find another rope, but the men hesitated.


    "We brought everything we could..."


    "Then tear up the damn bed sheets and bring them here!"


    The officer exploded, but Yasmine spoke calmly, "No need. There''s not much time. If we wait much


    longer, a few more gusts and there won’t be anyone to rescue anyone."


    Serana was at the farthest point, the branches already bending under her weight. With each gust of


    wind, they swayed violently, threatening to snap at any moment.


    Yasmine tied the rope around her waist. Her pants, clinging to her body, were a hindrance, so she


    rolled up her trouser legs.


    Bryson was beside himself with worry, "Let me do it."


    "Are you trying to save her or get yourself killed?"


    Bryson fell silent.


    When Yasmine rolled up her trouser legs, Bryson eximed in surprise, "Your knee, you''re injured!"


    "It''s nothing."


    She stood up, looking at Serana clinging and wailing, then took a nce down the slope before


    squeezing her eyes shut. After a deep breath, she bent down and slowly climbed onto the branch.


    Her knees could only rest on the limb, the rain-soaked wound chafed against the bark, and her


    inner fear made the entire ordeal agonizingly painful. The people on the ground gripped the rope


    tightly, watching her every move.


    Yasmine got closer to Serana, who finally saw her clearly.


    At that moment, she couldn''t care less about the harsh words Yasmine had said at the orphanage.


    She just wanted to escape this nightmare.


    "Yasmine, save me. I''m scared. Ahh!"


    A gust shook the branches fiercely, and Serana screamed again. Her scream startled Yasmine,


    already tense and afraid, freezing her in ce as she tried to steady her trembling body.


    "Shut up!"


    Serana, frightened by Yasmine''s reprimand, whimpered, "Yasmine. I''m scared. Save me, please."


    The rain grew heavier, and through the downpour, Yasmine could see bruises on Serana''s lips and


    a handprint on her cheek. It seemed the man had hit her.


    Yasmine pursed her lips, then moved forward a few more steps.


    "You can''t go any further!" Bryson shouted from behind, his hands wringing in distress.


    Yasmine stopped and spoke to Serana again, "Crawl towards me. If you stay there, you''ll always be


    scared. And soon, if that branch breaks, you''ll have no chance to climb. You''ll just be waiting to die."


    Two drenched figures, each bearing their own wounds, neither in good shape.


    Maybe it was Yasmine''s words that spurred her, but after a long while, Serana started to inch her


    way over. She was far out, near the very end of the branches. Any movement made the shaking


    severe.


    "Don''t be scared. Move a little at a time. I''m right here waiting for you."


    Amidst the relentless downpour, Serana stumbled forward, her sobs indistinguishable from the rain


    streaming down her face. mping her lips shut to suppress her cries, she inched closer to where


    Yasmine stood. Her every move seemed to test Yasmine''s patience to its very limit.


    Finally, Serana reached Yasmine, nearly copsing at her feet.


    Yasmine nced down at her with a frosty gaze beforemanding, "Don''t move." She then bent


    down, untying the rope from around her own waist and securing it firmly around Serana.


    As the shock of her frantic emotions began to subside, Serana observed Yasmine''s actions, utterly


    baffled by her intentions.


    Back at the foot of the mountain, Yasmine had seemed almost eager for that man to finish Serana


    off, coldly stating she deserved whatever came to her. And yet, here she was, risking so much to


    come to Serana''s aid.


    "Yasmine, what about you?" Serana asked.