The rain pelted down harshly on our bodies. Laurel, who was completely soaked through like everyone else, peered at me with worry lining her features. “We have to go now!”
“This place is prone to sinkholes, especially on rainy days. C’mon, let’s leave first!” Tabitha urged.
As though on cue, lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Everyone couldn’t care less about anything else and immediately scurried toward the tents.
“I think that area just collapsed!” Tabitha’s boyfriend suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone glanced back as one and sure enough, a large area of the ground had sunken in.
“This place used to be a mine. Some spots were dug to a depth of approximately ten meters and no one has been managing this area in years. On rainy days, accidents are prone to happen,” Tabitha’s boyfriend explained.
Tabitha gasped in terror. “I saw many tea trees on the mountain. Isn’t it dangerous for the tea farmers there? They could lose their lives!”
Laurel spoke up right then, aiming her words at Ashton. “Mr. Fuller, where did you guys go off to? If we weren’t looking for you guys, Scarlett would never have been in danger and we wouldn’t have gotten caught in the downpour either.”
At that, everyone turned their attention to Ashton. He cast a fleeting gaze at them, but remained otherwise calm. In a polite and sophisticated manner, he expressed his regret. “What happened today was an oversight on my part. To show my sincere apology, I’ll treat everyone to a meal tomorrow.”
Laurel pursed her lips. “We’re not blaming you. It’s not exactly your fault, anyway.”
While I was trapped in the pit, my entire body was pumping with adrenaline, but now that I escaped from that precarious situation, exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks.
As I listened to their conversation, my knees suddenly gave out beneath me.
Ashton’s quick reflexes kicked in and he caught me before I hit the ground, smoothly pulling me into his arms.
“Scarlett, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? Let me take a look at you.” Anxiously, Nora squatted beside me to inspect my body for injuries.
However, Ashton blocked her and contradicted in an authoritative voice, “She’s not injured. She’s just tired after the stress her body was put through. All she needs is a good rest.”
I held Nora’s hand and nodded reassuringly at her. Then, I tried to get to my feet, but Ashton hugged me close to his body and scooped me up. Both our clothes were wet, but thankfully, the weather wasn’t too cold.
At such close proximity, I could feel his body temperature radiating and also the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Embarrassed, my face flushed a crimson red.
Finally, I was back in the tent after being subjected to the harrowing ordeal in the pit. Worried that I would catch a cold, Nora gave me the clothes she had brought that day and told me get changed inside the tent.
She squeezed into the tiny space because she was worried I wouldn’t be able to change my clothes due to some unseen injuries.
Noticing how she was blatantly staring at me, I cleared my throat awkwardly. “You really don’t need to watch me like that. I’m fine. Really. Perfectly intact!”
She nodded, but her eyes remained trained on me as she sighed. “Thank God Laurel’s call for help was loud enough to travel through the forest. Otherwise, only God knows what would’ve happened to you if you were still trapped down there in this rain.”
My hands paused their actions and I looked at her in perplexity. “Didn’t you guys search for me because Tessa came looking for help?”
She shook her head with a frown. “Not long after we got separated, we trekked around the forest, but then returned to camp when we didn’t find Ashton. He came back with Rachel later on. It turns out that she sprained her ankle and couldn’t walk back. Ashton was supporting her when they returned. Seriously, that woman is nothing but trouble.”
Flabbergasted, I blurted out, “Then, has Tessa come back?”
A small crease formed between her brows. “I would’ve forgotten all about her if you didn’t mention her. We haven’t seen her since you fell into the pit!”
“After Ashton and Rachel came back, we waited a long time for you guys. When it started to rain, we got worried, so we hiked toward the mountain. That’s when we heard Laurel calling for help and found out that you fell into a pit.”
I pursed my lips and fell silent.
After a brief moment, Nora’s gasp broke the silence. “Did you guys tell Tessa to come back for help?”
I nodded solemnly. “Yeah.”
Her lips pressed tightly together as her brows drew together. “Damn! That woman is seriously vile. She talks about virtue and kindness every chance she gets, but she’s actually a cold-hearted b*tch!”
I kept mum and resumed changing my clothes. Suddenly, I felt all the energy drain from my body and only fatigue remained.
To play safe, we decided to rest in our tents for the night.
After experiencing a life-and-death situation, everyone was bone tired. Initially, Nora wanted to accompany me in my tent, but she was taken away by Armond after a while.
Too tired to inquire about the rest of them, I lay in my tent and fell asleep in a daze.
